Summer 2010, Vol. 3, Issue 1 - Aga Khan University

AKU-NAMAAga Khan University Newsletter and Magazine for AlumniSummer 2010, Vol. 3, Issue 1

ContentsEditor-in-ChiefAdeel A. Buttaabutt@gmail.comEditorial StaffShain Amershi, Executive Assistantalumni.nachapter@aku.eduAssociate EditorsFaiz Bhora, Medical CollegeNorth American Chapterfybhora@aol.comRahila Zakir, Medical CollegeEuropean Chapterr.zakir@btinternet.comPresident Rasul with members of the University’s management team at the AlumniReunion 2009.AKUIN THIS ISSUE ...From the Editor's Desk 3“Precious Freedom” 4Alumni Reunite! 6Tazeen Jafar, Medical CollegePakistan Chaptertazeen.jafar@aku.eduUmer Darr, Medical CollegePakistan Chapterudarr92@yahoo.comErum Kabani, School of Nursingerum.kabani@aku.eduFahmida Mehdi, School of Nursingfahmida.mehdi@aku.eduNadim Farooqui, Institute for Educational Developmentnadim.farooqui@aku.eduCover photo: Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi / Kohi MarriA Small Contribution to Karachi 7Talaash 8Taking Nursing a Step Beyond 9Cricket … at AKU 10To Know, to Do, to Be 11Critical Care Journey: Take-off in Tanzania 12Teaching Research Through Service 13When Opportunities Knock, Take Them 14On the Road to Burn-out? 14Benefiting from Information Management 15The Way We Carry AKU-SON With Us 15A Big Thank You! 15When Alumni Inspire Students 16Campus Happenings 17Awards and Honours 18Class Notes 19NRMP Match Results 21Nilufar Shariff, Advanced Nursing StudiesEast Africanilufar.shariff@aku.eduBalkis Rouached, Institute for the Study of MuslimCivilisationsbalkis19hope@yahoo.caMarie Andrades, Postgraduate Medical Educationmarie.andrades@aku.eduEx-Officio MembersFiroz Rasul, Presidentfiroz.rasul@aku.eduFarhat Abbas, DeanMedical College, Pakistanfarhat.abbas@aku.eduRozina Karmaliani, Interim DeanSchool of Nursing, Pakistanrozina.karmaliani@aku.eduMuhammad Memon, DirectorInstitute for Educational Development, Pakistanmuhammad.memon@aku.eduYasmin Amarsi, Foundation DeanSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africayasmin.amarsi@aku.eduAnjum Halai, Interim DirectorInstitute for Educational Development, East Africaanjum.halai@aku.eduMushtaq Ahmed, Associate DeanMedical Education, East Africamushtaq.ahmed@aku.eduFarouk Topan, Interim DirectorInstitute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations, UKfarouk.topan@aku.edu2The views and opinions expressed in this publication are of the individual authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the editorialboard or Aga Khan University.

From the editor’s deskrecognising successAdeel A. ButtOn a recent flight fromSeychelles to Dubai, I picked up acopy of Gulf News. A major featurewas on a free clinic run by doctors ofPakistani origin in Dubai. Under theauspices of the Pakistan AssociationDubai, the clinic caters to the poor ofall nationalities who cannot affordexpensive treatment. In these days,when Pakistan mostly features in theworst of news stories, this effort byhealth care professionals is a welcomebreath of fresh air.The first faculty of Aga KhanUniversity was the Faculty ofHealth Sciences. Graduates fromthe School of Nursing and MedicalCollege have brought many honoursand laurels to the University.An alumnus is leading the NationalHealthcare Day in the UnitedStates under the sponsorship ofAPPNA (Association of Physiciansof Pakistani-Descent of NorthAmerica), with many other alumnilending a helping hand across thecountry. A nursing alumna, featuredin this issue, has worked bothnationally and internationally tohelp communities in resource-poorsettings, and there are many othernursing and medical alumni holdingleading positions in medicaland public health institutionsaround the world.So, how do you measureimpact? Aga Khan Universityand its alumni have been workingon measuring the impact of theinstitution and its graduates. Withvarious schools and programmesit has been a challenge to developa uniform metric that can gaugethis adequately. But some measuresare easy to collect andassess. Peer recognition, mediacoverage of high stakes-highimpact projects, nomination tomajor professional and socialorganisations, leading nationaland international initiatives, andappointments at major institutionsof higher learning are a few waysto measure the ability to implementchange. And it must besaid, with great pride and joy, thatour alumni have done well in allthose categories, and more.Other more recent programmesare not far behind. The AdvancedNursing Studies programme in EastAfrica, the Postgraduate MedicalEducation programmes in Pakistanand East Africa, the Institute forEducational Development on bothcontinents and the Institute for theStudy of Muslim Civilisations in theUK have produced alumni who haveexcelled in all the categories mentionedabove. Stories of their successhave been published in previousissues of AKU-NAMA and we willcontinue to recognise these membersof the AKU alumni. The real hopefor a brighter and prosperous futurefor the developing world and theworld at large lies with well-educated,tolerant, progressive and mainstreamprofessionals. And Aga KhanUniversity should take due pride inbeing at the forefront of producingsuch leaders.Alumni gather together at the Reunion.AKU3

eunion“Precious Freedom”Professor Pervez Hoodbhoy, Chairman, Department of Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad gave thekeynote address at the Alumni Reunion in Karachi. Professor Hoodbhoy holds a PhD in nuclear physics from theMassachusetts Institute of Technology, and has written and spoken on topics ranging from science in Islam toeducation in Pakistan. Excerpts from his speech are presented here.“Relations in human society areordered, are prioritised, accordingto power. Individuals and groups ofindividuals seek to enhance theirpower. But what is power? Power isthe capacity to produce intendedeffects. The more power you have,the more effectively you can attaina particulargoal.Many different manifestations ofpower exist. There is physicalpower, the stronger side wins in aconflict. There is the power ofwealth, richer people manage to do alot more generally and rise higherthan the pecking order of society.And then there is the power of technicalknowledge, the very fact that“In Pakistan, the true concept ofthe University is misunderstood;it is believed to be just acomplex of laboratories, campusbuildings, and libraries. But thatis not true; universities are theproducts of the dominant socialattitudes, the values which existin the society.the doctors over here can cure apatient. But the power ofideas exceeds that ofphysical force,wealth and technicalknowledge,and this is a conceptthat is not soeasily understoodor recognised.Not allideas are equallypowerful;there aregood ideasand thereare very powerful ideas. Powerfulideas are incredible in terms of theeffect they produce upon society.They rule the world, they drive ouractions, they form our beliefs andthey unleash multi-revolutions.They have this enormous powerbecause they move our mind andshape our understanding of theworld. Like theswine flu, theymove from mind tomind, infecting anentire population,until they becomepart of common wisdomand in thatprocess might toppleestablished beliefs.It was VictorHugo who said that astand can be madeagainst the invasionof an army, but no”stand can be madeagainst the invasionof an idea. One classicgreat idea was Galileo’s heliocentricuniverse, the notion that the earthorbits the sun. Although the CatholicChurch was not willing to accept thisidea, it was an idea, a concept whosetime had come and nothing couldstop it from taking hold of people’sminds and this is what we accepttoday. Take Charles Darwin asanother example, nothing could preventnatural evolution from becomingthe very foundation of modernbiology. But these were ideas fromthe world of the physical domain;there are also ideas in the domain ofhuman affairs. These can be inter-4

eunionpreted as either good or bad but mostimportantly, they were transformational,such as Napoleon conceivingFrance as one nation or MuhammadAli Jinnah creating Pakistan, an ideathat led to people willing to leave theland of their birth and move acrossborders and“willing toNot all ideas are equallypowerful; there are goodideas and there are verypowerful ideas. Powerfulideas are incredible interms of the effect theyproduce upon society.They rule the world, theydrive our actions, theyform our beliefs and theyunleash multi-revolutions.They have thisenormous power becausethey move our mind andshape our understandingof the world.take enormouspunishmentandsacrifice.In fact,we have aninstitution inhuman societythat existsprecisely tonurture theintellect andto generatemore ideas;that institutionis theuniversity.An ideal universityshouldencouragecriticalinquiry. Itwould createan environmentto developmore powerful machines, discovermore energy sources – allthings that could transform theeconomy of a country. It wouldtrain engineers, doctors, economists,business managers. Its facultywould conduct research work inevery conceivable field, from doingwork on black holes to decipheringthe distinct language ofMesopotamia to documenting themating habits of tarantulas, andtheir fame would attract more facultyfrom every corner of the world.But most importantly, the ideal universitywould be modern – one thatis capable of fostering graduateswho think independently, scientificallywith an understanding of historyand culture. Its graduates willbe capable of coherent expressionsin speech and writing; they will bedemanded everywhere. And there’sno university in the world yet thateven comes close to this ideal one,not Harvard, not Cambridge, notOxford, none. But it’s somethingAKU aspirestowards in itsplanned Faculty ofArts and Sciences.In Pakistan, thetrue concept of theUniversity is misunderstood;it isbelieved to be justa complex of laboratories,campus”buildings,and libraries.But that is not true; universities arethe products of the dominant socialattitudes, the values which exist inthe society. Funding is not the solemeans to creating an ideal universitybut it is to introduce a new wayof thinking that allows it to comeinto existence.So how do we change highereducation into Pakistan? How dowe change the culture of our universities?How do we make themreal universities? First of all, youhave to have a vision and then theresources. While its higher educationbudget increased 12-foldbetween 2002 and 2008, Pakistanstill needs to invest more money.So what’s the most important thingto do?First of all, we want to free ourstudents so that they can think.Education is about thinking; it isabout liberating the mind. We cannotallow biased individuals toenforce their version of faith ontothe university community. And Idon’t mean the community here;this is a different thing all together.We cannot forbid boys and girlsfrom attending co-educational institutes;we cannot allow fanatics toban music on campus, to destroy artand culture. We cannot ban studentunions because they are a way toPresident Firoz Rasul with Professor Hoodbhoy following hisspeech at the Alumni Reunion 2009.AKUallow political debate in a healthway and without violence.The bottom line is that universitiesare all about thinking andfreedom, without personal andintellectual freedom there can beno thinking and hence, no ideas.We would be drones, unable toknow how to exercise our mentalcapacities to differentiate betweenright, wrong, unable to engage incivilised discourse. So Pakistan’schallenge is not to create morelibraries, better equipment or fasterinternet connectivity, but it’s theneed to change attitudes and toexercise precious freedom.”5

eunionAlumni reunite!Reunion 2009 and the AKU Auditorium in Karachi was abuzz with conversation – friends who had not seeneach other for months, or even years, could be heard reminiscing about professors, lectures, labs and the overallmischief during their time at the University. The session opened with a handful of alumni speaking about howAKU has helped shape their world.“In school, we weretrained to be foot soldiers,”said Dr Junaid A. Razzak,MBBS ’94, who came to theUniversity in 1989 aftercompleting his secondaryeducation at a governmentschool. He recalled thathe and his classmateswere instructed to memoriselessons and regurgitateinformation onassessments, they werenot allowed to thinkcritically or defendideas, but merely acceptthem as fact.But AKU was anentirely different,strange world wheredialogue was considereda virtue. Initiallyresisting the change,Junaid recalls how hestayed aloof from discussions,from the“batting” of ideas. Butover time, he learntthat debate can resolvemany issues. Thoughhe learnt this lessonduring his five years atAKU, it was all the more apparentlater in his career. And this is whathe defines as his “true education”.Recalling his late father, Junaidshared how the University was“human”. Concerned about thehigh tuition cost of Aga KhanUniversity, at a parents’ receptionon the very first day of MedicalCollege, his father expressed hisfears to the former UniversityFrom left to right: Farah Kamal, ADE ’99, Alia Nasir Post-RN BScN ’96,Dr Rozina Karmaliani, Interim Dean, AKU-SON, Dr Saida Rasul,President Firoz Rasul, Professor Pervez Hoodbhoy, Chief Guest, and DrMuhammad Memon, Director, IED.AKUPresident Shams Kassim Lakha.And Mr Lakha turned around andsaid, “We select students based ontheir ability to be an asset for thiscountry. AKU will make sure thathe gets whatever he needs to be anexcellent doctor; do what you can,but he is now as much our responsibilityas yours.” Junaid believesthat very few institutions can makethat claim and said, “I know thatmy father is not the onlyrelieved parent that AKUhas actually helped.Junaid returned to AgaKhan University and now isin charge of the Hospital’sDepartment of EmergencyMedicine. And tohim, the Universitystill upholds thesame principles.“Success is not adestination that youever reach but ratherit is the quality of thejourney, a journeythat started at AKU,”said Alia Nasir, Post-RN BScN ’96, whocomes from a smalltown in theHyderabad district ofSindh and is currentlythe Principal,Liaquat NationalCollege of Nursing inKarachi. Through afortunate encounterwith the AKU PublicAffairs team, she wasintroduced to AKU-SON and realisingthe potential of the nursing professionin Pakistan, she enrolled.Completing her Diploma inNursing in 1990, Alia started as anAKU community health nurse atBaba Island in 1992, one of the threesmall islands within the Karachi harbour.She helped introduce the primaryhealth care model in the areaand a water and sewage system –many years later, this system contin-6

eunionues to provide the community with asupply of safe drinking water.Alia credits AKU-SON withgiving her knowledge and skills,and particularly the gift of language.She spoke of how hergrooming in English, in both publicspeaking and writing, opened a differentworld for her. Twenty-twoyears have passed and Alia’s journeywith the University has still notcome to an end.The Institute for EducationalDevelopment taught Farah S. Kamal,ADE ’99, how to identify a problemand to seek solutions. It was the footin the door that led to her completinga Master of Education from theUniversity of British Columbia andan executive programme for nonprofitleaders from StanfordUniversity – quite an achievementfor the head teacher of a 1,600-studentschool in Karimabad.Farah is currently the CountryCoordinator for InternationalEducation and Research Network(iEARN) in Pakistan. iEARN, whichoperates in 125 countries, is thelargest non-profit global networkthat allows teachers and students touse internet and other communicationstechnology to collaborate onprojects that promote global learning.The programme supports 1,500schools in Pakistan, reaching over1,000 teachers annually throughonline and face-to-face training programmesbesides benefiting over5,000 people through communityservice programmes. This is whatFarah calls impact.A small Contribution to karachiReunions are becoming a timewhen the alumni can contributedirectly to a community all overagain. Over 100 alumni from theSchool of Nursing,Institute forEducationalDevelopment andMedical Collegeoffered free healtheducation and screeningsessions to threecommunities inKarachi as part of theAlumni Reunion 2009celebrations. Close to1,650 residents ofKarimabad, BilalColony, andSultanabad/Golimar,both children andadults, were providedcheck-ups that includedan interview ondiet, anxiety anddepression screening,anthropometric or comparativebody measurements, and glucose,haemoglobin and cholesterol tests.Undernutrition, skin conditions,worm infections and dental problemsemerged as the most commonhealth issues in children under 12and teenagers. Eighty per cent ofthe adolescents checked also sufferedfrom moderate to severestress. Adults had a different set ofissues, with high blood pressure,high cholesterol, diabetes, skin conditionsand gynaecological problemsseen most often. The camps alsohelped identify the people whoneeded further medical assistancewho were then referred to healthcentres and public hospitals for follow-upand consultations.This year, the camps educatedparticipants on nutrition, mentalhealth and hygiene and offeredneeds-based individual and familycounselling. Dr Rozina Karmaliani,Interim Dean, School of Nursing,Karachi stressed the significanceof impartinghealth knowledge toparents, “AKU prefersto educate parents asthey can richly contributetowards thehealth and education oftheir children. Educatingparents creates healthyfamilies and societies.”Mothers play an integralrole as a child’s healthand education startsfrom a mother’s lap -which is why it is crucialto give her thehealth information sheneeds about not onlycaring for herself butAKUher children and familyas well. “Maternal educationcan only help in decreasingmorbidity and mortality rates,” shesaid. Children were also activelyengaged in health education sessionsthrough knowledge-basedcompetitions, puppet shows, anddrawing and painting activities.Many thanks to the alumni whogave their time and services.7

euniontalaashhira Waseem, mBBs ’12, najiha B. Farooqi, mBBs ’13 and maryam Zulfiqar, mBBs ’13Life is indeed a kaleidoscope, anamalgamation of emotions: love,fear, joy, sorrow, inner struggle, selfevolution and salvation. But undeniablythe first and the last wordetched on the slate of life emergesfrom the inner voice of one’s soul,the conscience. This idea was theessence and the main theme inTalaash, a production of AKU’sdrama club, ACT (Aga KhanUniversity’s Club for Theatre), forunique stories spanning from childabuse and materialism to despairand patriotism, issues that we canrelate to on an individual as well ascollective level.These four characters, from differentwalks of life, mysteriouslyland in an incredibly beautifulplace. All suffer from one vice oranother, their personalities seem tobe defined by suffering and so, theiremotions evolved. The characterssomehow seem to fit perfectly intothe picture. Initially baffling withtheir clandestine motives, darkhumour and sarcasm, it eventuallyemerges that they are personifyingthe different aspects of our innervoice. The strings of these puppetsare all in the hands of a magician orrather the narrator, appearing fromtime to time to both entertain andfacilitate the direction of thought.Under the watchful eyes ofMehru and Shero, the other fourcharacters develop, discover theirshortcomings and, at last, embarkon the road to redemption.Talaash was not just a play, buta reminder that life is ephemeral,that with all its limitations, regretsand heartache, the human soul hasthe potential to experience, learnand change. The question left echoingin our heads at the end of theplay, was whether we can hear ourinner voice? And like the charactersportrayed, can we too reachsalvation in this three-penny showof life?the Association of Physicians ofPakistani Descent of NorthAmerica’s (APPNA) annual dinnerin Karachi in December.Writing a play and encompassingthis theme were in themselvesherculean tasks. Conveying themundane activities of everyday lifeis easy but trying to convey somethingabstract and essential is a truetest of one’s skill.The plot revolved around sixmain characters, four of whom presentedfamiliar and yet somehowdo not know the reasonfor their arrivalnor the time of theirdeparture but they allhave one ‘ambition’ incommon – they allwant to escape. Theywant to run away fromtheir problems as theyare terrified to confrontthem.The two othercharacters, Mehru andShero, are odd and yet8

distinguished Alumnitaking nursing a step BeyondSalimah Walani, RN ’87, holds aMaster of Science in Nursing fromSimmons College and a Master ofPublic Health from Harvard School ofPublic Health, both in Boston.Currently, she is a PhD candidate atNew York University, where she isworking on her doctoral dissertation.She recently received a grant from theSigma Theta Tau Honor Society ofNursing, Upsilon Chapter to conducther research.Salimah was a faculty member atAKU-SON before moving to NewYork. After relocating to the US, sheworked for the New York CityDepartment of Health as an epidemiologistand consultant public healthnurse, focusing on tuberculosis outbreakwork. She then worked as thedirector for a mobile health initiativefor school children in Brooklyn, NY, aprogramme under New YorkUniversity. At present, she teachesgraduate nurses at Felician College.While working for these programmes,Salimah developed aninterest in global health. Her outreachactivities took her toNicaragua and India, where she waspart of a team of nurses that conductedhealth assessments and educationalsessions for school childrenin under-served communities.Salimah served the National AgaKhan Health Board for USA from2005 to 2009, which allowed her toplay a leading role to develop RemoteHealth Access for HealthProfessionals, a collaborative programmebetween Ismaili health professionalsin the US and Aga KhanHealth Services in East Africa.What factors motivated you tochoose nursing?I have a totally unconventional storyof why I chose nursing as my profession– I got attracted to the buildingand the courtyards of the AKU-SON.When I joined AKU, the hospital andthe medical school were still underconstruction and the School ofNursing seemed like an oasis in thedesert with its beautiful red buildingand lush green gardens. I just wanteda taste of living and studyingthere – the rest is history.How do you think your educationat the AKU helped you in yourcurrent role?During my education and then in myfaculty role at AKU-SON, I was fascinatedby the extensiveness ofAKU’s vision, operations and itsactual and potential impact on society.Thus, even though I have workedin a variety of health care settings inthe New York area, I tend to gravitatetowards academic institutionsand love teaching.What do you believe is the impactof your work? How are peoplebenefiting from it?I am currently conducting my doctoraldissertation on employmentoutcomes of internationally-educatednurses (IENs) in the US. Ithink this study and my futureresearch in this area will have atremendous impact on policiesrelated to the treatment of IENs inthe US labor market.Furthermore in my faculty role,I think the global perspective that Ibring into my teaching has had aninfluence on how my studentsdefine their roles as nurses in thisera of globalisation.How do you think the AKU alumniand the University can worktogether to achieve common goals?Any message to the other AKUalumni?Let’s stay connected. I recognise thatwith alumni spread all over the world,it is hard for the University and us,the alumni, to engage in projects, butin this digital age, there are so littlebarriers that if we tried, we can overcomethem with a “click”.What role do you envision for AKUqualified nurses within an internationalcommunity of nurses?AKU nursing alumni have alreadymade advances to improve nursingin countries such as, Afghanistan,Tanzania, Syria, Kenya, and Egypt,and I am sure I am missing some. Iforesee that AKU-educated RNswill have a greater role in promotingprogrammes of higher nursingeducation in the Middle East. I alsoconclude from my communicationwith the nursing alumni in the US,that many of us who have leftPakistan are craving to find a rolein AKU initiatives – it is just amatter of time.The Editorial Board seeks nominationsfor distinguished alumni from allAKU schools and programs for thissection. Please send a short profile ofyour nominee to: alumni@aku.edu.9

FeAtureCricket ... at Akusaad shafqat, mBBs ’88Cricket fans know that sport is ametaphor for life. There is struggleand heartbreak, joy and fulfillment,bitter competition, and flawed justice.Cricket buffs at AKU understand thatthe analogy can also be nicely extendedto faculty life at our institution.Research is like batting. Youget big grants, publish greatpapers. It is like scoring hundredsand double hundreds.A publicationin NewEnglandJournal ofMedicine is like atriple-hundred in Australia. Apublication in Journal of thePakistan Medical Association islike a century in Bangladesh.The output is quantitative andclearly measurable. Just likeruns and centuries, there arenumbers of papers and the numberand amount of grant funding.The top researchers are celebratedlike great batsmen. Theyare the heroes evoking theUniversity's admiration and awe.They win many man-of-thematchawards.Clinical service is like bowling.Again, the output is unambiguousand numerical. Just asthe best bowlers take the most wicketswith the lowest average, similarlythe most valued clinicians see themost patients in the shortest time.Just as the difficulty of each wicketvaries, so does the difficulty of eachpatient. An ICU patient is like thewicket of a top-order batsman,requiring time, energy and concentration.A brief follow-up in clinic islike a tail-ender's wicket. Doingclinical procedures is like takingwickets in foreign countries. Majorprocedures are like taking wickets in“Australia; minor procedures, morelike Zimbabwe. You cannot winmatches without bowlers, just likeyou cannot run AKU without clinicians.But clinicians are a notchbelow researchers in thereckoning. They are stillheroes, but win fewerman-of-the-matchawards than batsmen,just like clinicians arealso looked up to by theUniversity, but a touchless so than researchers.Teaching is likefielding. It is invaluablefor the success of yourteam, but the output isdifficult to measure andmost of it does not evenget recorded. Everybodyknows who the bestfielders are, just like theUniversity knows fullwell its best teachers.”Teaching is like fielding. It isinvaluable for the success of yourteam, but the output is difficultto measure and most of it doesnot even get recorded.Everybody knows who thebest fielders are, just likethe University knows fullwell its best teachers. Peoplealso understand that a finepiece of fielding – an impossiblecatch or an amazing run-out – canturn around a match, just like fantasticteaching can create an extraordinaryUniversity. But great fielders,like the best teachers, go unrewardedas individuals. Everybody willappreciate what a great fielding sideyour team is, and your fielding caneven prove decisive in winning amatch, but nobody will give you theman-of-the-match award.Then you have the administrativehierarchy. The captain is like thedepartmental chair. He is supposedto tell you what to do and guide youto make the most of your ability.And the dean is the chairman of thecricket board, because he appointsthe captain. Finally you have thePresident who has the best job inthe world, both in realityas well as metaphorically,because hegets to shape thewhole enterprise.10

FeAtureto know, to do, to BeAli nawab, med ’09Educating young people todayis not just about inculcating values.Instead, it is about liberating themind and providingthem with the abilitiesand skills thatcan transform theminto caring andresponsible citizensof a global village.This means thatgood exam resultsare no longer theonly desirablelearning outcome;it is the qualitiesthat can help studentsbe productivemembers of societythat are in demand.This means thattoday’s challengesare forcing us toreconceptualise ourapproach to studentlearning outcomes.Learning outcomesfall into threemajor tiered categories.The first and lowest tier is‘knowing’, the ability to understand;the second tier is ‘doing’, to useproblem solving, critical thinking,effective communication and technology.And the top learning outcomeis ‘being’, to be tolerant,responsible and caring.Schools have found achievingthese learning outcomes is a challenge.Experiences in the classroomhave revealed that teachersfocus solely on ‘knowing’. One ofthe reasons could be a lack of professionalskills. It could also be alack of awareness as to what othercategories of student learning outcomesexist and how they can beachieved. There is one argumentthat helping students achievedesired learning outcomes dependson the professional background ofa teacher. Improving a teacher’sknowledge, skills and disposition isone of the most critical steps togiving students a proper education.If we want students to realise certainoutcomes, we have to look forways to enhance the pedagogicalskills of teachers.Exposing teachers to variousprofessional development activitiesdoes not guarantee that they will beable to successfully help students.Teachers will need, in fact, to beprovided with practical ideas tosharpen the higher abilities of studentssuch as ‘doing’ and ‘being’.Teachers who attend developmentworkshops usually acquire the theory.But once they return to the classroom,they fail to put theory intopractice and regress back to theirprevious habits due to a lack ofclassroom strategies.Teacher professionaldevelopmentprogrammesneed to focus onhow to makeknowledge experiential,how torelate new conceptsto a student’sdaily life.They need to beexposed to thevariety of methodsthat include takingexamples and storiesfrom students,giving worth tostudents’ existingknowledge, creatingsituationswhere studentscan discoversomething forGary Ottethemselves, discussingissues thatexist in the student’s environment,and engaging students in learningthrough interactive methods.Existing approaches to teachingand learning in the sub-continentcontext have not been successful.We should develop our teachers insuch a way that they should not onlyappreciate the higher level learningoutcomes for their students but alsoinvolve young people in activitiesthat will ensure that they learn notonly how to ‘know’ and ‘do’ butalso how to ‘be’.Ali Nawab is an AssistantInstructor at the Aga KhanUniversity Institute for EducationalDevelopment, ProfessionalDevelopment Centre, Chitral.11

FeAtureCritical Care Journey: take-off in tanzaniadr tahir saeed, Pgme (Anaesthesiology) ’05 and dr Aijaz samad, Pgme (Anaesthesiology) ’08There has been a distinctimprovement in healthcare services in Tanzaniaover the past decade largelydue to the socio-politicaland economic situation stabilising,even though financialconstraints are still ahard reality. HIV/AIDS andmalaria efforts absorb amajor portion of the budgetleaving other health caresectors, especially criticalcare, struggling for attentionand funds.In the last two years,the situation has changed atAga Khan Hospital (AKH)in Dar es Salaam. We haveseen the formation of ateam of dedicated criticalcare professionals includingfour full-time residents,about 17 full-time nursesand one critical care nursingmanager. We now have ventilators,monitoring equipmentand well-trained intensivecare unit (ICU) staff,capable of managing adults, childrenand newborns, as well as prematurebabies. We have witnessedan intensive care facility that hasdoubled from its original four beds.As intensivists, we are proudto have played a vital, pioneeringrole in developing the ICU facilityat AKH, faced as we were with aserious lack of human resourcesand many other major problemsduring the start-up phase. Thesedifficulties did not deter us fromworking in collaboration with theUS Society of Critical CareMedicine to conduct a FundamentalCritical Care Support course – comprehensivecoverage of fundamentalmanagement principles for the first24 hours of critical care – and withthe Ismaili Health PhysiciansAssociation North America andinstructors from American Societyof Critical Care Medicine to conductAdvanced Cardiac LifeSupport and Paediatric AdvancedLife Support courses. The ICU continuesto be upgraded and recentlytelemonitoring via a central monitoringstation was set up. With thisintroduction, AKH has entered anew era of patient health care andquality improvements. Future plansinclude a separate neonatal intensivecare unit and services such asbedside dialysis, continuous renalreplacement therapy and bronchoscopy,among others.Jean-Luc RayThe AKH ICU has evolved intoa major referral centre, accommodatingover 20 per cent of directreferrals as well as transfers fromother hospitals around the country.Data collected by us shows lowermortality rates in both adults andchildren. Of those patients who arecritically ill and mechanically-ventilated,the survival rate is 59 per centin adults and 47 per cent for childrenwith an average bed occupancyof 85-90 per cent.While critical care is a novelconcept in Tanzania, authorities arebeginning to invest in it. But fornow, the ICU at AKH is the onlyone providing state-of-the-art facilities,particularly for babies.12

FeAtureteaching research through serviceAnthony gioko, med ’07Learning, based on exploring orsolving real problems, influences andtransforms students. Having learnedthis concept at AKU-IED in Pakistan,the next step was to put it into practiceat Aga Khan Academy, in theKenyan port city of Mombasa. TheAga Khan Academy prepares studentsfor the International Baccalaureate(IB) exam. The IB is an educationprogramme that develops inquiring,knowledgeable and caring youngindividuals through its challengingcurriculum and rigorous assessment.Diploma students, between the agesof 16 and 19, besides studying sixcourses, are required to fulfil threecore requirements: an extended essay,theory of knowledge and creativity,action, and service.To teach my students researchskills initially I get them to engagein mini-research initiatives, in smallgroups and then in pairs. Thisprocess hones their skills for theindividual work that they eventuallywill have to complete.Groups: I divided students intorandom teams and delved into issuesaffecting the community. Eventually,we zeroed in on hygiene issues inslums around Mombasa. One topicwas intestinal worms: how do childrenget infected and how can they beeducated to avoid infections. Beforevisiting the area, we prepped by identifyingan appropriate school, askingthe management for permission tovisit and developing our researchquestions. We also asked a doctor forde-worming medicine. Off we proceededfor our field work, accompaniedby our school nurse. My studentsinterviewed their counterparts abouthow they access hygiene informationand how many times a day they washhands; another group provide hygieneinformation to a number of theirThe extended essay is a requirementfor students to engage in independentresearch through an in-depthstudy of a question relating to one ofthe subjects they are studying.Theory of knowledge is a coursedesigned to encourage each student toreflect on the nature of knowledge bycritically examining different ways ofknowing (perception, emotion, languageand reason) and different kindsof knowledge (scientific, artistic, mathematicaland historical).Creativity, action, service requiresthat students actively learn from theexperience of doing real tasks beyondthe classroom.Students can combine all threecomponents or do activities related toeach one of them separately.The IB Diploma Programmehttp://www.ibo.org/diploma/A child receives de-worming medicinefrom a student.inquisitive peers. All the students whotook part in the survey were providedde-worming medicine, with the helpof the nurse, as well as toothbrushesand antiseptic soap.A lot of information was collectedduring this exercise and it wasused to gain knowledge about datahandling and analysis. The resultinginformation was used by the studentsto write their research reports. Thisapproach was successful in teachingstudents research skills while encouragingthem to engage in communityservice – raising awareness aboutmedical and hygiene issues that affectphysical growth and cognitive developmentamong children sufferingfrom water-borne diseases.Pairs: To further enhance skills,we used the same approach in pairs.We identified issues in the schoolcommunity that concerned studentsand, after a brainstorming session,selected the top 17 issues. Some ofthem included using social mediasuch as blogs and Facebook; theschool’s use of resources like paperand electricity; and student-relatedthemes such as study time and peergroup support. The students conductedtheir research within theschool, with fellow students, teachersand members of the administrationas their subjects. This piquedthe ‘subjects’ curiosity and outcomeswere eagerly awaited. Thefinal reports were of great interest tothe respective groups and some studentrecommendations are beingconsidered for implementation.My groups and pairs approachesdemonstrate the interdependencebetween students and their community,be it their immediate communityor the larger one. It is an experiencethat has also taught my students thepurpose of research and how issuescan affect them directly or indirectly,experiences that can help transformthem into responsible citizens. This isa crucial aspect of sustainable learning– an approach I learned during mytime at IED. In simple words, it isputting principles into practice.13

FeAtureWhen opportunitiesknock, take themshaheena salim Jumani, Bscn ‘05 and shazia naz Waris Ali,Bscn ’09Armed with BScN degrees from AKU-SON, we entered the ‘realworld’ with a passion to work with babies and their mothers. We weretrained to provide new mums with postnatal health and fitness education,and were focused on this goal from the very beginning.At the same time it soon dawned on us that while nurses mayexcel in their routine responsibilities, they often remain unawarethat there is much more ‘out there’ that can be achieved – all that isneeded is an extra bit of zeal and enthusiasm. In our case, we gotthe opportunity to work in managerial roles and took up the challengeto broaden our horizons and to look for ways to innovate, tothink ‘out-of-the-box’. And we did exactly that. We began developingguidelines and checklists for postnatal care so that all nursescould refer to one operational framework. We encouraged mothersto attend daily postnatal education classes and we constantly pushedfor quality innovations.Has there been any impact? We designed a small group-basedsurvey to identify the effects of our new steps on the health ofpatients and awareness among nurses. The survey, conducted fromFebruary toMay 2009,revealedencouragingoutcomes – wewere able tomake a differenceto a mother’sknowledgeand staff practices.Our studyled to the introductionof dailypostnatal educationsessions inour unit.It is saidthat one createstheir own luck.For us, it wasmore thanenough that our efforts were recognised and patient satisfaction ratesimproved remarkably. We were also invited to attend the 13thBiennial Scientific Conference of the Society of Obstetricians andGynaecologists of Pakistan in February this year. Our presentation, onenhancing breastfeeding practices in new mothers through a postnataleducation programme, was well received. Such appreciation can onlymotivate us to stretch ourselves even further.On the Road to Burn-out?Farzana mukhi Jaffer, Bscn ’03Medical staff often experience high levelsof stress and burn-out and nurses are noexception. A heavy workload, extendedhours, understaffing, dealing with death,managing difficult family members andpatients, and conflicts with other nursesand doctors, contribute to physical andemotional exhaustion among nurses.A high rate of burn-out can affect notonly the individual nurse, but an entirehealth care setting. Nurses, as caregivers,must learn to care for themselves – tocope with stress and deal with anxiety.Here are some tips to control burn-out:* Realise that anxiety is part of the job.* Laugh at yourself and the situationsyou face; it is one of the best techniquesfor preventing stress and burn-out.* Reflect on difficult situations asopportunities for positive learning.* Realise that you are not a supernurse. Manage your time better; halfof the techniques for managingnursing stress are based on effectivetime management.* Find someone you can talk and discussfeelings with such as another colleague,family, friends, or even a therapist.Attend stress reducing workshops.* Maintain good health. Take care ofyour body and mind by eating a balanceddiet, getting the right amount ofsleep to keep functional through theday, and exercising to increase bloodflow and keep alert.* Take time off. Engage in activities withfamily and friends such as dining outor going to the movies. Find a hobby orother recreational activity. Use holidaysas time to recharge your batteries.* If you experience stress due to a particularfield or department, considermoving to a less stressful area orswitching to another shift that maynot be as busy and stressful.You CAN control how you feel.14

eFleCtionsBenefiting fromInformation Managementrozmin Pirwani, Post-rn Bscn ’93I currently work as a SeniorApplication Analyst at NorthShoreUniversity HealthSystem inEvanston, Illinois. Here, I have hadthe opportunity to connect my pastclinical experiences with mynewly-attained knowledge in informationtechnology. Informationmanagement is critical to the provisionof quality health care in the21st century. Medical informaticshelp make patientrecords more effective andsafer, and the increasing useof electronic files promisesenormous cost savings andimproved efficiency. Asmodern health care becomesincreasingly dependent oninformation management,employment prospects forthose skilled in this fieldwill continue to grow.I graduated with a Post-RN BScN in 1993. In 2010,I earned my Master ofScience in MedicalInformatics fromNorthwestern University inIllinois. My classmates andI were the second batch ofgraduates from this new andunique programme. TheMSc gives clinically-trained healthcare professionals the knowledgeand experience of informationtechnology. These individuals canthen develop careers in informationservice sections within hospitals,health systems, academic environments,and the health systems andequipment industry.At the inauguration of theUniversity’s Faculty of HealthSciences in Nairobi, His Highness,the Aga Khan cited the words of thefirst hereditary Imam of the ShiaMuslims that “no honour is likeknowledge”. I look forward to availingsuch stimulating opportunities inthe near future.The Way We Carry AKU-SON With Usnatasha rehman Bscn ’07,rozeena gillani Bscn ’08, sanakarim Bscn ’07 and shireen Arif,Post rn ’09Working outside the AKU environmentmay be a challenge in itselfbut as we have found to our pleasantsurprise (or maybe no surprise at all)any difficulties are offset by theappreciation and kudos that soonflow. We had simply put to work allthat we learned at AKU, from ourstudent days at the School ofNursing to Nursing Services at theHospital: the theory, the practice,and perhaps most importantly, theattitude. Creativity and innovationhave always been encouraged as themain ingredients to further polishour professionalism - and we arevalued for these qualities.The four of us joined BaqaiMedical University’s (BMU)College of Nursing in Karachi relativelyrecently as nursing instructors.It is a matter of great pride forAKU-SON that its alumna, AmynahMevawala, MScN ’07, is theDirector of the BMU College ofNursing, and we feel extremely fortunateto have her as a guide andmentor. Mevawala has been at BMUfor the last 13 years and continues tobelieve that she has ‘not stopped herlearning journey’.A Big Thank You!karimah Pabani Bscn ’02It does not need to be said, but I willsay it anyway - I am deeply honouredto be an alumni of Aga KhanUniversity School of Nursing.Harry Emerson Fosdick oncesaid, “No horse gets anywhere untilhe is harnessed. No steam or gasever drives anything until it is confined.No Niagara is ever turned intolight and power until it is tunneled.No life ever grows great until it isfocused, dedicated, disciplined."The education at AKU-SON andthe dedication of its faculty membershave turned an ordinary personlike me into someone valuable. Ithas helped me build a strong foundationfor my career that will helpme grow every day of my life.Today, I am a responsible mother,a loving wife, a dedicated student,and a proud alumna. I have15

eFleCtionsalmost completed my Master ofScience in Nursing from McMasterUniversity, where I was recentlyhonoured with some awards. I workas a professional practice educator ata community hospitalin the area and I alsoconduct research andscholarly activities.In fact, one of mypapers will be publishedin an internationaljournal inSeptember 2010.Reflecting on mysuccesses, I have toacknowledge theefforts of the AKU-SON faculty: thankyou very much forall you do! My workexperience in bothPakistan andAfghanistan as a registerednurse, nursingfaculty member, andnurse educator and advisor hasenabled me to work in any challengingenvironment. I would, onceagain, like to express my gratitudeto each of you! Thank you.When Alumni InspireStudentsAlina sadaf, mBBs ’13On the evening of April 9, 2010,Dr Adil H. Haider, walked into astudent-packed auditorium. For me,as a member of the StudentResearch Forum, this was a sight tobehold. Rarely has the Forum everbeen able to herd more than a handfulof medical students to a guestlecture and almost never withoutserving free refreshments. But thistime it was different: there theywere, students stacked wall-to-wall,eagerly awaiting Dr Haider’s lectureon the role of research in developingan academic career.While the lecture was a roaringsuccess, it was fascinating to witnesshow alumni can develop an instantrapport with students. After all, theyare familiar with the battles we arefighting, having waged war on thesame fronts. It is this commonalitythat draws us towards one another.Dr Adil Haider speaks to AKU students about the significance of researchAKU“I have stayed in research for manyreasons, but the reason that standsout by far is tasting small successes.”-Dr Abrar A. Qureshi, MBBS ’93As I think back to the lecture, Ifind myself convinced that only analumnus could have persuaded anaudience of hardened medical studentsabout approaching research asa tool to ‘seek the truth’ and ‘make adifference,’ and not just as a fancyaddition to resumes. He correctlyidentified that students believe in asad dichotomy between the thingsthey have to do and want to do to getinto a good residency programme.To dispel this myth, he used hisown example and that of otherprominent AKU alumni who havebuilt their careers around their passions.These ‘AKU superstars’, as DrHaider describes them, include:Anita Zaidi, MBBS ’88, Hasan B.Alam, MBBS ’90, Adnan Hyder,MBBS ’90, Faiz Bhora, MBBS ’92,Abrar A. Qureshi, MBBS ’93, SaadBin Omer, MBBS ’98 and NaeemRahim, MBBS ’98. All of thesealumni have walkedthe corridors ofsuccess and theirwork is a lesson indedication for allAKU students.Dr Haideralso quoted wordsof the wisdom thatthese superstarshad shared withhim over the years,and Dr AbrarQureshi’s quote inparticular seemedto resonate themost: “I havestayed in researchfor many reasons,but the reason thatstands out by faris tasting smallsuccesses.”The inspirationalmessage thatDr Haider conveyedto his young audiencewas how stayingfocused andworking hard onthe task one lovesto do is rewarding in itself. He saidthat material achievements are simplyby-products of this labour oflove. As he spoke, he seemed toexude the kind of energy and passionthat only a person who has pursuedhis dreams and reaped thefruits of success can know; it madeus want to end this false dichotomythat has fenced our hard work fromour passions.I graduate in 2013. By then, Ihope to have the opportunity toattend many more inspiring talks byAKU alumni. I’m sure other studentswill continue to be drawn to themlike moths to a flame and we willneed bigger auditoriums to accommodatethe crowd.16

CAmPus hAPPeningsNew Trustees on BoardTwo new members were added tothe AKU Board of Trustees inJanuary 2010 while Dr IshratHusain, Dean and Director,Institute of BusinessAdministration, Karachi retired atthe end of 2009.Dr Haile T. Debas is the ExecutiveDirector of Global Health Sciencesat the University of California, SanFrancisco. His career spans nearlyfour decades and includes positionsat hospitals, medical centres anduniversities in Canada and theUnited States. Dr Debas is a fellowof the Royal College of Physiciansand Surgeons of Canada and theAmerican Academy of Arts andSciences. He is a member of theUnited Nations Commission forHIV/AIDS and Governance inAfrica, American Association forthe Advancement of Science,International Society for DigestiveSurgery, American Association ofEndocrine Surgeons, NationalAcademy of Sciences, AmericanBoard of Surgery and AmericanMedical Association.People in New PositionsA new Dean, Medical College hasbeen appointed - Dr Farhat Abbas,who has served AKU and AKUH in anumber of different capacities sincehe joined as a resident in theDepartment of Surgery in 1985. DrAbbas holds an MBBS from DowMedical College and is a fellow of theCollege of Physicians and Surgeonsof Pakistan, Royal College ofSurgeons of Edinburgh and Glasgowand American College of Surgeons.Campus TalkA ground-breaking ceremony to markthe start of construction of a secondAmbulatory Care Building (ACBII) was held on April 16, 2010. TheUS$14.5 million project is part of anexpansion plan which foresees ageneral surgery, gastroenterology,psychiatry, radiation therapy, and daycare medical oncology clinics. Inaddition, surgical day care facilities,including four operating rooms, willbe housed in the basement. The threestorey-building will be located next tothe Ibn Zuhr Building, adjacent to themain entrance gate. The entire project,including a link bridge betweenACB II and the Service Building, willmeasure 129,033 sq ft.The establishment of a newGraduate School of Media andCommunications in Nairobi startingin 2011 was announced by HisHighness, the Aga Khan. The Schoolwill offer five core programmes: agraduate school offering a Master’sdegree in journalism and short courseson various media skills through itsDivision of Continuing Education andDr Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka iscurrently serving her second,four-year term as Under-SecretaryGeneral and Executive Director ofUN-HABITAT. She is the firstAfrican woman to be elected bythe UN General Assembly asUnder-Secretary General of aUnited Nations programme. DrTibaijuka is a member of theWorld Health OrganizationCommission on SocialDeterminants of Health, and theAdvisory Board of theCommission on the LegalEmpowerment of the Poor. In2005, she served as Special Envoyto the Secretary General on HumanSettlement Issues in Zimbabwe.Prior to joining the UN, DrTibaijuka was a Professor at theUniversity of Dar es Salaam.Viewing a model of the ACB-II building during the project’s groundbreaking ceremonyon April 16, 2010.AKUseries of ambulatory care buildingsadded to the Stadium Road campus,allowing AKUH, Karachi to dramaticallyexpand its outpatient services.The proposed ACB II will accommodatedentistry, ophthalmology, ENT,Professional Development. It will createa Centre for Media EnterpriseManagement to strengthen mediaownership and management, andencourage entrepreneurship; anAfrican Global Forum for Media and17

CAmPus hAPPeningsSociety to support a dialogue in theEast African region on how mediacan better inform citizens and workmore effectively with different sectorsof society; and other public serviceinitiatives that will share Africa-specificacademic material with regionalmedia institutions. The aim of thenew School is to enhance media quality,performance and practice in thecontinent and the developing world.ObituariesAKU ProfessorEmeritusProfessorSheikh ArshadSaeed passedaway onNovember 19,2009. ProfessorSaeed wasamong thefounding faculty members of theMedical College and played a significantrole in its growth and development.He joined AKU asAssociate Professor ofPharmacology in 1984 and becamea full professor in 1989. He retiredin 2004 but continued in theDepartment of Biological andBiomedical Sciences as part-timeProfessor of Pharmacology foranother four years. In 2008,Professor Saeed was conferred thetitle of Distinguished ProfessorEmeritus, the first from the basicsciences department. He had publishedmore than 260 papers in 320internationally recognised journalsand held nine patents from Europeand North America. He was the firstPakistani to be elected Fellow ofRoyal Institute of Biology. In 2001,Professor Saeed was awarded theHilal-e-Imtiaz, the first AKU facultymember to be presented thisaward by the President of Pakistan.Dr Syed Arif Ali Zaidi, formerAssociate Dean,Student Affairs,passed away onMarch 28, 2010.He joined AKUin June 1983 asAssistantProfessor ofPhysiology andwas promoted toAssociateProfessor in 1988. Dr Zaidi served asAssociate Dean of Student Affairsfrom October 1992 until his retirementin May 2007. After leavingAKU, he joined the GovernmentCollege University, Faisalabad beforemoving back to Karachi as Vice-Chancellor of Ziauddin University inDecember 2008.AWArds And honoursPioneering Global SafetyDr Adnan A. Hyder, MBBS ’00,was chosen to lead the JohnsHopkins Bloomberg School of PublicHealth’s effort on MichaelBloomberg’s US$125 million GlobalRoad Safety Program. Johns HopkinsUniversity’s International InjuryResearch Unit will join forces withfive partner organisations, includingthe World Health Organization.Together, they will develop and putin place activities, with local governmentsand NGOs, in 10 priority lowandmiddle-income countries to tackleinjuries and fatalities caused byroad traffic crashes. Dr Hyder said,“This is an excellent opportunity anda superb group of partners to developand implement strategies for reducingthe extraordinary number of preventabletraffic-related injuries andfatalities worldwide.”Fahim Siddiqui18

ClAss notesSchool of Nursing1985Currently working as AssistantManager, Nursing Development,Aga Khan Health Service, Pakistan,Mehmooda Khowaja is finishingher BScN and plans to join theMaster in Midwifery programme atAKU in the future. She is proud toshare that her daughter is currently aBScN student at AKU-SON.Samina Badruddin Khowaja isdoing her BScN online withUniversity of Phoenix while workingas a staff nurse in the postpartumunit at Gwinnett MedicalCenter, Georgia.1991Amynah Pradhan has completedher MsN in Family NursePractitioner and received an awardfor Excellence in Primary Care inNursing. She is also a proud motherof a baby girl born on March 4,2010. Pradhan appreciates AKU’sefforts to keep the alumni connected.1993Rozmin Badruddin Jiwani is a PhDstudent at University of Texas HealthScience Center at San Antonio.1995Munira Prasla, participated in theMosaic International SummerSchool programme held in the UKin 2009. The aim of the programmewas to develop the leadership potentialof participants selected fromvarious Muslim countries. Praslacurrently works at AKU-SON.1996Shirin Noorali Valliani has almostcompleted a MsN in Family NursePractitioner. She deeply misses andcherishes her golden days at AKU.2000Shirin Alwani was mentioned in anarticle in Hospital News, a Canadianhealth care newspaper. The articletalks about a project Alwani isinvolved in and how it is impactingthe quality of life of senior citizensliving in nursing homes and otherhealth care settings.2002Farida Khan Himat is enrolled atthe Stellenbosch University’s Masterof Philosophy in Health SciencesEducation in South Africa.2003Yasmin Noorani is doing her MsN,specialising in Education. Noorani iscurrently settled in Seattle whereshe is the proud mother of two kids,a 14-month old boy and a two and ahalf year old girl.2005Anila Naveed is a faculty memberat AKU-SON. She proudly recallsher student life and believes her richclinical experience of working withcritical cardiac patients will be beneficialin providing quality educationto other nursing students.Azmina Shahnool Khowaja hasrejoined the intensive care unit atAKUH, Karachi.Khairunnisa Shallwani is currentlyworking as a nurse educator at a privatehospital in Dubai. Under herleadership, the hospital was designatedwith training site status for theAmerican Heart Association BasicLife Support programmes.Munira Abhavani was blessed witha girl, Zahra Amin, on June 9, 2009.Saima Merchant, an instructor anda student at AKU-SON, defendedher MScN thesis on the Nature ofNurses Verbal Communication withthe ICU Incubated, Unconscious andSedated Patients. She also receivedthe Rho Delta Research Award for2009, and has been elected Chair,Publicity and NewsletterCommittee, Sigma Theta TauInternational Rho Delta Chapter.2006Muhammad Basharatullah completeda Graduate Certificate inNurse Education from University ofSouth Australia in 2009. Hereceived distinctions in all modules.Niaz Ahmed joined a multinationaloil and gas exploration companyas an occupational health nurse inKarak, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.2007Anita Aaandani Sadruddin is completinga Master in Epidemiology andBiostatistics from the Dow Universityof Health Sciences in Karachi.Kiran Khowaja is working in thecath lab at AKUH, Karachi.Mehtab Qutbuddin Jaffer is servingas a Clinical Nurse Instructor,Outpatient Services, Aga KhanUniversity Hospital, Karachi.Natasha Rehman is serving as aNursing Instructor at BaqaiMedical University, College ofNursing, Karachi.2008Rozeena Gillani, NursingInstructor, Baqai MedicalUniversity, College of Nursing, ispursuing a MBA in health and hospitalmanagement from Institute ofBusiness Management.Sarfaraz Masih, Senior Lecturer,Liaquat National College of Nursing,Karachi, is a member of the NationalTask Force for nursing school at theNational Institute of Health andSocial Sciences. In 2009, he spoke ata national seminar on ImageBuilding: Making Difference forNursing and Midwifery Professionalsin Pakistan and scientific nursing sessionat the 6th Liaquat NationalHospital Symposium.2009Shireen Pyarali Lalani is a SeniorNursing Instructor and Year19

ClAss notesCoordinator, Baqai MedicalUniversity, Karachi.Wais Mohammad Qarani is servingas Technical Advisor and Consultant,Afghanistan Midwifery and NursingEducation Accreditation Board.Medical College1995Saima Khawaja is currently trainingat Institute for FunctionalMedicine in Gig Harbor,Washington. She has successfullycompleted a course in structuralacupuncture for physicians fromHarvard Medical School, training inSomatic Experiencing (a formof trauma therapy) from theFoundation for Human Enrichmentin Colorado and clinical homeopathyfor physicians from ThomasJefferson University in Philadelphia.1997Fatima Naqvi is working as a geriatricianin Maryland. She completedher residency in family medicine fromWayne State University in Detroit, MIin 2007, where she was honouredwith the Best Intern and OutstandingGraduating Resident awards. Shecompleted her fellowship in geriatricsfrom Stony Brook University in 2009.After working for five years as a paediatrichospitalist at Children's MercyHospital in Kansas City, SimiRahman is now moving to LosAngeles and wants to reconnect withAKU colleagues residing or visitingthe Los Angeles area.1998Adil Haider was appointed co-directorof the Trauma Outcomes ResearchGroup at Johns Hopkins School ofMedicine in Baltimore. He also servesthe institution as a trauma surgeonand an assistant professor of surgery.1999Residing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,M. Rizwan Khalid is a consultantcardiologist, and advanced cardiacimaging and interventional cardiologistat the Prince Salman HeartCenter, King Fahad Medical City.2000Ghulam Haider Akhund is servingas an honourary Epidemiologistat the College of Physicians andSurgeons Pakistan, Hyderabad.The University of Arkansas forMedical Sciences recognised SaeedMahmood Khan, with its Circleof Excellence 2010 award. Khanwas one of 12 physicians whoreceived the award this year andthe only physician from theDepartment of Internal Medicine.The award recognises compassionatehealth care and respect forpatients and families.2001Imran Ahmad Khan is a hospitalistat Lourdes Hospital inBinghamton, New York. He completedhis residency in internalmedicine from BrookdaleUniversity Hospital and MedicalCenter, Brooklyn NY.2004Shahzad Shah recently attendedthe Association of Physicians ofPakistani Descent of NorthAmerica (APPNA) youth conventionand believes that organisationssuch as APPNA should collaboratewith Aga Khan Universityalumni to groom new leaders in themedical field.2005After completing a fellowshipin angiogenesis and eye technology,Yureeda Qazi is working as apostdoctoral fellow in retina andrefractive development at EmoryEye Center in Atlanta. She is proudto share her work on modulatingangiogenesis through alternativesplicing at the Association forResearch in Vision andOphthalmology meeting this year.2006Majid Shafiq recently led EmoryUniversity to win the GeorgiaChapter-American College ofPhysicians Medical JeopardyCompetition. Shafiq and his colleague,Imad Hussain, look forwardto welcoming four AKU graduates inthe incoming PGY1 class at Emory'sinternal medicine programme.2008Tahir Saeed received a Gold Medalin anaesthesiology in the FCPSexamination held in June 2008.2009Sidra Ishaque works as a ResearchMedical Officer in the Departmentof Paediatrics and Child Health atAKUH, Karachi.Institute for EducationalDevelopment1998Dilshad Ashraf has been appointedHead, Research and Policy Studies,AKU-IED. Earlier, he served asChair, Research and Policy StudiesAdvisory Committee.2001At a head teacher conference inReading, UK, Mansoor NazVindhani made a presentation onConnecting Classrooms, a project ofthe British Council.2003Shahid Raza Badami is serving asa head master at Ghulaman-e-AbbasSchool in Karachi.2004Babar Khan has recently been promotedas an instructor at Aga KhanUniversity, ProfessionalDevelopment Centre North.2005Shahida Sultan is servingUNESCO as an education specialistand consultant for the project:Strengthening Teacher Education in20

ClAss notesPakistan. She believes the researchand analytical skills she gained atAKU-IED, and her job experiencewith Aga Khan Education Service,Pakistan are the major factors contributingto this career leap.Technology in Ireland andUniversity of Malta.Rashida Haji sends her greetings toall former colleagues and alumni.2008Shamsun Nisa is a head teacher atDiamond Jubilee Middle SchoolHyderabad, Hunza. She also sendsher greetings to all colleagues.2007Anthony Gioko is serving asProgramme Coordinator,Professional Development Centre,Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa.Khan Zada got the ErasmusMundus Scholarship from theEuropean Union for a two-yearMaster’s programme in EarlyChildhood Education and Care,offered in collaboration with theOslo University College inNorway, Dublin Institute ofRequest for ContributionsThe editors of AKU-NAMA invite you to contribute to the next issue ofthe magazine. Please send your contributions to any of the editors or toyour respective school or programme representative on the editorial board.* Share stories of what you are doing now, and how you link your achievementsback to your experience at AKU.* Send us pictures to accompany your articles. Pictures must be high resolution,A4 size digital images (at least 1 MB in size) which are separateJPEG files, and not embedded in a word or PDF document.* When you send in an article make sure you include your degree informationand year of graduation from AKU.nrmP mAtCh resultsResults for Medical College graduates who applied for residency positions in the 2010 National Residency MatchingProgram (NRMP) in the United States.NAME SPECIALITY PROGRAMME CATEGORYCLASS OF 2003Kamran Mirza Pathology University of Chicago, Chicago, IL CSaad Khilji Family Medicine West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV CCLASS OF 2004Hiba Arif Neurology Emory University, Atlanta, GA CCLASS OF 2005Madiha Koraishy Internal Medicine Hospital of Saint Raphael, New Haven, CT CCLASS OF 2006Babar Junaidi Internal Medicine William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI CFahd Khalid Syed Internal Medicine Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, MA CFarooq Khan Internal Medicine University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH C*C = Categorial, A = Advanced, P = Preliminary, TY = Transitional Year21

nrmP mAtCh resultsNAME SPECIALITY PROGRAMME CATEGORYJawad Ghazanfar Kiani Internal Medicine -Independent StudyProjectUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center,Pittsburgh, PACMaria Maqbool Choudhary Internal Medicine Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH CPastoon Murtaza Kasi Internal Medicine -Independent StudyProjectUniversity of Pittsburgh Medical Center,Pittsburgh, PACUmair Syed Ahmed Internal Medicine West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV CZaman Shah Internal Medicine University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY CCLASS OF 2007Affan Umer General Surgery St John Providence Park Hospital, Novi, MI PAhmed Jawad General Surgery University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, PA PAiman Ghufran Internal Medicine University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI CAisha Afzal Internal Medicine William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI CAmeer Hamza Khan Internal Medicine University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT CAsma Mushir Khan Internal Medicine SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brookyn, NY CBasmah Ather Jalil Internal Medicine University at Buffalo - SUNY, Buffalo, NY CFawad Muhammad Shuaib Internal Medicine Weiss Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL CHammad Bin Liaquat Internal Medicine Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN CHina Khawar Jamali Internal Medicine University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH CMahim Akmal Malik General Surgery University of Tennessee, Memphis, TN CMuhammad Bilal Abid Family Medicine Penn State University Good Samaritan Hospital,Hershey, PACNauman Khalid Internal Medicine Grand Rapids Medical Education Center,Grand Rapids, MITYQuratulain Shabbir Internal Medicine University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT CRaza Abbas Internal Medicine William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI CSalman Jamaluddin Bandeali Internal Medicine Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX CSara Husain Internal Medicine William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI CSarah Aftab Ahmad General Surgery University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT PSumbal Ashraf Janjua Internal Medicine Caritas St. Elizabeth Medical Center,Boston, MASyed Kashan Abidi Internal Medicine Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN CSyeda Sidra Waheed Internal Medicine William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI CUmal Azmat Internal Medicine Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN CWaleed Tallat Kayani Internal Medicine Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX CC22

nrmP mAtCh resultsNAME SPECIALITY PROGRAMME CATEGORYCLASS OF 2008Abdullah Khan Internal Medicine Emory University, Atlanta, GA CAhmed Itrat Neurology Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH CAnum Bilal Khan Internal Medicine William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI CAther Mohammad Taqui Neurology Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH CDanesh Kumar Kella Internal Medicine Emory University, Atlanta, GA CFatima AzizObstetrics andGynaecologyMount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NYFatima Samad Internal Medicine University of Medicine and Dentistry ofNew Jersey, Newark , NJFazia Ahmad Mir Internal Medicine Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO CHammad Ashraf Ganatra Paediatrics Emory University, Atlanta, GA CKanza Abbas Internal Medicine Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX CMaliha Iqbal Jumani Internal Medicine Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, MA CMaryah Mansoor Internal Medicine Staten Island University Hospital, New York, NY CMohammad Bin Pervez General Surgery Albert Einstein College of Medicine,New York, NYMuhammad Awais Khan Neurology University of Arizona Affiliate Program,Tuscon, AZGrand Rapids Medical Education Center,Grand Rapids, MIQuratulain Rashid Internal Medicine Emory University, Atlanta, GA CRoha Khalid Paediatrics University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX CRushna Pervez Ali Neurosurgery Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI CSana Shoukat Internal Medicine Emory University, Atlanta, GA CSana Waqar Internal Medicine West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV CSaqib Ali Gowani Internal Medicine University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT CSarah Tehseen Paediatrics Children's Hospital of Michigan -Wayne State University, Detroit, MISyeda Hina Batool Internal Medicine William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI CTalha Vaqar Neurology University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI CCLASS OF 2009Anam Akmal Internal Medicine Caritas St. Elizabeth Medical Center, Boston, MA CJavad Tauseef Hashmi Emergency Medicine Wilson Medical Center, Johnson City, NY TYMirza Umair Khalid Internal Medicine Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX CNajam ud Din Internal Medicine SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY CSaad Ajmal General Surgery Brown University, Providence, RI PShuja ur Rehman Internal Medicine Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN CCCPCTYCBack cover photo: Lamplighting Ceremony by School of Nursing, Pakistan / AKU.23