As part of its commitment and focus in promoting clinical research, educating its post-graduate scholars and refreshing the faculty members’ knowledge in certain areas, the University has initiated a series of seminars/workshops on topics of interest under Continuing Education Program for 2007.

The program was the brain child of Prof. Mukhtar Ahmad, a Pakistani Canadian, who has been deputized as Foreign Faculty Professor at LUMHS, under Higher Education Commission’s Short-Term Faculty Hiring Program. Prof. M. Ahmad received his M. Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Physiology from the University of Montreal, Canada, and his Post-Doctorate training at Hotel Dieu Hospital in Montreal. For his initiative and endeavor, he received great moral and financial support from the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jan Mohammad Memon, LUMHS, Jamshoro and collaboration from Higher Education Commission, Islamabad.

In this regard, the first 3-Day seminar/workshop on the, ”Role of Biostatistics in Clinical Research” was held on April 2 and continued until April 4, 2007. Prof. Ghulam Hussain, Department of Statistics, University of Karachi, was contacted to be the main speaker of this seminar. Prof. Ghulam Hussain, who received his post-graduate degree in statistics from Kansas University, USA, is a seasoned teacher of statistics, teaching under-graduate and graduate students for more than 20 years. The seminar/workshop was coordinated and facilitated by Dr. Seema Bibi, Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, a faculty member of LUMHS Jamshoro under Tenure Track System.

The course was tailor-made for the participants who had medical educational background and because the intentions were to provide individual attention and hands-on practice for the participants, the numbers of attendees were restricted to 25.

It was a long, (from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM) and grueling course requiring full concentration and participation of the attendees. But the response from the participants was very good as judged by the course evaluation forms filled by the attendees. It appeared their quest for statistical knowledge would be unquenchable. During the 3-Day seminar only one person was absent once from the class. The results were heart warming for the organizer.

At the end of Day 3, the Vice Chancellor, LUMHS, graciously took time off his very busy schedule to distribute certificates of attendance to the participants.

Many people helped in the organization of this seminar. One must acknowledge the hard work and dedication of Dr. Ali Gohar Shah, Director, Student Affairs, LUMHS Jamshoro.

The next seminar in this series will be:

1) Writing of Synopsis  one day seminar to be held in late May 2007;

2) Creative Thinking and Innovation - one day seminar to be given in June 2007. The main speaker for both these seminars will be Prof. M. Ahmad.