ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) has launched a three-day National CME/CPD Capacity-Building Workshop aimed at developing a credible, transparent and sustainable national system for the continuing professional development of doctors and dentists across Pakistan.
The workshop, titled “Designing High-Impact CME/CPD: From Concept to Completion,” began in Islamabad on Thursday and will continue until August 29. Chaired by PM&DC President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj, it has brought together institutional leaders, medical educationists, faculty members and representatives of medical and dental institutions from across the country.
Lt. Gen. Wasim Alamgir, Vice Chancellor of the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi, inaugurated the workshop as chief guest.
Addressing the participants, Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj said lifelong learning was essential for maintaining professional competence and ensuring high standards of patient care.
He said PM&DC was committed to developing a practical, credible, transparent and sustainable national CME/CPD system that would enable doctors and dentists to continuously update their knowledge, strengthen their skills and improve professional practice.
The PM&DC president said the initiative was not intended merely to introduce another regulatory requirement, but to foster a genuine culture of continuous learning and professional development within Pakistan's healthcare system.
He stressed the need for collaboration among PM&DC, universities, medical and dental institutions, professional bodies, healthcare organisations and practitioners to establish a nationally regulated and quality-assured CME/CPD system.
Speaking on the occasion, Lt. Gen. Wasim Alamgir appreciated the council's initiative and highlighted the importance of continuous professional development in keeping healthcare professionals abreast of advances in medical science, technology and clinical practice.
He said continuous professional development could ultimately contribute to improving the quality of patient care.
The three-day workshop covers the complete CME/CPD cycle, including identification of professional practice gaps and educational needs, development of measurable learning objectives, educational design, integrity and independence, evaluation of outcomes, governance, documentation, monitoring and quality assurance.
According to PM&DC, the initiative is aimed at establishing a transparent, credible and internationally aligned CME/CPD framework under which professional development activities would be appropriately accredited, documented, monitored and recognised.
The council expects the proposed framework to support continuous professional development while also strengthening the global recognition and employability of Pakistani doctors and dentists.
The initiative is being undertaken under the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council Act, 2022. PM&DC cited Sections 2(c), 47(2)(k) and 27 of the law as providing the legal framework for recognising continuing professional development opportunities and organisations and establishing uniform minimum CPD standards for registered graduate and postgraduate medical and dental practitioners.
