It’s been a while since I’ve written something for this blog. Every month gets tougher with medical school, and the workload increases.
If you don’t know me, hey! I’m a first-year medical student at DMC (Dow Medical College, Karachi). I talk about all things medical and lifestyle related. So yes, I’m boring for the most part. I’ll throw in a pun somewhere to make it a little humorous.
Government colleges in Pakistan are far from the universities in the west. I wanted to break the truth before the bar was set too high. There are sanitation issues, lack of facilitation, lack of space and resources, corruption, system problems etc. but this list shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. It’s very much the unfortunate reality of Pakistan. However, there are prestigious government colleges that offer great spaces for learning. So, let’s jump right into the pros:
Pros
1. Transportation system and no lectures in the evening. Government colleges run on school timings which is super convenient, and they also have their own transportation system (the Point buses). They run from 8:30 AM -3:00 PM. However, in universities like AKU you could be called for a lecture at 6:00 PM. I find this to be an amazing pro because I don’t like having to stay at school for such long hours, plus it’s Karachi (rush hour is the worst). Once university is over for the day there’s no lectures to stress about. Most medical colleges are open from Mon-Sat with Fridays off at 12:30 PM. However, some remain open Mon-Fri.
2. Tremendous amounts of clinical exposure. If there’s one reason why people opt government colleges over private ones despite having the money to go to a private one, it’s clinical exposure. The number of patients government hospitals handle is shocking. A salute to all the healthcare professionals out there. It’s primarily because governmet hospitals have very low or no costs at all for treatment. The poor find these hospitals to be their only facilitation for treatment. I think this environment also helps you realize what being a doctor really means – to help people. That rewarding feeling of being able to help someone in need is eternal. With private hospitals, many patients won’t let students examine them which leaves students with little hands on experience.
3. Amazing seniors that’ll guide you through. I’ve come across so many helpful seniors in my college. There’s a massive support system for us juniors at medical school. I don’t know if this is true for every medical college, but it makes a difference when there’s people out there to help you. Be careful who you trust. Don’t blindly trust what every senior tells you. You must examine this for yourself to see what works and what doesn’t in terms of academics and studying in medical school. At Dow, there are great organizations to help students through different modules.
4. Learn to talk to the locals. This would be more relevant to future years of medical school but once you start your rotations, you’ll be exposed to many of the locals. It’s very important that you train yourself to talk about medical conditions in languages other than English and in layman’s terms. I think adapting to the place you’re studying in is crucial to becoming a successful health care professional. Most patients you’ll be exposed to are poor and don’t know English. The benefit of this is that you’ll get to learn Urdu, Sindhi and other languages.
5. See firsthand how emergency situations are handled with a lack of resources. Problems of corruption directly influence the healthcare system. This includes many infectious diseases, emergency life situations, motorcycle/car accidents, drug abuse, viral infections, lack of appropriate resources, handling different cultural views of minorities etc. Pakistan is filled with experiences; you’ll learn more than you think with very little resources.
6. Experienced Doctors to gain guidance from: The medical colleges in Pakistan have a rich history. The doctors of some of these medical colleges are known globally for their contributions. Some of the professors at government colleges have obtained their own education from the same college. These doctors are extremely knowledgeable and experienced in their area of work. I see this personally with my own professors. Not all professors are great, but there’s some that are masters in their field. It makes the medical school experience more of a relief to have professors who know what they’re talking about.
You’ve made it this far. Give yourself a pat on the back.
TIME FOR THE ULTIMATE PUN OF THE DAY (DRUM ROLL PLEASE).
Why did the Banana go to the doctor?
Because it wasn’t peeling well.
Cons
1. Lack of facilitation and resources. Hospitals have very unhygienic conditions, some more than others. It depends on the patient load of hospitals, some are more crowded than others. The more the crowded, the more the experience, and the more the spread of infectious diseases. There’s also a lack of facilitation in the universities itself. I know you know this but I’ll say it for the sake of saying it. The universities aren’t like Oxford, Harvard, or UofT, they are small, old fashioned, have little facilitation, and a long road ahead of them. I’m not saying they’re despicable, but you can’t compare them to universities of developed countries. Nonetheless, some are better than others. Most universities will have a library, a cafeteria, and a computer lab, but once again, limited space and lots of students. In terms of research, you won’t have the world’s most expensive microscopes, nor will you have any fancy lab settings…if you’re looking for that, I suggest you stay where you are or attend a private college. That’s the chai sis.
2. Feeling lost in a metropolis: Read my other blog post on this one. If you’re new to the country, expect some serious culture shock. It’s not easy to adapt.
3. Extremely unhygienic conditions of the hospitals. I’m not joking when I say this. It’s pretty bad! Sometimes doctors and nurses don’t even have gloves. Wards are filled with patients and their extended families. Medicines are in low quantities; the system is corrupt and disorganized. Not to mention, it’s the hub for infectious diseases. The government isn’t doing much about the safety of health professionals and patients. I’m not trying to scare you. There’s lots of benefit to these hospitals running; these hospitals are the pillars of Pakistan. A large portion of the population depends on these hospitals. Privatized health care is not affordable, so I get it. However, I feel a responsibility to inform you of the conditions of the hospitals and colleges here. Coming to Pakistan is not an easy decision to make, and I hope to make it easier for you. Plus, I’m speaking for Civil Hospital in Karachi which is far worse than other government hospitals. So please keep in mind I can only speak for myself and the little knowledge I have.
4. Lots of patients to handle. This will be more relevant in future years. I’m aware of this because my aunt is a General Surgeon resident at my university. I see how she struggles with the workload. Certain specialties have more work than others, I understand that, but I’m speaking in general. The workload is high because there are too many patients to handle. The system is disorganized which puts more responsibilities on the doctors (work they shouldn’t have to do). I can’t speak too much to this, but I do think it’s important to know that great exposure also comes with great workload.
5. An unorganized system in both university and hospital. If I’m sounding repetitive, it’s probably because I am. I’ve mentioned this enough, but I’ll mention it again. There’s no referral system in Pakistan where a general practitioner refers you to a specialist. There’s no system in general. It’s a crippling healthcare system that’s very privatized making it hard for the vulnerable to access it. Harsh reality, I know. The other thing is that the same exists in universities. It can take authorities months to do simple tasks for students (e.g. ID cards), fighting is another struggle (no one does the work for you, you have to go and seek the resources yourself), it’s hard to trust (different people may give you different information possibly misguiding you), and it’s a hustle to get yourself around it. Processing my scholarship with administration took a couple of weeks, and lots of visits to the administration building. For the cherry on top, there is lack of preparation for an online educational system.
6. Technological issues. Government colleges have a long road ahead of them. Technology is a primary struggle. Many of the professors in government colleges are inexperienced with technology, and universities are still working on training them for this. The computer lab has a limited number of computers. The online educational system is faulty. The COVID-19 pandemic took a toll on many medical colleges as it was soon realized that their system is incompetent with the number of students. Nonetheless, there’s a constant effort to improve this.
On a positive note, many universities now provide Office365 to students and are switching their learning onto online systems and resources. It will take time before we get there, but we’re on the right track.
Stay humble.
Until next time.
Comments