UHS approves certificate courses in family medicine

The 41st meeting of the Academic Council of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) on Thursday approved the launch of three- and six-month certificate courses in family medicine, marking a shift toward strengthening primary healthcare in the province.

The meeting, chaired by Vice Chancellor Prof Ahsan Waheed Rathore, was told that the programmes would be introduced in collaboration with the Punjab Healthcare Commission and delivered through a blended model combining online learning with on-site training. The courses will include clinical attachments at medical colleges and mandatory workshops, and will be open to medical graduates who have completed a house job.

Addressing the council, the vice chancellor said the certification would be made mandatory for doctors seeking to open clinics. He noted that Punjab has an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 registered general practitioners, all of whom would be required to complete a three-month certificate course within a year. After that period, registration with the healthcare commission would be linked to completion of the course.

He said the initiative would improve the quality of primary healthcare and help reduce the burden on tertiary care hospitals, describing the move as a game changer for the health system. The courses, he added, would be fully supervised, with training conducted at medical colleges.
The council was also informed that the university plans to introduce a two-year diploma and an MD programme in family medicine. For this purpose, capacity building of medical colleges has already begun.

The body also approved the curriculum of zero semester for new inductees of PhD and MPhil programmes to made them a customised of their relevant subjects. The duration will be three months with clinical attachment at affiliated medical colleges. There shall be an assessment at the end of the zero semester with two chances to clear.

In addition, the Academic Council approved a revised BS Human Nutrition and Dietetics curriculum developed in collaboration with UNICEF, with greater emphasis on hospital-based training. Academic calendars for MBBS and BDS programmes for the 2025–26 session were also approved, ensuring uniform schedules for classes, holidays, sports activities and examinations across all public and private medical and dental colleges in Punjab.

The council further approved the examination schedules for the 2025 annual examinations of BS Nursing and Post-RN BS Nursing programmes. The meeting was attended by Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Nadia Naseem, Registrar Kiran Fatima, and principals of affiliated medical, dental and nursing colleges.