DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL EDUCATION
Prof. Abdul Majeed Ch. FRCS (Edin), FRCS (Glasgo) Professor of Surgery & Incharge Department of Medical Education

Brief History and Introduction

In October 1973 the Regional Teacher Training Centre at Pehlvi University, Iran was approached through the Federal Government of Pakistan to hold an educational workshop with the support of W.H.O/ Regional office for Eastern Medeterranean

The first Workshop on educational Planning was held in King Edward medical College from November 10-13 followed by another worksho9p on evaluation and yet another regional workshop on Planning and evaluation.

As a results of the impact of these workshops the faculty members of King Edward Medical College became aware of the short comings in the hethero to prevalent system of instruction, planning and evaluation. Thus a strongly motivated group of faculty member of KEMC started a medical education centre with a view to disseminate knowledge regarding newer methods of medical education and expose more and more faculty members both at King Edward Medical college and at other medical colleges of the Province. Initially the centre was housed in two rooms of lecture theatre No. 3 in Paliala block of the College with keen interest by Professor M. Akhtar Khan, the then Principal of the college who appointed Professor I.A. K. Tareen as secretary medical education centre. Active and willing cooperation was extended by the faculty members who had already attended such workshops foremost amongst them were Prof. S.A.r. Gardezi. Other faculty members associated with the medical education centre right from the beginning were p\Professor Munawar Hayat, Prof. Naseeb R. Awan, Professor I.A. K. Tareen, Dr. Khalil Rana who was subsequently transferred away from KEMC. Faculty members of the colleges were also associated with this project and extended their generous cooperation in holding subsequent workshops at the centre. The foremost amongst them are Professor Rose K. Madan, Professor Nabiha Hassan of Fatima Jinnah medical College and Prof. Ijaz Ahsan of Allama Iqbal Iqbal Medical College, Lahore.

In 1980 an additional conference hall was given to the educational centre and premises were renovated, furnished & educational materials were provided through a grant from Punjab Government.

Professor Khawaja Saadiq Hussain took over as the Principal of the college in July 1981 but the out going Principal, Professor M. Akhter Khan by virtue of his abiding interest in medical education and his continued associated with the college took great interest in medical education centre to broaden the are of its activity. Workshops were held not only at KEMC but in other medical colleges such as Nishtar medical College, Multan and Quaidi-e-Azam, Bahawalpur. The centre was renamed as Department of Medical Education which assumed the role of provincial medical teachers training centre and began to cater for the needs of the whole province with the cooperation of national Teachers Training Centre at Karachi.

In keeping with the expansion in activities of the department a new building flanking the Patiala Block towards Anakali Side is nearing completion and will house the Department of medical Edcuation with facilities of Artist workshop, photographic workshop, Demonstration room, Conference Hall, Staff office and stores.

King Edward Medical College Alumni Association of North America have been over the years generously donating equipment to the centre. Separate staff was sanctioned by the Government initially in 1982 and subsequently in 1985 and consist of one Administrative officer, one Stenographer, one Artist, one Statistical Officer, one Photographer, four Projectionists, one Assistant, one Junior Clerk, one Electrical Mechanic, one Naib Qasid, on dark room assistant, six attendants, six sweepers and one Aya. Dr. Chohan visited the department in 1985 for an inspection and review of the activities of the centre. He felt that the department had grown remarkably in structure and function and on his suggestion a trained teacher preferably a BA B. Ed ( for which requisition has been placed with the Punjab Government will be sought and posted.

Till 1985 116 teachers were trained in Educational methodology and evaluation methodology in this department in workshops held at King Edward Medical College as well as in Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Nishtar Medical College Multan, Quaid-e-Azam medical College, Bahawapur, Since the past two years the Department of medical education at King Edward Medical college has been designated as Provincial Medical Teachers Training Centre.

Uptill 1990 Prof. Nasir R. Awan supervised the activities of the department when the department was divided into two. Professor Tahir Saeed Haroon was given the charge of the Department of Audiovisual teaching aids and Computers Section. He recognized and introduced the services for medical photography, artist and computer education in the college. Photography studio and dark room were made functional. To improve computer literacy short courses were started.

Department of Medical Education & Audiovisual

The other section department of medical Education was supervised by Professor Zafrullah Chaudhry. He looked after activities related to continuing medical education. This department t was handed over to Professor A. Majeeed Ch. In 1995, who also looked after the “annals of King Edward Medical College. He regularized weekly clinicopathological conferences and other activities of the continuing medical education. Responsibilities of Organizing function s and services of Audiovisual and computers section were given to Professor Syed M. Awais in 1996. the programme for improving computer literacy was extended to all medical students. The photography, illustrations and teaching aids related services were re-organized.

Other than routine activities the activities the facilities of King Edward medical College are used each year for approximately 6 National Conferences. 10 workshops and 60 special lectures.

KEMU, the largest medical institution while delivering quality education felt that a separate department should be established responsible for providing assistance to illustration of teaching material with arrangement s of teaching equipments of teaching equipments in lecture theatres.

The department of medical Education was established in 1986 in a newly constructed building. The purpose of the establishment of the medical education was to provide the teaching aids to the professional staff of KEMC. At the start of this department it was headed by Prof. Nasib R Awan with subsequent heads as under.

Prof. Tahir Saeed Haroon, Prof. Muhamad Awais, Prof. Javed Akram, Prof. Abdul Majeed Ch.. At that time Prof. Majeed Ch is the head of the department. For the better and quality function of the department well educated staff has also been placed.
Artist Mrs. Tauseef Anjum, MFA Graphic Designer. Working in medical Institution from 1985 and having an experience of the function of this department are as under.
• Preparation of education material and teaching aids for all teaching staff of the college, Basic and clinical Departments
• Preparation of all kinds of charts, graphs, posters, display boards, specialized material on medical and illustration different diseases and Promoting health and office material of all the departments of the college.
• Preparation of all kinds of material i.e. brouchers, transparencies, monograms and displays etc for seminars, workshops and conferences MBBS, Admission & Entry Test work, for KEMU Alimni including designing and arrangement of halls both design poster / lectures in country and abroad and decorated the functions of Students societies i.e. student magazine, KEMOCOL, Declamation Society, Art club (KAPS), Drama Club, Moshiara.

The Department of Medical Education in playing an active role in smoothing teaching research facilities in KEMU. This Department includes an Artist, Statistical Officer, Photographers, Projectionist, Senior Store Keeper, Theatre attendants, Darkroom Assistant. This Department provides the facilities of Audio Visual system in the Conferences, meetings and Academic meeting; workshop in the seminar. Routine classes of the MBBS students holding in the lecture theatres and in Auditorium.

This department also makes groups photos sessions in the annual College Functions and also teaching staff and students etc. with still Camera, Movie Camera and Digital Camera This also provides the Audio Visual facilities with computer Multimedia to the teaching places.