AKU-NAMA - Aga Khan University

MessagesYour alma mater values yourcontribution to society. My sincerehope for the coming years is thatAKU family devotes active efforttowards improving the quality oflife of our constituents. We allhave a stake in the University’soverall direction and well being.I have no doubt that our alumniwill not only uphold the name ofthe institution, but take it to newheights.Firoz RasulPresident,Aga Khan UniversityDear AKU Alumni,It is a pleasure to becommunicating to you throughAKU Alumni Newsletter, whichI am sure will serve as animportant tool for sharing ideasbetween AKU and its alumni aswell as within the alumnicommunity. I congratulate allthose involved in this initiativeand look forward to continuedcontributions from alumni fromall AKU programmes in futureissues.As many of you already know,Aga Khan University and theMedical College celebrate their25 th Anniversary this year. Overthese past 25 years, yourUniversity has grown from afledgling institution to one ofnational and international repute.The success of our outstandingalumni in their chosen fields ofendeavour continues to contributesignificantly to Aga KhanUniversity’s ascent to suchrespectable standing. We areproud of you and continue to wishyou well in your careers.While taking stock and reflectingon past accomplishments isimportant, it is also vital to chartthe course for the next quartercentury and beyond as we set ouraims on even greater heights.Needless to say, your involvementin helping your University meetthese new challenges will be ofparamount importance.A number of activities areparticularly being designedaround alumni as part of the 25 thAnniversary Celebrations, whichwill be held in conjunction withthe Grand Alumni Reunion beingorganised from December 15 to21, 2008. A seminar titled, “AKU-MC – Its Journey into the 21 stCentury” is already planned forDecember 18 and the AnnualHealth Sciences ResearchAssembly will be held on thefollowing day. Other events willbe finalised and communicated inthe coming weeks through AKUwebsite. I invite all our MedicalCollege alumni to activelyparticipate in these events, andplease do mark your diariesaccordingly.On behalf of AKU MedicalCollege faculty, I wish you andyour families the very best, andlook forward to seeing you laterthis year!Warm regards,Dr Mohammad KhurshidDean, Medical CollegeIt is a great pleasure for me towrite a message for the AlumniNewsletter. I am delighted to seethat the alumni of Aga KhanUniversity are making efforts tocome together and remain in touchwith their alma mater as well aswith each other. Only a strong andenduring Alumni Association cansteadfastly support the cause ofits alma mater and the careers oftheir fellow graduates.The Institute for EducationalDevelopment maintains regularcommunication with its alumniwho are spread in many parts ofthe globe. Indeed, I frequentlyhave the pleasure to spend timewith a number of our alumni. Onbehalf of AKU-IED faculty, Iwould like to convey ourappreciation to alumni for sharingtheir ideas and achievements withus. Our graduates are impressiveand are making a remarkabledifference in a diverse and everevolving global society.I would urge all alumni to increasetheir involvement with theUniversity through various meansto facilitate research andscholarship activities. Yourparticipation in AKU’sprogrammes and activities arecrucial to the University’s goal ofremaining a world-class academicand research institution. I wouldalso encourage you to use thisdistinguished network as avaluable resource throughout yourcareer, and to become an activemember of AKU AlumniAssociation.I wish the Alumni NewsletterEditorial Board the very best intheir efforts to make thispublication possible.Dr Mohammad MemonDirector, Institute forEducational Development5

meetings. In addition, I providetelephonic and e-guidance aboutvisas, security clearance,residency, fellowship, waivers,jobs, electives, observerships, etcto a number of graduates from allover Pakistan, including AKU. Wehave also negotiated discountedrates for various immigration andvisa petitions with a well knownlaw firm based in Manhattan. Thelaw firm has been gracious enoughto provide answers to many of thequeries I receive. I thank Dr FaizBhora for this contact.We are working on ways toimprove as an organisation withserious focus on the structure. Ourfuture direction includes workingon developing a programme ofvisiting professorship at AKU foralumni based overseas. This wouldinclude maximising participationof North American faculty invarious Continuing MedicalEducation programmes at AKU.We also want to streamline variousmentorship and researchprogrammes in North America.Moreover, we would like topartner with AKU and otherNGOs in Pakistan to supportwelfare and charity projects. TheNorth American Chapter intendsto work with AKU in keydecision-making on alumni issues.We are fully supportive of theproposed celebrations being heldin December 2008 at AKU on theauspicious occasion of 25 thanniversary of the University. Werecognise that membership to theAlumni Association has to beencouraged and with bettercommunication and when thealumni observe solid work beingdone on this forum, we are hopefulthat we would see an increase inboth membership and alumniparticipation.In the end, I feel privileged toserve as President of AKU AlumniAssociation, North AmericanChapter, and am glad that I am apart of the renaissance of theAssociation and am lookingforward to implementing ourplans throughout this year and inthe future. Thank you for all yoursupport.M. Rizwan Khalid, MBBS ’99President, AKU AlumniAssociation, North AmericanChapterSecretary’s ReportDear Friends and colleagues,It is with great pleasure andhonour that I share my thoughtswith my esteemed andaccomplished AKU alumnifamily.Our efforts for the short-terminclude organisation and outreachto strengthen the network of AKUalumni in North America andrevivification of alumni ties withthe University.In the medium-term, we hope torenew our commitment, as AKUgraduates, to activism in the causeof physicians of Pakistani-descentin the US.In the areas of organisation andoutreach, our primary goals areto collect an accurate listing ofAKU alumni in North America,increase the active membershipof AKU Alumni Association,publish a regular newsletter, andto participate as a large, unifiedand integrated contingent at theannual APPNA meeting.Our long-term goals include anAKU Alumni Association thatwill actively contribute to thecontinued academic excellence ofAKU, the pre-eminence of AKUHas an institution of distinction forclinical services and communityhealth, and to the development ofclinical delivery systems in theunderprivileged areas of Pakistan.Clearly, the success of this highlyambitious endeavour isconditional on the support andparticipation of AKU alumnicommunity in North America.And so with much humility, weask for your continued supportand prayers.Atif Jalees Khan, MBBS ’99North American ChapterTreasurer’s ReportDear Fellow Alumni,I would like to extend mygratitude to all active memberswithin AKU alumni communityfor their sincere and selflessefforts; at the same time, I wouldlike to encourage everybody elsewho is not active for one reasonor another, to please come forwardand present any and every concernof yours as well as your ideas andadvice, so that we can all gettogether, pool in our resourcesand work for the greater good ofthe whole community.AKU Alumni North AmericanChapter account has $10,074.53right now, which does not includefurther contributions of $750.00that have yet to be deposited.Talha Malik, MBBS ’99North American ChapterAKU Alumni AssociationFundsAs of December 31, 2007, theAlumni Association account stoodat PKR 30,100. These funds werecollected as Alumni Associationmembership fees through 2007and the account was rolled overto 2008 with the same amount ascredit. No debits were recordedin this account for the entire yearas all alumni-related expenses,such as for Alumni Reunion, etc,were borne by the University.Office of Alumni AffairsAKU Karachi, Pakistan7

Second Generation of AKU AlumniAKU-SON AlumnaeHonouredDr Khurshid Khowaja,’84,was invited at a meetinghosted by InternationalCouncil of Nurses and WorldHealth Organization(ICN/WHO) in Geneva onNov 24-25, 2007 to reflecton her experience on‘Education Service Gap’Salma Jaffer, ’85 has beenselected as InternationalSurveyor for JointCommission InternationalAccreditation (JCIA).Yasmin Mithani and ZohraKurji, alumnae ’93 have beencertified as InternationalBoard of LactationConsultants (IBLCE).Ms Samira A. Karim Kabani (left), RN Diploma’06, AKU’s first secondgenerationof alumni pictured at Alumni Reunion 2006 with her mother, MsRoshanara Kabani (Dayani), RN Diploma’83, who was part of AKU’s firstgraduating batchFor future issues,please keep us informed ofyour achievements on thefollowing email addresses:rubina.barolia@aku.edu orsharifa.lalani@aku.eduAKU-SON Class of ’92 Alumni Reunion, TorontoA number of AKU-SON Alumni from the Class of ’92 living in UK, US and Canada reunited in Toronto in May 2007to celebrate 15 years of their graduation10

Inside Kibera, There is Hope – Africa's Second Largest SlumA million residents of Nairobi, including an AKU alumna, havebeen coping with the trauma of the recent unrestLucia Buyanza grew up in Kiberaand is an alumna of Aga KhanUniversity’s Advanced NursingProgramme in Nairobi. The fullstory was written by RobRemington and first published onFebruary 8, 2008 in The CalgaryHerald. This edited article isprinted with permission of theauthor and The Calgary Herald.One week after he was treated fora machete wound to the head,Zuberi Mije sits in an unlit roomin his tin-roofed shack in theKibera slum and smiles.“I am feeling much better,” hesays to nurse Lucia Buyanza, whotreated his cut.“I am so thankful.”After checking on her patient,Buyanza steps outside into thesunlight, where a small gardenmanages to grow alongside Mije'smud hut in Kibera, the secondlargestslum in Africa behindSoweto in Johannesburg.“You see this,” she says, touchinga small shrub. “Even in a placelike this, it is possible to growflowers.”The sprawling Kibera slum, hometo more than one million people,saw neighbour turn againstneighbour, and more than 1,000have been killed in ethnic andtribal clashes.Buyanza, 34, grew up in Kiberaand is an alumna of Aga KhanUniversity’s Advanced NursingProgramme (ANS) in Nairobi.Like Buyanza, many workingnurses in Kenya, Tanzania andUganda have been able to continuehigher education up to BScN level,allowing them to remain at theirworkplaces as they pursueprofessional development. Theprogramme focuses on issuesrelevant to the indigenousenvironment – conducting, forexample, courses for HIVprevention, treatment and care.Buyanza, who works in a clinicon the edge of the slum, treatedpeople like Mije for machete cutsto the head and legs. Others camein with poison-tipped arrows intheir abdomens. “It was very bad,”says Buyanza, who even at theheight of the crisis walked to theclinic every day from her homeinside Kibera.While most people cowered insidetheir tiny shacks, Buyanza walkedthe deserted street to the clinic,sticking close to the roadside ditchso she could dive into it for covershould violence erupt.“I was very scared.”Buyanza says people are wearyof the violence.On a regular week day, Kiberianshad refused to heed another callfor demonstrations, opting insteadto return to work and send theirchildren to school.If there is hope for Kibera, whichmeans “full of joy”, and forKenya, it lies with people likeBuyanza and others like her.“It would be good to show thenation that not all the slum areais bad.”“We, the youth, are having seriousprayer meetings in the evening toseek God's forgiveness and seeeach other as children of onemother Kenya. There are bannersof peace that have been preparedand so on Sunday we shall walkwith them around the villages toshow solidarity and peace inKibera.”Although Buyanza is Catholic,she credits her peace activism toa non-denominational IsmailiMuslim organisation.Lucia Buyanza is indeed a livingembodiment of a great tradition:true nursing leadership. We saluteher spirit and wish allcommunities peace.“I took my nurse's training at AgaKhan University School ofNursing. It is unlike other nursingschools because they teach youthat you can be things like a nurseleader, or a nurse politician, or anurse journalist. I have chosen tobe a nurse leader.”11

How AKU-IED Helped Shape My CareerHaving done my Bachelors ofScience in Chemistry, I wasdetermined to become aprofessional in pharmaceuticalsales. Instead, I found myselfteaching science subjects at asecondary school. My careerbegan in 1992 at GovernmentHigh School, Nokkundi, a farflung area in Balochistan. ThoughI was known as one of the fewgood teachers, my teachingpractices were didactic. Iconsidered my students as blankslates, according to the orthodoxconcepts of learning, and laid toomuch emphasis on traditionalmethods of teaching. However,my struggle for professionaldevelopment continued, as Iavailed a scholarship for Bachelorsof Education and simultaneouslydid my Masters in Urdu(Language) in 1995.In 1997, I began reflecting on thedevelopments taking place in thefield of education worldwide andsought to reconceptualise theeducational processes. Fortunately,I got selected for anotherscholarship for the Masters inEducation (Teacher Education)programme through a World Bankfunded project offered by PrimaryEducation Directorate in Quetta.My real personal and professionalgrowth started at Aga KhanUniversity Institute forEducational Development (AKU-IED) which nurtured me in a 25-month long intensive and inclusiveprofessional developmentprogramme especially tailored forin-service teachers. The Instituteplayed a pivotal role in honing mypersonal and professionalattributes; and improving myknowledge of concepts andprofessional practice.After graduation in 1999, Ireturned to Balochistan and beganteaching at a school in Chagai.The difference in my approachwas stark. I had become moreenthusiastic and skilful thanbefore, trying to understand firstand be understood later. The yearfollowing that, equipped withrenewed spirit I was back at AKU-A view of the destruction after the 2005 earthquake that hit Pakistan’snorthern areas where Mr Zulfiqar Ali Shah and his colleagues assistedin rebuilding educational institutionsIED as academic staff for aUSAID project titled ‘EnhancingCapacity of NGOs/CBOs in theEducation Sector of Sindh.’As a member of AKU-IED’sinstructional teams, I had theopportunity to contribute indeveloping programmes, planningand organising teaching-learningmaterial, facilitating sessions andmonitoring and evaluatingprogramme participants’ needsand achievements.My Chagai experience had helpedhone my professional skills,attributes; and relevance to thecontext placed me in anadvantageous position for servingthis area from AKU-IED’splatform. The Institute sent me asthe District Coordinator in districtsChagai and Noshki of Balochistan.In this dynamic position, Icoordinated with districtadministration, educationmanagers, officials, teacherassociations and others forsuccessful implementation ofAKU-IED’s programmaticactivities. I looked after the areasof academics, administration andfinance. It is of vital importancethat the graduate students shouldbe supported in the field to helpthem effectively apply theknowledge they have gained atthe Institute.So, AKU-IED’s work goesbeyond its own classrooms andbeyond the programme duration.I have discovered it to be a lifelongcommitment.Revitalizing, Innovating,Strengthening Education (RISE)is a partnership of national andinternational bodies. This projectis facilitating the education sectorin the earthquake affected areas,i.e. Bagh, Muzaffarabad andRawlakot districts of Azad Jammuand Kashmir (AJ&K) andMansehra in the North WesternFrontier Province (NWFP) ofPakistan. Its target is to enhancecapacity of education managersfor effective and efficient decisionmaking, teacher education andensuring community mobilisationand participation in education.I work as Education ManagementSpecialist and I contribute towardsthe rebuilding process ofearthquake affected areas as weorganise and facilitate professionaldevelopment opportunities in eachtarget district.As I look back, I feel my careerwith AKU-IED has contributedimmensely to my personal andprofessional growth, whileallowing me the opportunity toserve at local and national levels.My approach towards teachingand my students has undergone asignificant change. It is also asource of great satisfaction to findmyself contributing to thedevelopment of remote anddisadvantaged areas where I haveworked.Zulfiqar Ali Shah, MEd ’9912

AKU Alumni North-East DinnerAn AKU alumni dinner involvingalumni residing in the northeasternUS was held on August11, 2007 in Manhattan. Adeel Butt,Faiz Bhora and Rizwan Khalidhelped organise the event;however, most of the credit forthis event’s success must be givento Hiba Arif and Naveen Bhorafor working out all thearrangements that made this a trulymemorable event.The dinner meeting was held atDervish, a fine Turkish restaurantin NYC. Despite the short notice,about 50 alumni were able toattend. These included alumni intraining programmes as well asalumni in faculty positions in NewYork, Rhode Island, Connecticut,Pennsylvania, Washington DC andeven the UK. The highlight of theattendance was the presence ofseveral AKU students doingelectives in the United States.The event highlights thetremendous enthusiasm for socialgatherings such as this and it helpsadvance one of the most importantgoals of the Alumni Association;that of mentoring current AKUstudents and introducing them atan early stage to the AlumniAssociation, an organisation wehope they will be a part of for therest of their lives.Faiz Bhora, MBBS ’92 andAdeel A. Butt, MBBS ’9015

What Alumni WantMany of you may have recentlyfilled out a web-based surveyconducted by the University. Thepurpose of the survey was to getthe latest alumni contact andcareer information, to invitefeedback regarding their AKUexperience, to provide alumniwith an opportunity to list theirachievements, postgraduation, andto inquire as to how they wouldlike their relationship with theiralma mater to develop further.A total of 965 alumni responseswere recorded during the survey.Below are the highlights from thesurvey results.Demographics and Location of AlumniAUS 1.0%UK 5.8%AFG10%USA35.7%Others 2.4%U.A.E1.1% SAU1.3%PAK 48.0%CAN3.7%Medical College(induding PGME)64.5%Institute for EducationalDevelopment7.9%Centre forEnglish Language0.3%School of Nursing27.3%Current Status of Alumni90.0%80.0%70.0%60.0%50.0%40.0%30.0%20.0%10.0%0.0%84.0%PresentlyEmployed61.0%Received AdditionalQualification20.0%PresentlyVolunteering63.0%Interest inVolunteeringExpertise at AKUReasons for MigratingType of MigrationFamilyCommitment18.5%Quality of Life9.3%Better ProfessionalProspects27.4%Permanent43.8%Further Training44.8%Temporary56.2%16

Level of Satisfaction with AKU Experience70.0%65.5%60.0%50.0%40.0%30.0%29.6%20.0%10.0%2.0% 1.9% 1.0%0.0%Very Satisfied Satisfied Neither Satisfied SomewhatNor Dissatisfied DissatisfiedVery DissatisfiedHow Well Did AKU Prepare Youfor Further Training/Work?Poor 0.4%Not at All 1.0%Adequate11.4%Exceptionally34.8%VeryWell 53.6%Contribution of AKU Education to Knowledge, Skillsand Personal Development(on a scale of 1-5)5.04.34.54.03.53.02.52.01.51.0CommunicationSkills3.8CommunityService4.1 4.0 4.1EnhancingIntellectualCuriosityLeadershipSkillsThinkingAnalyticallyand Logically4.0IdentifyingMoral andEthical Issues4.3DevelopingSelf-Esteem,Self-Confidence17

5.04.54.03.53.02.52.01.51.03.9Faculty/StudentInteractionOutside theClassroomAreas to be Focused on in Future(on a scale of 1-5)4.1AcademicAdvising3.8Engagement withLocal Community4.1Focus onResearch3.7Broad-basedHumanitiesCurriculumAlumni Connection and ParticipationSense of Connection with AKUSomewhatConnected66.2%Attended AKU Events after Graduating(Reunions/Special Lectures, etc)Yes45.4%ExtremelyConnected12.8%VeryConnected21.0%No54.6%4.54.03.53.02.52.01.5Preferred Programmes and Services(on a scale of 1-5)3.7 3.73.64.24.03.63.91.0AlumniNewsletterFree Lifetimeaku.edu emailaccountSocialEventsProfessionalDevelopmentActivitiesPasswordProtectedOnline alumniDatabaseBenefitsProgrammeMentoringProgrammewith CurrentStudents18

Summary of SurveyFindingsAKU alumni responded to thesurvey from 19 countries spreadover five continents, themajority of whom were fromPakistan (48%) and UnitedStates (35.7%). The MedicalCollege alumni wereresponsible for 65% of allresponses, the School ofNursing alumni added a further27%, while the Institute forEducational Developmentalumni contributed almost 8%to the survey response.4.54.03.53.02.52.01.5Suggested Alumni Association Objectives(on a scale of 1-5)1.0CommunicationLink betweenAKUand its GraduatesProvideSocialActivitiesfor AlumniOraganiseAlumni to Workon CommunityServiceProjectsHelp RecruitStudentsRaise FundsforScholarshipsRaise FundsforProgrammesAlumni were quite pleased withtheir overall AKU experiencewith over 95% reporting “VerySatisfied” or “Satisfied”. Interms of future focus, alumnifelt that “Focusing onResearch” and “AcademicAdvising” were most importantto them, followed by“Faculty/Student Interactionoutside the Classroom”,“Engagement with LocalCommunity”, and “BroadbasedHumanities Curriculum”.When asked how connectedalumni presently feel with theUniversity, 12.8% felt “ExtremelyConnected”, 21% felt “VeryConnected”, while 66.2% felt only“Somewhat Connected”. Lessthan half of alumni responding(45.4%) reported ever attendinga reunion or any other Universityevent after graduating. Over all,93.5% of alumni requested eithera printed or electronic version ofAKU Newsletter and the AlumniNewsletter while 82.9% askedto receive email notification ofSpecial Lectures, Seminars andSymposia organised at AKU’scampuses.The alumni have spoken. Whilean overwhelming majority feltthat AKU has trained them well,they are not very well connectedand would like to see moreactivity on the alumni front. Theywould like to stay connected, andas per the wishes of the majority,this magazine is an attempt tobring the alumni family closertogether.Aga Khan University Medical CollegeWelcomes its Alumni to25th Anniversary Celebrationsand Grand Alumni ReunionDecember 18, 2008 AKU-MC – Its Journey into the 21st Century! Seminar focusing on advancing education, research andhealth care at AKU(For details and suggestions: perwaiz.iqbal@aku.edu)December 19, 2008December 20, 2008Health Sciences Research AssemblyPoster Display (AKU will assist with production of posters)Documentary evidence of participation will be providedDeans Forum; discussion panel including formerMedical College Deans(For more information: masim.beg@aku.edu)Medical College Beach Party(For more information: nadir.syed@aku.edu)with more events being planned!Your suggestions are welcome at alumni@aku.edu19

AKU-IED Alumni Reunion 2007AKU-IED alumni reunion washeld on Friday, December 7,2007. The alumni organisingcommittee at AKU-IEDorganised the reunion into fourconcurrent sessions:1. Mini Maths2. Mela3. Educating for ActiveCitizenship in yourSchools/Institutions, and4. Creating a Digital Story andLife After AKU-IED.In addition, two selected videosrelated to His Highness’important contributions wereshown to alumni with thepurpose of updating them withHis Highness’ vision of the AgaKhan Development Network.One of the significant elementsof the reunion was the electionof new AKU-IED alumnirepresentatives. Through a verytransparent process, thefollowing alumni representativeshave been elected for two yearsfrom December 2007 toNovember 2009:- Member, Central ExecutiveCommittee, AKU AlumniAssociation:Muhammad Nadim FarooquiMEd ’99Instructor, AKU-IED!!!!!- Members, AKU-IED UnitWorking CommitteeRakhshinda Meher!!MEd ’95!!Instructor, AKU-IED20Zakia Elahi !!!MEd ’07 !!Lecturer, Elementary College ofEducation, F.B. Area, KarachiManzoor Naz Vindhani!!ADISM ’01!!!Premier Public School,Sharifabad, F.B.Area, KarachiWahid Yar Khan!!ADISM ’02 Ex. DOE Sec. andHigher Sec.(Male), KarachiTowards the end of the unit-levelactivities, Ms Rana Hussain,Acting Director, AKU-IED,addressed the alumni gatheringand highlighted the purpose of thereunion and also shared a messagefrom Dr Muhammad Memon,Director, AKU-IED. Over tea andrefreshments, there was a gallerytour of alumni photographs,messages from out-of-townalumni, display of alumnicontributions in their fields, anda report on the results of the firstelectronic survey of AKU alumni.Thus concluded AKU-IEDsession of the Alumni Reunion,after which alumni left for theStadium Road campus for a jointalumni gathering.During the joint evening session,AKU-IED alumni played anactive role with Ms Sultana AliNorozi delivering the openingremarks, and Ms TasneemShabbar sharing her post MEdexperiences.Alumni Reunion 2007, inaddition to providing the idealopportunity for alumni to meetold friends and colleagues, alsoserved an important purpose withalumni and the Universityrenewing their important bond.Muhammad Nadim Farooqui,MEd ’99

Alumni Reunion 2007Dr Mumtaz Khan, MBBS ’92, hosting the Joint SessionDr Umer Darr, MBBS ’92, asks a question duringMedical College SessionAlumni attending the Joint Session at AKU AuditoriumAKU-SON alumni at Alumni Reunion2007 dinnerNursing alumni at AKU-SON Session21

Alumni Reunion 2007Q&A Panel at the Joint SessionMr Justice Sarmad J. Osmany, Member, AKU Board of Trustees, and Mr Firoz Rasul, President,Aga Khan University, sharing a lighter moment with alumni, Dr Rozina Karmaliani and Ms FauziaPesnani over dinner22

MBBS Class of 1997 ReunionThe Class of 1997 held a ten yearreunion in Chicago, IL on theweekend of August 10, 2007. Ofthe 58 graduates from the class,there were 29 alumni present atthe reunion. With spouses andchildren, there were well inexcess of 80 people present. Thereunion was highlighted by alakeside family picnic and aformal dinner reception with aslide show. The guests were allstaying at the same hotel, allowingfor plenty of time for friends tocatch up with each other in smallergroups as well. Groups of alumniwere found to be shooting thebreeze at all hours of nightthroughout the weekend in thehotel lobby.All alumni received a keepsakebookmark to commemorate theoccasion, as well as a yearbookwith profiles and pictures, whichincluded input from many alumniwho were unable to personallyattend the event. Keepsake quiltswere also sold, and the proceedsgifted towards books for AKULibrary. We also pledged to stayconnected as a cohesive body, andfollowed through on thatresolution by establishing a classdatabase and starting class forumson Facebook and Yahoo! groups.Overall, the decade reunion forthe Class of 1997 was aresounding success, and has us allwaiting eagerly for the nextgathering in ten or even five years’time.“That Fleeting Thought is Worth Pursuing”I have so many fleeting thoughts.In fact, I must dig out that ‘fleetingthoughts’ book I bought in whichto write them down – a rich, darkleather bound volume to keep forreflections in my old age. At themoment, I’m doing well if Imanage to jot them down on scrapsof paper or in various notebooks.I am usually impressed, when Icome across one of these notesmonths, or years later, that I hadsuch a good idea, and maybe alittle guilty that so much time haspassed, and I have not got aroundto doing anything about it, evenforgotten what I had intended. Aflurry of inspiration and activityfills me with the desire to fulfillthe idea, and then life, work, familytake over and the brilliant idea isforgotten again.And so to my recent trip to Karachiand AKU campus. I wanderaround, remembering when thecampus opened in 1985 and wewere taller than the young treesnow towering above me. I feel likea stranger at first, I don’t know anyof the faces; and then I meet somefaculty members who had taughtme, the student affairs staff wholooked after us, the weather beatenand aged face of one of the guardswho moved us on when weloitered where we shouldn’t have,and the sense of belonging issuddenly overpowering. The senseof ownership, and commitment tothe aims and philosophy of theuniversity re-ignite, and I feel asurge of enthusiasm to live up to,and exceed, the best it nurtured inme.The notice boards are a testamentto the flourishing student life.There is so much going on! I makea mental note of my fleetingthoughts – to set up a fund tosupport a student in need, todonate a journal subscription, orto set up a travel fund for AKUwomen’s sports teams. When Ifirst saw the sports facilities, thepool, the sports hall, I was filledwith pride. And envy – I wish I’dhad such facilities in my day.AKU has gone on to achieve somany of the things we knew itaimed for, back when the campusopened in 1985. Not just in onecountry or faculty, but manycountries and many faculties. Butmuch still remains to be done.Sometimes things come togetherwhen we work with people whoare similarly motivated andsupportive – everyone does theirbit, and hey presto! Success! Andso it is with the future aims ofAKU, a remarkable amountachieved, and still greater thingsto strive for. What better team tosupport it than us, AKU alumni,who have spread all over theworld – thinkers, leaders and teamplayers in our own fields, armedwith ability, talents, and mostimportantly, a shared vision.Whether we contribute time,expertise, financial support ornetworking, AKU alumni can gowith AKU on its journey into thefuture.Which takes me back to myopening line – those fleetingthoughts. Worth pursuing.Rahila Zakir, MBBS ’9023

Moving Back to Pakistan?That is the question that I believeall Pakistanis living abroad askthemselves and why not. Theanswer is not always in theaffirmative and that is ok.However, to go through theexercise even if only in your headis worth the effort.The path to any major life decisionusually can take one of twoapproaches; either plan things toa tee and then embark on yourchosen journey or throw cautionto the wind, jump head-long first,burn-your-boats and let the chipsfall where they may. I, for one,chose the latter. When you havelimited options, you tend to makethe one you have got, work foryou.With this simple plan I movedback to Pakistan three years ago.To make matters more interesting,when I approached AKUH for aposition in cardiac surgery, I wasencouraged to explore thepossibility of working at a hospitalcalled Tabba Heart Institute, ahospital that was a year away fromopening its doors to patients.Despite the prospect of beingclinically dormant for almost ayear, I felt that the Institute wasthe best option for me. Since I gotinvolved in the pre-clinical phasesof planning, construction,procurement, recruitment, trainingand implementation – thechallenges were tremendous.I don’t think that this would havebeen a success story had I beenon my own and that is where AKUgrapevine gets the credit of gettingBashir Hanif ’91 and I together toget this new institution off theground. AKU Alumni Associationcan make this bond even stronger24and bridge the transition for futurerepatriates.I think that all AKU graduatesneed to know that moving backto Pakistan is a viable option.There are prospects outsideAKUH and indeed it isunreasonable to expect your almamater to absorb all its graduates.Umer Darr, MBBS ’92.Chief of Cardiothoracic SurgeryTabba Heart Institute, KarachiThis article was written before theevents of December 2007Research or NoResearch: That is theQuestion!Every year I receive numerousinquiries from current AKUstudents and recent graduatesregarding their desire to spendtime in a basic sciences researchlaboratory setting. Mostcommonly, I encounter situationswhere the motivation behindseeking a research opportunity issolely to enhance one’s CV fromthe perspective of presenting amore competitive residencyapplication. I would like to stressthat, in my opinion, there isnothing wrong with that – indeedthat was the motivation behindmy own initial foray into science.Nevertheless, it is important toemphasise that basic science is avery serious discipline requiringimmense dedication and patience.As such, it is essential for studentsand junior alumni to approachsuch opportunities with a measureof introspection as it is bothdenigrating and disingenuous toascribe to oneself an interest inscientific research that uponsimple probing clearly turns outto be false. Soon after mytransition into the world of basicresearch, I discovered that I hada passion for scientific inquiry andinvestigation. This degree ofrealisation, of course, can onlymaterialise once one has had anopportunity to be part of an activeresearch enterprise and, as such,I am happy to counsel people whoapproach me towards availableopportunities with a cautionarynote that if they do end up gettingbitten by the “research” bug, theirresidency plans may fade intodistant memory.For those who reach theconclusion that their career pathlies in the laboratory and not theclinic, the academic maze canseem confusing andoverwhelming.However, the myth that should bedispelled is that a PhD is necessaryfor pursuing a successful careeras an academic scientist. While itis true that pursuing educationtowards a doctorate is a verypositive endeavour as it allowsfor formal schooling in the propermethodology of scientific inquiry,there are many examples of topcalibrephysician-scientists whodid not obtain a PhD.Grant funding applications, faculty(and tenure) appointments, as wellas general recognition by scientificpeers is based upon objectivecriteria pertaining to thecontribution of your work to thefield. While having a PhD canmake it easier to land that firstpostdoctoral research fellowship,at the end of the day it is yourpublications and the impact thatthey have on the work of otherscientists that will determine yourstanding and success. By far themost important requirement forpursuing a scientific career is tofind a good mentor who has atrack-record of training successfulscientists and who can take youunder his or her wing as you gainthe necessary experience andinsight to launch yourself towardsan independent scientific career.Moneeb Ehtesham, MBBS ’99Asst. Professor of NeurologicalSurgery, Vanderbilt University

Class Noteschildren: Fareeha 9 years old,Zeeshan 6 years old, and Zaara 9months old.Sohail Ahmed Usman recentlyfinished his Nephrologyfellowship from IndianaUniversity and joined a group atMethodist Hospital inIndianapolis. He is married andhas two daughters, Zubia 7 andLeena 4.Faiz Bhora is a Thoracic Surgeonat St. Luke’s-Roosevelt HospitalCenter in New York City. He isan Assistant Professor of ClinicalSurgery at Columbia UniversityCollege of Physicians andSurgeons. Faiz did a generalsurgery residency at GeorgeWashington University MedicalCenter and cardiothoracicresidency and fellowships atUCLA and the University ofPennsylvania. Faiz is married toNaveen who is an immigrationattorney. They recently met upwith Mubina Gaffar and herhusband Najeeb Sherwani,Nadeem Haq and his wifeAyesha, Monira Kundi (formerlyHamid) and her husband AzamKundi. Faiz, Adeel Butt andHiba Arif organised an AKUalumni reunion in New York lastAugust, which was attended bywell over 40 alumni.Adnan Siddiqui, is an AssistantProfessor of Neurosurgery andRadiology at University at Buffalo,New York. Adnan did a PhD inNeuroscience from University ofRochester, New York, then aResidency in Neurosurgery atUpstate Medical University inSyracuse, New York, followed bya Fellowship in Neurovascularsurgery, InterventionalNeuroradiology and NeurocriticalCare from Thomas JeffersonUniversity in Philadelphia, PA.Adnan has been happily marriedfor nine years to Josephine andtheir children are Fatima Francesca8 years, Mohamed Giovanni 6years and Hasan Felice 6 weeks.1993Imran N. Chaudhary is anAssistant Professor of Medicine26and Cardiology at the Universityof Rochester School of Medicineand Dentistry. He lives inRochester, NY with wife Faizaand two daughters, Sahar andSarah.Adnan Bhutta and IramBakhtawar are married and livein Little Rock, Arkansas with theirbeautiful kids. Adnan is aPaediatric Intensivist. His currentpositions are Assistant Professorof Paediatrics at the University ofArkansas for Medical Sciences(UAMS), and Director of theCVICU at Arkansas Children’sHospital. Iram is a Pulmonologistand Intensivist. She also has aMaster’s degree in Public Health.She is currently the Section Chiefof the Tuberculosis Program-Arkansas Department of Healthand an Assistant Professor ofMedicine at UAMS.Maliha Zahid wrote, “Just writingto give some news about myselfand Asif Khalid, both (Class of1993). We got married in May1995 and have been married 12.5years. We have two boys aged 9and 6 years, Emmad and Aman.Asif is an academicgastroenterologist, AssistantProfessor of Medicine at theUniversity of Pittsburgh withexpertise in EUS, and is the Chiefof GI division at the VA. He justpublished the AmericanGastroenterology Association'sguidelines for management ofpancreatic cysts. I am a noninvasivecardiologist and work inpart-time private practice. The restof the time I am working on myPhD in human genetics in theDepartment of Molecular Geneticsand Biochemistry at the Universityof Pittsburgh”.Khaver Kirmani finished aNeonatology Fellowship fromWomen and Children's Hospitalof Buffalo, NY. He recently joineda Neonatal group in privatepractice in Phoenix, AZ.He married Tazeen in 2000 andthey have a three-year-olddaughter named Shanze.1994Asad Ansari and Adeela Alizai(class of ‘95) are married and havethree daughters. Asad is currentlyfinishing a paediatric pulmonaryfellowship at University ofAlabama at Birmingham.Shema Ahmad is anEndocrinologist and is married toan Internist named TauqeerYousuf. Both of them are currentlyworking in a private hospital inJackson, Mississippi. They havetwo boys named Zaed, 9, andHasan, 4.Khalid Matin writes, “ASAKclassmates and alumni. I amcurrently a medical oncologist inprivate practice in Alabama. I amhappily married and have two kidswho keep us entertained and busy.I had the pleasure of attending therecent AKU convocation and gotgoose bumps when the graduatesread the oath. Hope you all aredoing well, keep in touch.”1995Adeela M. Alizai married AsadAnsari (Class of 1994) in Marchof 2002. They have three young

Class Notesdaughters named Marium, Aidaand Hala. Adeela is augmentingher neurology and neuroophthalmologytraining with anophthalmology residency atTemple University in Philadelphia.Jazibeh Qureshi is a Consultantand Rheumatologist Lecturer atAKU. She is married to ShoaibMastoor and has two sons, Yusuf,6, and Hassaan, 5.Jawad F. Kirmani is presentlyworking in the capacity of Directorof Interventional Stroke, andNeurocritical Care Unit atUMDNJ in Newark, NJ. Hiswife’s name is Sara and they have2 kids, Ranya, 5, and Ayman, 2.1996Yousha Mirza is an AssistantProfessor of Psychiatry at WayneState University School ofMedicine and a Child &Adolescent Psychiatrist at theChildren's Hospital of Michigan.He is married to Farah Khan(class of 2000) and they have atwo-and-a-half year old son namedZohayr. They live in Windsor,Canada, and both Yousha and hiswife commute across the borderto work at Children's Hospital.Yousha is exploring working as aChild Psychiatrist in Canada likehis older brother Rida (Class of1993).Tamseel Awan is married and hasthree daughters. After working inIT for a few years after graduation,he restarted his training and is nowa Family Physician in the UK.Syed Nasim Ahmed is anInvasive Cardiologist in a multispecialtygroup in Modesto,California. He is married and hasone daughter and two sons.1997Kishwar Jamal (formerlyKishwar Sultana Brohi) sendsher salaams to everyone andwrites, “After graduating, Icompleted my internship at AKUfollowed by a family medicineresidency. I have cleared both myFCPS and MRCGP (int’l) examsand will soon be joining AKU parttime as a lecturer and studenthealth physician. Dr ShahinaAbedine if you all remember isretiring and I will be coming inher place. I live in Karachi withmy husband and two children, aboy and a girl and they keep mevery busy and happy.”Saira Nizami Khawajacompleted an internship andgeneral surgery residency at AKUin 2004. She and her husbandKamran Mohiuddin Khawajamoved to southwest Wales inAugust 2005. She is presentlyspecialising in breast surgery.Kamran graduated from DowMedical College and alsocompleted his general surgeryresidency from AKU in 2003. Heis specialising in vascular surgery.Saima Perwaiz Iqbal is living inIslamabad and working at ShifaCollege of Medicine as AssistantProfessor of CommunityMedicine. She is also a mother oftwo sons, Ahad aged 6 and Amanaged 1•.1998Asif Sharfuddin is an AssistantProfessor of ClinicalMedicine TransplantNephrology atIndiana University School ofMedicine in Indianapolis, IN.He is married to Hala Fatimawho is an Assistant Professorof Clinical Medicine,Division of GastroenterologyIndiana University School ofMedicine. They have twochildren: Zoha Fatima Azizage 4 • years, and Zayaan AsifAziz, age 4 months.Shoaib Sheikh specialises inHand/Microvascular/GeneralSurgery. He is married andhas two children. They residein Arizona.Faizah Bhatti is married and hastwo children, Daniyal and Ayaan.She is currently a fellow inNeonatology at Penn StateUniversity.Fatima Chaudhri is currentlydoing part time medicine workand is in the process ofestablishing a franchised business.Her husband is currently doing aPhD at the University of Warwickand they live in a little village justoutside of Coventry in the UK.Atika Faiz is happily married toWirasat Hasnain (Dow class of1998). She is the mother of athree-year-old named Moosa. Shelives in Boston and is doingclinical research at St. Elizabeth'sHospital. She has applied forinternal medicine residency thisyear. She writes, “I still love toeat (especially meetha) and stillhate to cook! I am having a lot offun but miss Pakistan...Salam toall.”1999Zahid Afridi writes, “Working asan outpatient-only familyphysician in Beaverton, Oregon.Fulfilled my J-1 waiver obligationin September this year (yeah).”Babar S. Hasan is currently doinga paediatric cardiology fellowshipat Children's Hospital Boston,Harvard Medical School. Babarhas an 18-month-old daughternamed Zara Hasan.Talha Malik is doing internalmedicine waiver in Union Springs,Alabama. Talha is married.Maryam Naim completed herpaediatric critical care fellowshipand is now a fellow in PaediatricCardiac Intensive Care,Department of Anaesthesiology2000Yasmin Luni wrote, “It is verynice to know that there is an AKUalumni group in Europe as well.I have completed my OB/GYNtraining in AKU and I amcurrently working in the UK.”Farah Khan is married to Yousha27

Class NotesMirza (Class of 1996). They havea two-and-a-half year old sonZohayr and live in Windsor,Canada. Both Farah and Youshacommute across the border towork at Children's Hospital.M. Adil Khan, ST2 PlasticSurgery, Chelsea & WestminsterHospital in London.Kamran Javaid is a PGY-2Internal Medicine Resident atWeiss Memorial Hospital,University of Chicago. Kamran isselected to be the Chief Resident(June 2009). He is married andliving in Chicago, IL.Ayesha Rashid is currently in hersecond year of an InfectiousDiseases Fellowship at theUniversity of Minnesota. Herprofessional milestones includeresearch investigating28the effect of co-infection andcervicovaginal fluid on HIV-1infection in immortalised vaginalepithelial cells (bench research).In terms of personal news, she ismarried to Shahid Aziz, and hasa two-and-half-year-old daughternamed Safiyyah Aziz. They areexpecting their second child in2008. They live in AppleValley, MN.2002Shakir Ejaz is a first yearPulmonary Critical Carefellow at University ofMinnesota. He is married toSameea Sadiq (Class of2004).Mohammad ZeeshanQamar is currently doing afellowship in Nephrology atthe University of Pittsburgh.He got married in 2004 andhas a daughter namedZaynah, who is now twoyears old. He notes that thereare quite a few AKU alumniin Pittsburgh although thenumbers have gone downcompared to last year. He ishoping to return to Pakistanwithin the next three to fouryears.2004Sameea Sadiq is currentlya PGYII internal medicineresident at University ofMinnesota She is applyingfor a nephrology fellowshipfor 2009. She is married toShakir Ejaz, (Class of2002).Muhammad Umar Jawadwrote, “Hello, this is OJ, currentlyworking at UMiami as a postdocin the department of Orthopaedics.Other than that, everything else ispretty much the same as it wasduring my time at AKU.”2005Yureeda Qazi has taken her“Fight For Sight” PostdoctoralResearch Fellowship grant at theJohn A. Moran Eye Center,University of Utah, Salt Lake City.Zarrish Khan sent the followingupdate on the class of 2005, “Thebest grad, Sameen, is matchingthis year. Moiz got engaged andis matching this year. AsifAnwarali is resident in WestVirginia University. IM is nowengaged to his cousin in Alabama.(Editor’s note: Only in Alabama!)Madiha Mustafa has beenblessed with a daughter and SabaMansoor with a son.Maria Hussain and Amna Zakiare both married now and are bothdoing residencies in Canada inPsychiatry and EmergencyMedicine. Sarosh, Fariha Ahsan,Aimen recently got married.Mehru (unnisa) finished her MPHin Australia and also got engaged.Zarrish (me) is doing internshipin Surgery at UT Southwestern andthat's the only thing going on inmy life these days :)Older updates: Ayesha Nasrullah,Ayesha Sajid, Umara Ali, UzerSherdil, Rashid and Maleeha,Danish and Sumbul got married.2006Saad Siddiqui is studying forECFMG Certification to catch thematch.Wajiha Javed is currently studyingfor her US exams. She did aninternship at Aga Khan Universitythis year and is aiming for thematch 2008-9.

The 2007 Match Result for Medical College Alumni29

Match Result 200730

Join the Family, Become a Member!If you would like be become active in AKU’s ever growing and vibrant Alumni Association, and contributeto its mission, please take a moment to become a member. Please mail the completed form (and membershipdues, if applicable) to the address listed, according to your location.AKU Alumni Association Membership FormNameLast First MiddleSchoolMedical College SON IED ISMCClassAddressStreetCityStateCountryTelephoneEmailCurrent PositionType of Position In training Faculty Practice Self employed Not workingAga Khan UniversityCelebrating 25 years1983-2008Grand Alumni ReunionKarachi, December 15-21, 2008Please mark your calendar forthe weeklong celebrations!For more information, contactthe alumni office:alumni@aku.eduNorth America:Mail to: Faiz Bhora,2 Columbus Avenue, # 10B,New York, NY 10023, USAThe annual dues for MedicalCollege alumni are US$ 50.Please make the check to AKUAlumni Association, and mailwith your completed form. Pleasenote: These dues are used onlyfor activities of the NorthAmerican Chapter of AKUAlumni Association, and must beapproved by the elected regionalofficers.Europe:Mail to: Rahila Zakir, !c/o 184 Friern Road, !Dulwich, London SE22 0BA,UKPakistan:Mail to: Office of !!Alumni Affairs, Aga KhanUniversity Stadium Road,PO Box 3500, Karachi74800PakistanAnnual Dues for Alumni inPakistan all programmesPKR 100 for first year alumni;PKR 250 for alumni graduated2-4 years ago; and PKR 500 foralumni who graduated 5 yearsago or more.31

A Graduating Class Celebrates Its Big DayAga Khan University Alumni AssociationStadium RoadP. O. Box 3500, Karachi 74800, PakistanTelephone: 493-0051, Fax: ++92 21-493-4294e-mail: alumni@aku.eduhttp://www.aku.edu/alumni32PRINTED ATELITE E-mail: elite@elite.com.pk