Pakistan Community Medicine Forum

BMY Health has taken the lead in recognizing and supporting the Pakistan Community Medicine Forum (PCMF) and its volunteers since July 25th, 2022. PCMF is a virtual support network for Community Medicine trainees and specialists that was founded by Dr. Bushra Anwar in April 2017, and has since grown into a vibrant community with several key initiatives. Its original purpose was to enhance the capacity of Community Medicine residents and professionals, and it has since expanded its scope to include:

  • Advocacy for reforms in the National Residency Program for Community Medicine,

  • The exchange of ideas for subject development and decent employment,

  • Professional networking and joint ventures,

  • Collaboration with international experts for capacity sharing with Pakistani organizations.

PCMF has played a crucial role in the careers of Community Medicine doctors, with several notable achievements to its credit. These include:

  • The acceptance of reforms requested by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan through advocacy campaigns in 2019 led by Dr. Misbah Jahangir and Dr. Bushra Anwar,

  • Introduction of the concept of Community Medicine practice and recognition of the subject as Clinical by the PMC in 2021 with support of senior faculty,

  • Publication of notes for FCPS and MCPS part II exams in 2021 by Dr. Bushra Anwar,

  • Establishment of a sustained culture of mock examinations started by Dr. Hasan Nawaz Tahir in 2020,

  • Launch of a structured capacity-building course by Dr. Babar Shahid with improved exam scores since 2021,

  • Training for Research Ethics Committees in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in 2022 and HITEC IMS,

  • Launch of a one-year course in Research Methodology for Community Medicine and Public Health professionals in 2022.

In response to its growth and evolving needs, PCMF was restructured in 2022 to organize its activities under different units, including academic, research, digitization, media, and advocacy. Teams are announced for every term (spring, fall), and recognition certificates are provided to volunteers at the end of each term.

Official document link here: letter BMYHSU1.10.3.23

Following members have more prominently taken up roles since past:

Brig. Naila Azam

Mentor for PCMF Moderators, Professor and HOD in Foundation University Medical College

Bushra Anwar

PCMF Moderator, PH Research Lead, Director BMY Health, McMaster University Canada

Misbah Jahangir

PCMF Moderator, Mock Examiner, CEO BMY Health, Faculty Fatima Memorial Medical College

Babar Shahid

PCMF Academic Lead, PhD Fellow Health Services Academy

Yousaf Ali

PCMF Digitization Lead, Director BMY Health, Assist. Prof., Khyber Medical College Peshawar

Hassan Nawaz

Digital Health and Entrepreneurship Mentor PCMF, Senior Instructor, Aga Khan University

Hamna Khan

PCMF Media & Advocacy Lead, Faculty Liaqat National Medical College

Amna Awan

Overseas Knowledge Exchange, Australia Awards Scholar

Kashif Ur Rehman

Khalil, Lead Mock Examiner, Faculty Khyber Medical College Peshawar

Team of mock examiners in first term (July to Dec 2022) included Dr. Kashif Ur Rehman Khalil, Dr. Ayesha Kashif, Dr. Arif Ahmed, and Dr. Shumaila.

Official letter term1: https://bmyhealth.com/2023/04/pcmf-term-1/

New members have been added for term 2 (Jan to June 2023) including Dr. Mehwish Riaz, Dr. Ayesha Saddiqui, Dr. Sana Shaukat Siddiqui, Dr. Saadia Shehzad, and Dr. Hafsa Rasool (Lead Digitization unit)

 

Official letter term2:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eSoMVjxLe2uYkNWmMYowJRhrLRyEdi3y/edit?usp=share_link&ouid=105590562508903631713&rtpof=true&sd=true

 

Community Medicine Course for Postgraduates:

A capacity building course was started and run by Dr. Babar Shahid, PCMF Academic Lead. This course contributed a lot towards skills development of Community Medicine trainees with a minimal fee. It covers all the main skills that are required by our consultants. Sessions are held online on weekends.

There was a great improvement in exam scores after launch of this course, and other activities that are led by Academic Unit including mock exams activity managed by Dr. Kashif Ur Rehman Khalil and Dr. Misbah Jahangir with their team, and publishing of a comprehensive book for Postgraduates.

Book for Postgraduates:

A book was published by Dr. Bushra Anwar, based on course content expected of a Community Medicine Consultant in Pakistan. This book was completed in four years after forming PCMF group, based on their needs assessment and was made by compiling notes from various Public Health books (National and International) and online content, discussions with PCMF group, suggestions from students, and teachers. It was published in July 2021 and was appreciated by examinees and examiners for MCPS and FCPS Part II Community Medicine.

This book is available with Zubair publishers; +923004632223, @price 1500 PKR. Now it’s being updated with support from new fellows and is expected to be released in a year or more. Clinicians are also invited for giving input related to prevention of NCDs, and infectious diseases.

Research Methodology Course:

A course for research methodology was started by Dr. Bushra Anwar, PCMF Research Lead, with support from other facilitators from PCMF and BMY Health. This course is open for all Community Medicine, and public health professionals.

Register through this link: https://forms.gle/1YLDMuuajDY19pkRA

Research Ethics Training:

Workshop on IRB and research ethics was facilitated by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) in March 2022, with support of a member from PCMF network, Dr. Irum Hashmi serving at LSHTM. She facilitated the collaboration for training of other Community Medicine doctors in PCMF network. Forum of HITEC IMS was used for organizing the workshop. Speaker was Patricia Henley, Head of Research Governance and Integrity, at LSHTM. Training was attended by Community Medicine doctors from 18 institutions, alongside the faculty of HITEC IMS, and certificates were issued by LSHTM.

Appreciation of our volunteers:

We are proud of our volunteers who contribute to the community and hold hands of each other to learn and grow together. We appreciate them by giving certificates and include them in learning and consultancy opportunities. BMY Health aims to nurture entrepreneurship skills in our volunteers and provide them a platform for pilot testing their startups. Certificates are issued to volunteers once they complete their term and apply for certificate. Issues can be retrieved here:

Dr. Hamna Khan: https://bmyhealth.com/2023/04/dr-hamna-certificate/

Dr. Ayesha Kashif: https://bmyhealth.com/2023/04/dr-ayesha-certificate/

 

“This forum is a great example of community self-help, where our subject doctors realized their needs and stood up for their selves, they held hand of each other and developed sustainable mechanisms for fulfilling needs of their selves and those of coming generations.”

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PCMF.doctors/