PESHAWAR, July 19: The Khyber Medical University (KMU) on Monday launched the Masters in Health Profession Education (MHPE), the first such programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Inaugurating the programme in the university’s new campus at Hayatabad here, KMU vice chancellor Prof Mohammad Hafizullah said that it would help the health professionals in bringing necessary changes in training of health educators in accordance with the global challenges and local needs.

Prof Mohammad Daud, the former KMU VC, while speaking at the ceremony as chief guest said that the education of health professionals had a direct effect on improving human resources for health in support of national priorities. He said that the health professions education had undergone a significant change during the latter part of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century.

The focus has moved from the scientific and technical aspects to a more practical and applied approach in the context of social responsibility of medical schools and commitment to the integration of teaching experiences and teacher development for day-to-day work.

The former VC said that advancements in learning methods, assessment of students, curriculum design, faculty development and the evaluation of programmes for health professions education had created an imperative for capacity building among professors in health professions institutions in Pakistan.

He hoped that this could be achieved through the MHPE that included advanced study and research dealing with the development of the ability to read and apply literature from the international and national communities to local and regional situations, promotion of the capacity in contemporary approaches to health professions education, improvement of the conduct of student assessment at all levels, and application of approaches to the rigorous evaluation of curriculum and new programmes.

Highlighting the course outline, Prof Hafizullah said that besides 80 weeks of coursework, sufficient time would be given to research.

He said that the programme was designed to be beneficial for the mid-carrier level professionals. It requires the participants to study for two hours a day. Problem- and task-based learning and group discussions will be key components of the programme.Dawn.