RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU) on Monday said it trained 170 medical teachers from northern region of the country.

Talking to Dawn,RMU Vice Chancellor Professor Mohammad Umar said universities were deemed to create and disseminate knowledge.

`Although RMU is relatively a young medical university, established only few years back, but it is the first public sec-tor university to also impart education to faculty of other institutions,` he said.

He said RMU established faculty development department and started a faculty development programme (FDP) five years ago.

FDP is the need of time because of the rapidly changing curriculum, teaching strategies and innovative model of assessment.

`Curriculums are now based on competencies and outcome and teachers and faculty need special training,` he said.

He said RMU started certificate in health professional education (CHPE) a couple of years ago and till date has completed five certificate courses, trained more than 120 health professionals and teachers not only from RMU but also from medical colleges of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

`In 2022, RMU started Master in Health Professional Education (MHPE). Two sessions have been completed and the third one is advertised. Till now 50 professionals and teach-ers have completed MHPE.

He said these programmes were duly recognised by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

PMDC has made it mandatory for faculty to have CHPE for registration and promotion to the next grade.

Recently, he said, HEC also launched a faculty development programme for medical and non-medical universities of the country.

`This programme is for academic faculty as well as for administrative workforce. RMU has recently completed the first phase of the programme,` he said.

Professor Umar said these programmes were of high quality and per internationalstandards.

`RMU has become top ranked medical university of Pakistan committed to training healthcare professionals and teachers of medical institutions. This will ultimately produce high quality doctors and improve healthcare delivery services in the country,` he said.