An introduction to Punjab Medical College
::: by Dr Khalid Naeem :::

Punjab Medical College was set up in the city of Faisalabad (Pakistan) in 1973-74 in a borrowed Agricultural University building on Gojra road called ‘Kissan Hall’. Faisalabad, previously called Lyallpur, is situated between the rivers Ravi and Chenab some 400 kilometres south of the capital city Islamabad. The mean annual temperature of Faisalabad is 75 degrees Fahrenheit with January as the coolest and June as the hottest month. The annual rainfall varies between 15 to 20 inches, the major portion coming in the months of Monsoon i.e. July and August.

Today, the college is based in an elegant modern campus, which spreads over an area of 158 acres on Sargodha Road. This new campus was completed in 1982 with an investment of Rs. 460 millions from the government. It is heartening that the college has all the facilities and the infrastructure that a modern institution can aspire for in a developing country. There are now, on an average, 600 students in the college. The students come from diverse social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. There are special places allocated for disabled students.

The college attracts a large number of foreign students from different countries because of its high levels of training. The medium of education is mainly English. The tuition fees and the costs of living are very cheap. Four boys and one girls Houses of residence cater for the residential needs of the students. Staff residences range from 1-2 bedroom apartments to detached bungalows.

The 1100 bedded Allied Teaching Hospital and Nursing College became completely operational in 1987, where in addition to Senior Registrars and Senior House Officers, most of the newly graduated doctors receive their training in different specialities comprising of General Medicine, General Surgery, Orthopaedics, ENT, Ophthalmology, Pathology, Radiology, Accident & Emergency, Anaesthesia, Intensive Care Unit and Gynaecology & Obstetrics.

Nearly 23 professors staff the college. The college teams of cricket, hockey and volleyball participate in annual Intercollegiate and Interuniversity tournaments. The debating society of the college also participates in the Annual University Debate contests. The college is recognised by the General Medical Council and the Medical Council of Ireland for registration and post-graduate studies and examinations. A large number of the college graduates are working in different training posts in the United Kingdom, Ireland, United States of America, Australia and South Africa. Some of them have returned to Pakistan after completing their training while others have made their careers abroad.
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