Pakistani medical graduates cannot practice in the US
Pakistani medical graduates cannot practice in the US, so step also has been taken by dental council (PMDC) had applied for the WFME World Federation for Medical Education and invited the organization to visit Pakistan, in 2019 the WFME postponed the visit.
In order to get facilities from the WFME, Pakistan had time till January 2024 but due to the current Pakistan Medical Commission does not meet to get recognition which as a result Pakistani Medical graduates cannot perform practice in the US anymore.
The PMC, on the other hand, stated that it had “formally initiated the process for the recognition and WFME is expected to take a visit in 12 to 15 months, which will give a chance to the Pakistani Medical Graduates which cannot practice in US at any cost. According to a senior official from the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS), Around 25 pc of Pakistani Medical graduates actively working in the US by having foreign qualifications.
“US’s Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG), after realizing that the quality of foreign graduates was deteriorating due to mushroom growth of private-for-profit colleges, on Sept 21, 2011, announced that after January 2023 graduates of only those countries having recognition from WFME will be allowed to appear in the United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE),” the official stated.
On Monday, 1st of August, the PMC indeed denied the news about it Pakistan has failed the criteria of WFME, as to the decision was made by the US medical authorities that required other countries entering their country in 2024 and onwards to be Pakistani Medical graduates or licensed by authorities recognized by the WFME.
“Currently all those Pakistani Medical graduates cannot practice in the US after 2024 are still able to work and train in the USA without any hindrance,” the PMC stated.
Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMF) and the Association of Physicians Descent of North America (APPNA) also support Pakistani medical graduates which cannot practice in US and PMC’s recognition too.
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“The PMC has initiated the recognition process for WFME after exhaustive preparations and fulfilling all requirements over the last 18 months,” stated a statement.
“WFME will over the next 6 to 12 months evaluate the Pakistani Medical graduates and its recognized medical colleges to complete the recognition process, on completion of which Pakistan will be able to obtain the WFME recognition in 2023, well before the 2024 deadline.”
Till a clear decision, The WFME recognition is a phase- wise evaluation process the still in a physical assessment and is expected during the first half of 2023, according to PMC.
Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary General Dr. Qaiser Sajjad said it was very unlucky of us that the PMC had canceled the visit of the WFME which can cause damage to Pakistani Medical Graduates cannot practice in US.
“It is not going to be easy to get accreditation by 2024 as there is a long list of conditions which include quality of education, criteria for inspections of colleges, rules, faculty, and many other things,” the official stated.
He also added, “The government dissolved the PMDC and established the PMC, a move which the court reversed, and again PMC came into existence, between this, a visit of the WFME got postponed, due to which Pakistan didn’t get the recognition.”
He stated, that “if Pakistan failed to meet the January 2024 deadline, then Pakistani medical graduates from the country would not be able to study or practice in the US.”
In 2020, the Pakistan Medical commission said, major reforms were taken in India by setting new medical rules and authorities for the same man reasons that existed in Pakistan for their Pakistani Medical graduates which cannot practice in US and medical colleges.
“The Indian Medical Commission has not as yet applied for WFME recognition whereas the PMC has managed to in the same time achieve the required reforms and implement the WFME guided standards and structures to enable the initiation of the WFME recognition process,” PMC added.
Pakistani medical graduates cannot practice in the US
