An Overview of Private Medical Education in Pakistan

Abstract

The study's primary purpose was to investigate the challenges and prospects of Private Medical Education (PME) in Pakistan. Private Medical Education in Pakistan has grown significantly in recent decades, and the Punjab province has been at the vanguard of this trend. The desk research was used to gather information and data from books, journals, reports, databases, and online resources, including relevant websites related to private medical education in Pakistan. The author selected several papers, a few from PubMed and many from Google Scholars, to gain insights into the challenges and prospects of the sector to develop thought for the paper. Private Medical Education in Pakistan is an integral part of the Asian Medical Education (ME) landscape, proliferating in response to the increasing demand for medical education. As a result, PME in Pakistan has bright prospects to contribute significantly to the continent's development in terms of ME and economy. The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) is Pakistan's medical education and training regulatory authority. It is responsible for ensuring that medical colleges and universities in the country meet the required standards for the quality education and training of medical professionals. However, ME in Pakistan faces several challenges: high tuition fees, limited funding, shortage of MBBS doctors, lack of government support and insufficient medical infrastructure in rural areas, and concerns about quality and standards. Of course, these challenges are not unique to Pakistan but also to many developing countries in Asia, but they are significant. They require the immediate attention of the Pakistan Government to address the issues. Keywords: Growth, Challenges, Prospects, Private Medical Education, Pakistan