AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY

POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL EDUCATION (PGME)

INDUCTION
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. PGME Induction Process

a. Submitting the application form

b. Application Fee

2. Admission Test

3. Multiple Mini-Interviews (MMIs)

4. Internship / House Job

5. Residency Programmes

6. Flexible Residency Programmes

7. Accommodation

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 PGME Induction Process
Q. How many Postgraduate Medical Education programmes does AKU offer?

A. Currently, AKU offers 70 programmes as follows:

1. Internship Programme (House Job) 01

2. Residency (FCPS Training) 34
3. Fellowship (Sub Specialisation) 35

Q. How and when does the induction process start?

A. The induction process is an annual activity which spans over six to seven months.
For the academic year 2021, it will start in July 2020 with an advertisement in
selected national newspapers. Please click here to view the timelines. The process
concludes in December. All programmes commence from 1st January of the
following year.

PLEASE NOTE: The induction process for 2020 has been initiated with the
understanding that start date for programmes might be delayed, depending
upon the pandemic situation.

Q. What is the process of accessing the application form?

A. The on-line application form will be available after admissions are announced
through an advertisement. Candidates have access to the application form by
clicking on “Apply Now” on the web page of relevant programme. Candidates
must first register themselves by defining username and password. Application
form for programmes offered will be displayed after registration. Candidate may
partially fill the form and save online and resume filling out the form using login
credentials.

Q. How many programmes can I apply for?

A. Each candidate can apply for only one programme hence only one application form
can be submitted.
Q. What is the procedure to submit the on-line application form?

A. Candidates are required to fill the on-line application form and upload necessary
documents duly attested. The drop down list of required documents will appear
on the screen while filling the online application form. DO NOT FORGET to
upload proof of fee payment. Please Click here for information about application
fee. Once the form is filled and submitted, candidates will receive an
acknowledgement email and a copy of the submitted application (PDF version).
This is for your records only.

Q. What documents do I need to attach with the application form?

A. The check list provides you the details of the documents you need to submit.
Additionally, when filling the online application form on the documents upload
page, the drop down list of required documents will appear on the screen. Please
make sure you upload as required; including the proof of fee payment.

Q. Is the induction process different for interns, residents and fellows?

A. Yes, the process may vary for different programmes. There will be no
written admission test for applicants of fellowship programmes.

Q. How and when will I get the Admit Card?

A. You will receive a copy of your admit card on your portal and email. If you do
not receive this a week before the date of the Admission test, please contact the
Registrar Office at 34864410 / 34864412. Candidates are required to bring the
printout of the Admit Card at the Test Centre.

Q. I am awaiting some of the documents and cannot provide with the application
form? What should I do?

A. The documents that remain pending at the time of online application submission
must be submitted by Monday, December 14, 2020, if selected into the programme.

Q. What is the tuition fee structure to pursue postgraduate training at Aga Khan
University?

A. Candidates joining the postgraduate training programmes are paid a stipend. There
is no tuition fee. Candidates only pay a one-time application fee when submitting
an application.
Q. How can I pay the application fee?

A. The process of paying (non-refundable) application fee can be viewed by clicking

the link https://www.aku.edu/mcpk/Documents/PGME-Mode-of-Payment.pdf

Q. What is the process of submitting applications and documents?

A. Application are to be submitted online and all scanned original documents must be
uploaded with the application. Please upload all documents individually as separate
files. If shortlisted, hard copies of all the uploaded documents and the application
form received in your email account must be submitted through a reliable courier
services at the address mentioned below:

The Admissions Office (PGME Programmes)

Aga Khan University
Stadium Road
Karachi 74800 - Pakistan

In addition: candidates who are shortlisted for interview, will be expected to bring
original documents at the time of interview.

Only shortlisted candidates shall be contacted for further processing.

Q. Are there any additional requirements for fellows when they come for interview?

A. Fellows are expected to upload their research publications /Abstract if any at the
time of submitting application and are expected to bring hard copy of the research
publication or abstract at the time of interview.

Only shortlisted candidates shall be contacted for further processing.

Q. What are the salary packages for postgraduate trainees?

A. Information on salary and fringe benefits can be obtained from the general
information by clicking here

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 Admission Test
Q. What is the objective of the Admission Test?

A. The Admission Test for all our programmes provides for a uniform measure and
tool of assessment to gauge the knowledge base of candidates applying to the
relevant programmes. There is an English language component to check language
competency.

Q. Who are exempted from writing the Admission Test?

A. Internship: Only those AKU graduates who have completed their MBBS
programme in 2018 or 2019 or 2020 will be exempted from writing the AKU
Internship Admission Test. This facility may be availed once only. AKU graduates
having completed their MBBS prior to 2018 although eligible to apply, are required
to write the relevant AKU Admission test and attend interviews.

Residency: Candidates having completed their one-year Internship programme

with good standing from Aga Khan University in December 2018 or 2019 are
exempted from writing the AKU Admission Test. This facility may be availed only
once. However they will have to sit for interviews. Applicants completing one-year
Internship from AKU prior to December 2018 while eligible to apply are required
to write the relevant AKU Residency test and appear for interviews.

Q. What types of questions are included in the test?

A. The scenario-based multiple choice questions mostly cover clinical subjects.

Q. Do you have any prescribed book(s) to prepare for the test?

A. No, there are no prescribed books to prepare for the test.

Q. Can I change my discipline? What is the procedure?

A. Candidates are encouraged to ensure they meet the relevant eligibility

requirements and seek all possible advice before choosing a discipline.

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 Once an application is submitted, and a candidate wishes to change the discipline,
an email, stating candidate’s full name, registration number, discipline applied
and change requested, should be sent to [email protected]. This email
should be received by August 31, 2020.

The change of discipline will only be allowed once.

Q. Can I change my Test Centre? What is the procedure?

A. Yes, you may change the Test Centre; once only.

To change the Centre, the candidate must send an email by August 31, 2020 to
[email protected] mentioning his/her full name, registration number,
discipline applied, Test Centre opted initially and change requested.

Q. What do I need to bring at the Test Centre?

A. You will be required to bring the following to the Test Centre:

1. Printout of the Admit Card

2. Original CNIC or Passport or College ID card or Enrollment Card

Please do not bring the following:

1. Stationery (this will be provided to you at the Centre)

2. Jewelry, Calculators, cameras, mobile phones or any other electronic device

Multiple Mini-Interviews (MMIs)

Q. What are Multiple Mini-Interviews (MMIs)?

A. MMI consists of multiple interactions of shorter duration (like OSCE), testing

interpersonal and clinical skills to evaluate the candidate as a safe doctor on the
ward. Each interaction looks at one aspect of the skills required for Internship.
There is one interviewer on each station, where each candidate performs the same
task and goes through the similar set of questions. This gives a fair chance to each
candidate to show their ability in a non-threatening standardized environment.

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Q. Who can appear for MMIs?

A. MMIs are only for short-listed candidates of Internship as well as Paediatrics and
Child Health Residency Programme. These are not conducted for any other
Residency and Fellowship positions.

Q. Will the scores of MMIs count in the final selection?

A. Yes.

Internship / House Job

Q. Who can apply for Internship?

A. ONLY medical graduates who have completed their MBBS are eligible to apply.
Graduates of other disciplines (B.Sc.; M.Sc.; B.Pharm; D.Pharm, etc.) are not
eligible to apply.

Q. Do you offer Internship for BDS graduates?

A. No.

Q. What is the difference between Internship and House Job?

A. Basically, there is no difference between Internship and House Job, as certificates

of both tracks are acceptable by Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) for
permanent license as well as College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP)
for appearing in FCPS Part 1 examination.

Candidates joining the Internship programme from the date it starts are offered
Internships; candidates joining the programme from 1st February are offered House
Jobs.

Interns after completing the programme (i.e. 365 days contract) are entitled to
march in the academic procession at the PGME Graduation Ceremony and receive
the completion certificate.

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 Interns are also exempted from writing the admission test, should they wish to
pursue their Residency training at AKU provided they have a good standing record
during their Internship and fulfill the eligibility criteria for applying to the
discipline of choice. House Officers are not entitled to these privileges. They are
awarded a completion certificate on the University letterhead which is acceptable
to both PM&DC and CPSP.

Q. What are the requirements to apply for Internship?

A. Eligibility criteria to apply for Internship include:

1. MBBS or equivalent degree from an institution recognised by PM&DC

with minimum score of 55% and above or equivalent.
2. One-year temporary license from PM&DC

Q. What documents do I need to submit to apply for Internship?

Candidates are required to upload scanned original copies of the following

documents. Please upload all documents individually and not as one pdf file (file
size should not exceed 1MB): No hard copies of documents are to be sent to
Registrar Office or PGME Office.

a. Scanned copies of original mark sheets of professional examinations of

Year1, Year2, Year3 and Year4 (optional). When entering marks for
MBBS, candidates are required to enter MBBS marks of all four
professionals (4th optional). Please choose GPA or PERC (%age) option
from the search options to enter the marks.
b. Scanned copy of original provisional PMDC license (if available).
c. Scanned copy of original CNIC / NICOP / Passport (page 1&2).
c. Recent passport size coloured photograph showing clear full face and current
appearance.
(No selfie or party photo)
e. Proof of payment receipt of application fee.

Documents not provided at the time of submitting the online application form
should be submitted by Monday, December 14, 2020 to the HR Office, if
selected into the programme.

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Q. My final year professional exams will be held in the last quarter of the year? Am
I eligible to apply?

A. All candidates who are expecting their final year results by end-November are
eligible to apply. All the required documents including result of final year and
PM&DC temporary license (or proof of submitting the application) must be
submitted by 14th December. Requirements for internal candidates may vary.

Q. I have done six months of House Job from other institution. Can I join Internship
Programme at AKU?

A. Yes, you can join the Internship Programme even if you have done few months of
House Job from other institution provided you commit to complete the entire
duration of Internship at AKU i.e. one full year. Those who leave the programme
in the middle will not be issued any academic certificate. They will be given an
experience letter from our Human Resource Department which will not be
acceptable by PM&DC or CPSP.

Q. Will I get completion certificate if I join the House Job after couple of months?

A. Candidates joining the House Job after couple of months will be eligible to receive
a completion certificate for the duration they have been on-board provided they
complete the contract. This certificate will be acceptable by PM&DC and CPSP.

Q. I have done my MBBS from AKU. What privileges do I have?

A. Candidates completing their MBBS from AKU are exempted from writing the
Internship admission test and appearing for the interviews. They will be directly
inducted into the programme. They will however be required to formally apply.

Q. I have done my MBBS from other country and want to join Internship. Am I
eligible?

A. Candidates completing their MBBS or equivalent degree from outside Pakistan are
required to first approach Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) to obtain
temporary license after getting their degrees verified and recognised. The website
of PM&DC is www.pmdc.org.pk.

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Q. How are rotations allotted? Can I get a rotation of my choice?

A. Rotations are allotted purely on merit. The merit list is drawn based on the
performance of the candidates assessed in the AKU admission test and the
interviews (MMIs). If an Intern leaves the programme, the House Officer
appointed in replacement is offered rest of the rotations of that Intern.

Exchange of rotation will only be through Interns’ mutual understanding. Once the
understanding is developed, both candidates will be required to fill Exchange of
Rotation Form available in PGME Office and will be subject to approval by
Internship Director.

Residency Programmes

Q. Do you offer MCPS training?

A. No. We only offer FCPS (Part 2) training.

Q. Do you offer MRCP Training?

A. The training of following disciplines is acceptable for MRCP:

 Pulmonary Medicine

Q. What are the requirements to apply for Residency Programmes?

A. Generic eligibility criteria to apply for Residency include:

1. MBBS or equivalent degree from an institution recognised by Pakistan

Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) with minimum score of 55% and above
2. One-year Internship (House Job) with six months in Medicine and Allied and
six months in Surgery and Allied disciplines
3. Valid PM&DC permanent license
4. FCPS Part 1 from College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) Other
criteria vary from discipline to discipline. Please refer to the information of
respective programmes.

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Q. What documents do I need to submit to apply for Residency Programmes?

A. Candidates are required to upload scanned original copies of the following

documents. Please upload all documents individually and not as one pdf file (file
size should not exceed 1MB): No hard copies of documents are to be sent to
Registrar Office or PGME Office.

a. Scanned copies of original mark sheets of professional examinations of Year1,

Year2, Year3 and Year4. When entering marks for MBBS, candidates are
required to enter MBBS marks of all four professionals. Please choose
GPA or PERC (%age) option from the search options to enter the marks.
b. Scanned copy of original MBBS Degree.
c. Scanned copy of original valid PMDC registration.
d. Scanned copy of original one year internship/house job certificate.
e. Scanned copy of original FCPS Part I letter from CPSP (if available).
f. Scanned copy of original Intermediate Module certificate, (if applicable).
g. Scanned copy of original experience certificate (mentioned in the application
form, if available).
h. Scanned copy of original CNIC / NICOP / Passport (page 1&2).
i. No objection certificate, if applicable.
j. Recent passport size coloured photograph showing clear full face and current
appearance.
(No selfie or party photo)
k. Proof of payment receipt of application fee.

The documents not provided at the time of submitting the online application form
should be submitted by Monday, December 14, 2020 to the HR Office, if selected
into the programme.

Q. I have not cleared FCPS Part 1. Am I eligible to apply?

A. Candidates who can submit FCPS Part 1 certificate by December 14 are eligible to
apply.

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Q. I am interested to join medicine sub-specialty but do not have experience in Internal
Medicine. What discipline should I mention on the application form?

A. If you want to join medicine sub-specialty and do not have experience in Internal
Medicine, you will need to apply for 2-year Internal Medicine Track. After two
years, you will be required to apply again for medicine sub-specialty.

Q. If I choose 4-year Internal Medicine Track can I switch to 2-year Internal Medicine
Track or vice versa?

A. No. If you choose any one track in Internal Medicine (2-year or 4-year) you cannot
switch to other track. This is in accordance with CPSP rules.

Q. I am interested to join surgical sub-specialty but do not have experience in General

Surgery. What discipline should I mention on the application form?

A. If you want to join surgical sub-specialty and do not have experience in General
Surgery, please mention the sub-specialty you are interested in (e.g. Orthopedics,
Urology, etc.). If you get selected, you will first rotate through General Surgery
core training and then progress to the relevant sub-specialty.

Q. I want to apply in surgical sub-specialty but I have not given my FCPS Part 1
exam yet. Can I apply?

A If you plan to appear in FCPS-I exam during the application year and submit the
results latest by December 14, you may apply.

Q. I am a foreign candidate and want to join the Residency Programme. Am I eligible?

A. Candidates completing their MBBS or equivalent degree from outside Pakistan are
required to first approach Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) to obtain
license after getting their degrees verified and recognised. The website of PM&DC
is www.pmdc.org.pk.

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 Flexible Residency Programmes

Q. What is Flexible Residency?

A. Flexible Training Programme is a part-time residency training track. Many doctors

are constrained by their individual circumstances and cannot undertake full-time
postgraduate education. In an attempt to provide access to higher education to such
medical practitioners, AKU's PGME programme offers the flexible training option.
This allows the selected individuals to train part-time in a way that lets them have
time to take care of other responsibilities. Doctors opting for this facility may do
so for a limited period of time.

A switch to full-time training must be made at an agreed-upon time. Not all

programmes offer this option and the time limits set by the CPSP have to be
followed. Selecting the flexible programme will increase the total duration of your
training.

PGME offers flexible hours in specialties of

 Anaesthesiology
 Paediatrics and Child Health
 Internal Medicine

Q. What are the working hours during Flexible Residency?

A. The working hours are half of the normal residency working hours including on-
calls.

Q. What salary package and benefits are offered during flexible training?

A. Residents opting for flexible training are offered 50% of the salary offered to full-
time residents. Other benefits offered are:

 Outpatient medical entitlement would be halved of the full annual

entitlement;
 AKU will bear 42.5% of the total hospitalization expenses instead of 85%.

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 Fellowship Programmes

Q. What documents do I need to submit to apply for fellowship programmes?

A. Candidates are required to upload scanned original copies of the following

documents. Please upload all documents individually and not as one pdf file (file
size should not exceed 1MB): No hard copies of documents are to be sent to
Registrar Office or PGME Office. Candidates are requested to bring hard
copies of their research publications (if applicable) at the time of interview.

a. Scanned copies of original mark sheets of professional examinations of Year1,

Year2, Year3 and Year4. When entering marks for MBBS, candidates are
required to enter MBBS marks of all four professionals. Please choose
GPA or PERC (%age) option from the search options to fill the marks.
b. Scanned copy of original MBBS Degree
c. Scanned copy of original valid PMDC registration
d. Scanned copy of original FCPS Part I from CPSP
e. Scanned copy of original FCPS Part II from CPSP (if available)
f. Scanned copy of original Residency Training Certificate
g. Current updated CV
h. Research / Publication Article (if available)
i Scanned of original CNIC / NICOP / Passport (page 1&2)
j. No objection certificate, if applicable
k. Recent passport size coloured photograph showing clear full face and current
appearance. (No selfie or party photo)
l. Proof of payment receipt of application fee.
The documents not provided at the time of submitting the online application
form should be submitted by Monday, December 14, 2020 to the HR Office, if
selected into the programme.
 Accommodation
Q. I am from outside Karachi and selected for the training programme. Is there any
accommodation facility?

A. Accommodation is not guaranteed.

Limited on-campus accommodation for female candidates is available on first-

come-first-served basis. The date and time of the AKU payment receipt of the
application fee will form the basis of first-come-first-served basis.

Limited off-campus accommodation for male candidates is available on first-come-

first-served basis. The date and time of the AKU payment receipt of the application
fee will form the basis of first-come-first-served basis.

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