SZABMU Launches New MS Programme
Pakistan First Bariatric has in one giant stride broken through to the world of medical disciplines with the introduction of the Pakistan First Bariatric first-ever two-year Bariatric Master of Surgery (MS) Programme in the country. The project is an innovative step that Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) has declared, and will transform specialized surgical training and practically improve the ability of the country to address complex metabolic health problems.
At the lively town hall titled Scalpels and Strength-Pakistani Women Redefining Surgery, which was hosted at the prestigious Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Tanveer Khaliq revealed the good news.
Surgeons desiring to become expert in advanced weight-loss and metabolic surgeries used to be forced to travel to foreign countries in order to train. However, with the new programme, that story is different. It is carefully crafted to impart the local surgeons with the most advanced metabolic and bariatric procedures, hence, taming a very important field. When Prof. Dr. Rana Imran Sikandar, the Executive Director of PIMS, gave his full support, it was evident that this was not a programme of the university, but a national health plan. The introduction of the Pakistan First Bariatric MS Programme is a landmark.
According to the Pakistan Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (PSMBS), Prof. Dr. Aatif Inam Shami stated that this Pakistan First Bariatric MS Programme was an important step in the training of surgery in Pakistan. The initiation of the program will be an indication of adherence to international standards in healthcare education, whereby surgical treatment of obesity and associated metabolic illnesses is affordable and global here at home. This new Pakistan First Bariatric initiative is a game-changer.
Scalpels, Strength: Women in Medicine.
This was announced as the end of a particularly encouraging Town Hall which was a joint project between the PSMBS and the Treo Foundation (USA). The event itself was called Scalpels and Strength, and it was a beacon by itself, as it cast some light on the impressive contribution and leadership of female surgeons in Pakistan.
The hall was full of excitement as the session was a toast to these medical heroes. Chair of the discussion was Dr. Saniea Majid (USA), the President of ASMBS Treo Foundation, who invited a high-profile panel of senior women surgeons to the discussion: Prof. Rakhshanda Rashid, Prof. Azra A. Ghani, Dr. Zahra Raza, Dr. Erum Najeeb, and Dr. Arifa Manzoor. Dr. Nazish Masood led the discussion with her skill, and it quickly turned into an emotion narrative.
Such renowned orators did not merely discuss surgery, but they told their own stories, the late nights, the struggle to juggle the hard-working life, the very sacrifice it takes to become a top-notch surgeon, a profession traditionally held by males. They emphasized the critical need to have mentorship, commitment, and ultimately an emphasis on patient-centered care as the key components of any potential doctor.
The words of Dr. Majid profoundly moved the audience and provided them with the universal truth about any professional who tries to achieve excellence. She believed that, courage is the foundation of every success in surgery. The boldness to be innovative, educate, and lead. The Pakistani female surgeons are completely redefining leadership in the medical field. The spirit demonstrated here will support the Pakistan First Bariatric graduates.
Supporting a Future of Confidence.
It was quite an inspirational time, especially to the young doctors there. In addition to the commemorating of the past, the Town Hall laid the groundwork for a bright future in which the collaboration and mentoring thrive. The success of the Pakistan First Bariatric program will depend on this.
The overall message was strong and coherent at the end of the event: the medical fraternity has to keep cultivating opportunities to women in medicine and give them the confidence and tools to strive towards excellence. Pakistan has a specialized and very humanitarian future in the surgical arena with the initiation of the Bariatric MS Programme, and the rich legacy of the women that are hailed at the Town Hall. This foundation will bolster the Pakistan First Bariatric training. The successive generation is being equipped with the scalpels and the power to command. The Pakistan First Bariatric MS Programme will be pivotal.
