Rawalpindi - President College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) Prof Zafar Ullah Chaudhry has said that CPSP is one of the prestigious higher medical educational institutions of Pakistan which has got international repute and pride due to its academic excellence and introduced new systems of evaluation to judge the ability and knowledge of fellows.
He stated this during a press conference on the occasion of interactive sessions of CPSP fellows held here on Tuesday. The members of college council Prof Muhammad Shoaib Shafi, Prof Rizwana Chaudhry, Professor Rakshinda Rehman, Prof Khalid Masood Gondal, and Prof Mumtaz Marwat were present on the occasion.
Giving a brief resume of the history of CPSP, Prof Zafar Ullah Chaudhry informed that it was the premier institution of higher medical education in the country and a twenty-member college council was authorised to perform the administrative affairs through a management committee. He said it was second institution among five other medical institution of its nature in the world which had been given autonomy by the act of parliament. He further revealed that CPSP was self-financed and self-supporting institution which has completed 53 years of its existence and it is producing 90 percent specialists of the country’s requirement.
Prof Zafar Ullah further informed that 14 regional centres had been established in different parts of the country and 180 colleges were attached with CPSP while 3,000 teachers were performing the role of supervisors to conduct and evaluate examinations of higher medical studies. He said, “We are not getting any funding from government or any other organisation and the college council has developed its own expertise to generate resources to meet its expanses and extended medical education and research programme.”
In reply to a query, Prof Zafar Ullah Chaudhry said that there were only three categories to award honorary degrees of college other than any examination  and not a single such degree has so far been awarded to any one which could be used for the purpose of any appointment, promotion and getting seniority.  
He said there was strict system of examination and evaluation in accordance with international standard and no one can by pass this procedure. He said, “According to the law we could award two such honorary degrees on life time achievements to any personality in recognition of his contributions and during the last 52 years we have only awarded 22 honorary degrees while we were allowed to award 104 just to maintain its standard.”
The president CPSP highlighted the structural reforms and institutional framework developments by strengthening all the regional centres including main college campus by equipping with modern equipments and evolving new methods of teaching and systems. He also mentioned the honour of international awards and recognitions by world reputed organisations which had evaluated CPSP as best higher medical teaching institution of Pakistan. In reply to another question, Prof Zafar Ullah Chaudhry briefed about the administrative and financial discipline of CPSP and said that there was big questioned mark on the legitimacy of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council which has also been challenge.
He said we have nothing to do with any one because we have devoted ourselves to make all out efforts to improve the standard of CPSP and we have 7 billion financial reserves which was a great evidence of our good administration and working especially developing linkages and signing MoU with medical institutions of different countries. He said our initiatives had opened new opportunities of our fellows to get paid training facilities.
Prof Muhammad Shoaib Shafi also mentioned the European Gold Medal Award for CPSP which had been awarded by declaring CPSP as best higher medical Education Institution of Pakistan.  Earlier, an interactive session among fellows was held which was participated by a large of fellows and heads of medical intuitions.