Preamble

"Medicine is the noblest of profession". Well said and known fact. Doctors deal with suffering humanity; patients come with pain, agony and disability and after kind and humane efforts of medical professionals and the mercy of Allah they return healthy & comfortable. In response doctors achieve respect, prayers and blessings.

Perhaps that is why Medicine is still the most sought after profession. After passing matriculation examination, the best students securing highest marks select pre-medical group in F.Sc. to join a medical or Dental college.

In Pakistan, every year, over 35,000 students pass F.Sc. premedical examination in First Division, securing over 60% marks and apply to get admission in a medical college. About 4000 get admission in public sector medical colleges and the remaining 25000 do not succeed. Out of these unsuccessful candidates every year about 600 who can afford, go abroad to Russia and other former Soviet republics, China, Philippines and Caribbean States for medical education and over Rs.4 billion of foreign exchange of Pakistan is spent on these students. For about a year they have to learn the local language and in most cases these medical educational institutions are not recognized by Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) with the result that the time and money of the students are wasted. Establishment of standard medical colleges in Pakistan benefits such Pakistani students, saves the Govt. of Pakistan valuable foreign exchange and helps to overcome the shortage of doctors in the country.

The number of doctors registered in Pakistan at present is about 150,000. It is estimated that about 30,000 Pakistani doctors are working aboard, leaving 120,000 for a population of about 180 millions making a ratio of one doctor for 1326 persons. The doctor/population ratio recommended for developing countries by W.H.O is around 1 doctor for 5000 population. At this ratio the requirement of doctors in Pakistan for 175 millions populations is 175,000 doctors. This shows that we require another about 60,000 doctors in the country to fulfill our own needs, what to say of those doctors who go to work abroad. This shortage appears very difficult to overcome.

Until recently government had undertaken the responsibility of training doctors almost free of cost. It is free of cost when it is considered that against the expenditure of about Rs. 9 millions incurred on training of one doctor in five years, the government has been charging a nominal tuition fee of about Rs. 20,000 in five years.

It is a fact that some of the best medical colleges in the world are in the USA and most of these are in the private sector like the Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Yale, Cornell, Columbia, Stanford and Mayo etc. It was in this context that some leading members of medical profession well experienced in medical education decided to establish Frontier Medical College in the private sector on no profit no loss basis as a self financed medical college at Abbottabad in 1995.

Realizing the importance of training more doctors, the government increased the number of seats in medical colleges in seventees, this resulted in overcrowding which was affecting the standard of medical education, therefore, on advice of PMDC (Public Servic Pakistan Medical & Dental Council) the number of seats in each medcial college had to be reduced to 200 admissions per year and the private sector was encouraged to assist in training of doctors.

Initially, Agha Khan Medical College was established in private sector in 1981. It has done well and earned good reputation for its standard of medical education. Some more medical colleges were started. A few of them not coming up to the standard laid down by the PMDC had to be closed. PMDC is the statutory body of the Govt. of Pakistan. It is the controlling authority to see that the standard of medical education is maintained in the country.

In 1994 in NWFP about 3200 students passed F.Sc pre-medical examination in first division, only about 400 got admission in two public sector medical colleges and the other 2800 were left out. Establishment of Frontier Medical College provided an opportunity to such students to join the medical profession and utilize their ability and leadership qualities and to reduce sufferings of the ailing humanity at home and aboard, and also help in overcoming to some extent the acute shortage of doctors in the country in general and in N.W.F.P. in particular and also fulfilling the desires of those who wish to work as medical professionals.

Realizing the need to overcome the shortage of doctors in the NWFP, the Govt. of NWFP itself has established in the public sector two new medical colleges, one at Swat and the other at DI Khan on self-finance basis. Following the example of the Govt. of NWFP and to overcome the shortage of doctors in their provinces, the Punjab Govt. has also established 4 new medical colleges and the Sindh Govt. one new medical college, on paying seats basis.