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DOW MEDICAL COLLEGE, KARACHI (DMC)
Dow Medical College is the second oldest medical college in Pakistan and the
oldest undergraduate medical institution in the province of Sindh.
In 1881, the Sindh Medical School was established in Hyderabad Sindh, in the
premises of the Civil Hospital, for training of Licentiate Physicians, drawn
from the local population, these physicians helped in providing health care to
the population.
In 1941, the Indian Medical Council in order to introduce a uniform standard of
medical education either abolished or raised many medical schools to the status
of a medical college. After the separation of Sindh from the Bombay Presidency,
through the untiring efforts of Dr. Holmsted, the medical school at Hyderabad
was upgraded and granted a status of a degree college, the Sindh Medical
College, under the University of Bombay, Faculty of Medicine.
In the same year (1941), a committee consisting of Dr. Hermandas R. Wadhwani,
the then Minister of Public Health; Col. J. E. Gray, the then Inspector General
of Civil Hospitals; and Mr. Abhichand, the then Executive Engineer was set up to
develop the plans for the Medical College. Major (later Lt. Col. ) Aziz K. M.
Khan, continued this project during the absence of Col. Gray. This college was
formally inaugurated by Governor of Sindh, Sir Francis Moodie in Hyderabad in
1945. The first batch of the admitted students consisted of forty-five students
including one female Muslim student.
The University of Bombay with which this new institution was affiliated,
threatened to cancel its temporary recognition in the year 1944, on the
recommendation of a three member inspection committee consisting of Dr.
Molgonkar, Dr. Yodh and Col. Jalal M. Shah. This committee found the staffing
inadequate, and hospital facilities meagre, and, recommended moving this
institution to Karachi, which had become the capital of the new province of
Sindh.
The then Government of Sindh therefore made plans for its establishment and
transfer to Karachi and the medical college was transferred from Hyderabad to
Karachi on December 31, 1945, thus de-recognition was avoided. It was
temporarily housed in the N.J.V. High School building, The foundation stone of a
new college building was laid at this site on December 10, 1945 by Sir Hugh Dow,
the then Governor of Sindh.
Dow Medical College , as it was named, started functioning in the new building
in the November of 1946. In the December of 1946, Bombay University's team of
inspectors recommended to continue its affiliation for the pre-clinical years
and a conditional affiliation for the clinical subjects. The Civil Hospital,
Karachi was designated as its affiliated hospital.
In 1947, when Pakistan gained its independence, Dow Medical College came under
University of Sind's jurisdiction. A new committee was appointed by the
University of Sind. It visited the institution on December 22nd, 1947 and
recommended full affiliation. With the establishment of a new University of
Karachi, Dow Medical College, became affiliated to it, and remains so up to this
day.
Pakistan Medical and Dental Council gave its recognition to the college in 1953.
In 1955, the General Medical Council of Great Britain accorded its graduates
full recognition.
This institution remained under Government of Sindh. until the Central
Government took over on July 8, 1951. On March 7, 1962, it came under the
jurisdiction of West Pakistan Government. With the dissolution of "One Unit",
Sindh. Government assumed its control again on June 30, 1970.
Throughout its existence, Dow Medical College, has constantly been improving
facilities for its students. In 1961, College Mosque was built. In 1968 Arag
Auditorium was built with the efforts of Surgeon A. Rahim. In 1973, the Main
Auditorium, the new medical library and Common Room building were established.
The Main Auditorium was later named after Prof. Khawaja Moin. By 1980, the
administrative building was complete. Since then, recreational facilities for
the students have been added and it boasts of a new Squash Court in addition to
areas for basketball, badminton and tennis.
Currently a major project of modernization of the college is in progress. The
whole Library system has been renovated with the addition of the latest
audio-visual equipments, computers and multimedia learning resources for the
medical students. Also there will be Medline search and Internet capabilities
available for the students. Its Library also boasts of the Hussein el Gezairy
Corner, which is fast becoming a repository of all WHO publications.
Furthermore, Dow Medical College Library, welcomes all medical researchers to
make free use of its resources.
All basic science departments have been extensively renovated, with the latest
laboratory facilities. The Department of Anatomy boasts of one of the best
Plastic Museum in the country. All these departments have in them facilities for
under-graduate students as well as postgraduate research. Each department has
its own laboratory, tutorial rooms, and a full compliment of faculty members.
Dow Medical College is one of the four medical institutions in the country to be
selected to pilot a major change in the existing under-graduate curriculum, and
is the sole institution to have successfully field tested this Community
Oriented Medical Education program. Currently it has two tertiary care hospitals
attached to it, namely Civil Hospital Karachi and Sindh Government Lyari General
Hospital Karachi. The combined bed strength of 2200, and a staff of over 235
faculty members, makes it the largest academic medical institution in the
country.
Uptill now over 15000 doctors have graduated from this institution. That a large
number of our graduates, go on to complete their post-graduation in Pakistan,
and /or after passing the requisite examination, easily get placement in the
medical institutions of USA, UK and other developed countries, speak volumes of
the quality of education imparted. Our faculty has also been constantly honored
by professional bodies world wide, and they actively participate in national and
international professional meetings.
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