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KARACHI: PharmEvo is a unique national
pharmaceutical concern which always comes up with innovative ideas and
approaches to achieve its mission of making the National Healthy. It was
in this context and as a corporate social responsibility that PharmEvo
established a career counseling center at Pharmacy Department in
University of Karachi which started functioning on January 19th 2010.
The services of Prof. Haneef Mohammad were acquired for this purpose.
After having completed the psychometery test including emotional test
and tests for leadership qualities, the department organized a meeting
on July 7th to share their experiences with this service.
Speaking at the occasion Prof. Haneef Mohammad pointed out that out of a
class of one hundred, sixty students got registered at the Center for
career counseling and they were guided in which field of pharmacy they
should go to be successful based on their aptitude, qualities and
professional strength. Almost all the final year students who got
registered were above average and some of them excelled. They were also
administered emotional test, test for leadership qualities to find out
their potential. All the registered students had to go through multiple
tests regarding their career development assessment.
A number of students also spoke on the occasion and felt that this
service was extremely useful for them as it brought out their weaknesses
as well as strength. It helped in improving their professional outlook,
vision and also helped in improving their personality. We came to know
that though we cannot do every thing but we can successfully do many
things on which we should concentrate. They were extremely grateful to
PharmEvo for providing them this service and felt that the students will
help PharmEvo in their objective by serving the community. We now have
much more confidence in ourselves and this has opened many more horizons
for us, one of the students remarked. We also came to know that PharmEvo
does what it says i.e. moving towards healthier society. We are now more
determined having come to know about ourselves and are now capable to
work more confidently.
Prof. Wasimuddin Ahmad the former Head of the Dept.of Pharmacy who
played a vital role in initiation of this programme speaking on the
occasion said that we need to break all shells to make progress. We can
take up any challenge provided we start having a collective thinking.
Whenever a new programme is started, there are many critics but
eventually it is the success of these programmes which is a guarantee of
their continuity. He commended Mr. Haroon Qasim, Mr. Jamshed Ahmad and
the whole team of PharmEvo for their valuable contributions. The feed
back that we have received from many eminent people in the Pharma
industry like Mr. Haseeb Khan, Mr. Ameen and others about this programme
and its utility are very encouraging, he added.
Prof. Ghazala who has now taken over as Head of the Dept.of Pharmacy
commended Prof. Wasmimuddin and PharmEvo for this effort and hoped that
this collaboration will continue in future as well. It helps in
psychological and professional development of the students. Career
Counseling she felt was extremely important for professionalism.
Mr. Jamshed Ahmad Marketing and Sales Director of PharmEvo speaking at
the occasion said that we wanted to know whether this project has been
of any benefit to the students. That is why we wanted to evaluate and
assess the outcome of this project so far as this will help us provide
this service at other institutions. Education, he opined, can change the
destiny of Nations but unfortunately we in Pakistan has not given much
attention towards these social sectors of health and education. As
individuals we are excellent but as a Pakistani Nation we have failed to
gain any admirable position. There is no use in criticizing others but
we all must do something which is good for the society and the country.
This service will explore the potential of the pharmacy gradates in
which field of pharmacy they can do something and progress in their
career. Pharmacists play an important role in healthcare delivery but so
far this profession has remain neglected in Pakistan. He also disclosed
that PharmEvo was planning to establish similar career counseling
centers at Dow university of Health Sciences in Karachi and King Edward
Medical University in Lahore to provide career counseling to the final
year medical students.
Dr. Iqbal thanked PharmEvo, faculty of pharmacy and the former Head of
the Dept.of Pharmacy Prof Wasimuddin Ahmad for initiating this project.
We have received requests that this service should be extended to other
students in the university as well but we have made it clear that for
the time being it was exclusively for the pharmacy students and no such
service or center exists in any other public institutions so far. Out of
the forty students who initially refused to register at this Career
Counseling Center later some of them expressed their desire to join but
they were not permitted as per policy. Now we have a batch of two
hundred students and it will be much more difficult to manage all of
them, he remarked.
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