Recruitment & promotion issue: Crisis in medical varsities feared

Karachi: Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) recently announced to regulate the recruitment and promotion of teachers in medical universities according to the Higher Education Commission (HEC's) standards or according to the university's own rules. This created confusion amidst which Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) and many other universities have postponed the recruitment of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Associate Professor (Non-Clinical).



Earlier, the PMC Secretary has sent a formal letter to the Vice-Chancellors of all the medical universities, stating that the PMC will not certify the teaching experience. It will be the responsibility of every educational institution to issue experience certificates / hire its teachers as per the existing standards. The concerned authorities may be directed to take action as per Section 19 (5).



Dr Tariq Rafi, Vice-Chancellor, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, confirmed that after the PMC's letter, he had postponed the selection board of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Associate Professor (Non-Clinical) slated to be held on 25th October 2020.



He said that universities across the country used to appoint teachers in the light of abolished Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) rules. However, now the PMDC has been replaced by a new body, the PMC, which has directed that the recruitment and promotion of teachers in medical universities should be done according to the Higher Education Commission's standards or according to the university's own rules.



Dr Tariq said, "If we adopt the policy of the Higher Education Commission, then there will be a crisis in medical universities. We will only be able to recruit lecturers because in the light of HEC rules, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and Professor Position should have PhD and pertinent research papers completed. While the number of qualified PhDs in the medical field is very low."



"We will take the matter to the academic council and syndicate and formulate our policy, and until then we will not have a selection for assistant professors, associate professors and professors," he said.



Update: Human Resource Departement, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, recently informed that the interview for job hiring at JSMU will be conducted according to the schedule i.e.Sunday 25th Oct 2020.

-MN Report