ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) has begun work on what could become a major shift in how doctors and dentists maintain and demonstrate their professional development in Pakistan, launching a three-day national workshop focused on building a sustainable CME/CPD system.
The National CME/CPD Capacity-Building Workshop, titled “Designing High-Impact CME/CPD: From Concept to Completion,” began on August 27, 2026, in Islamabad and will continue through August 29.
The workshop, chaired by PMDC President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj, has brought together institutional leaders, medical educationists, faculty members and representatives of medical and dental institutions from across the country.
The initiative is significant for both professions because PMDC says the objective goes beyond introducing another regulatory requirement. The council wants continuous learning to become part of professional practice and to establish a system in which CME and CPD activities are credible, documented, monitored and quality assured.
PMDC says lifelong learning must go beyond compliance
In his opening remarks, Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj stressed that lifelong learning is essential for maintaining professional competence and ensuring high standards of patient care.
He said PMDC is committed to developing a practical, transparent and sustainable national CME/CPD system through which doctors and dentists can continuously update their knowledge, strengthen their clinical and professional skills and improve their practice.
The emphasis on a learning culture is particularly important because the proposed framework is not being presented simply as another box for healthcare professionals to tick.
PMDC says the initiative aims to encourage genuine continuous professional development, supported by collaboration between the regulator, universities, medical and dental institutions, professional organisations, healthcare organisations and individual practitioners.
What will the new CME/CPD system focus on?
The three-day workshop is examining the complete CME/CPD cycle, rather than focusing solely on the delivery or accumulation of educational activities.
Participants are discussing how to identify gaps in professional practice and educational needs, establish measurable learning objectives and design educational activities capable of producing meaningful outcomes.
The programme also addresses integrity and independence, evaluation of outcomes, governance, documentation, monitoring and quality assurance.
This approach could have important implications for how CME/CPD activities are developed, delivered and assessed in the future.
NUMS vice chancellor inaugurates workshop
The workshop was inaugurated by Lt. Gen. Wasim Alamgir, Vice Chancellor of the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS), Rawalpindi, who attended as chief guest.
In his remarks, he appreciated PMDC's initiative and highlighted the importance of continuous professional development in keeping healthcare professionals up to date with advances in medical science, technology and clinical practice.
He linked continuing professional development with the broader objective of improving patient care.
A nationally regulated, quality-assured framework
PMDC aims to establish a CME/CPD framework in which educational activities are appropriately accredited, documented, monitored and recognised.
The council says an internationally aligned system could also contribute to the professional development, global recognition and employability of Pakistani doctors and dentists.
That element could make the proposed framework particularly significant for practitioners seeking professional opportunities and recognition beyond Pakistan, although the eventual impact will depend on how the framework is implemented and recognised.
The workshop therefore represents an early capacity-building stage in the development of the proposed national system rather than the completion of the framework itself.
Legal basis under PMDC Act 2022
The initiative is being undertaken under the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council Act, 2022, with PMDC citing Sections 2(c), 47(2)(k) and 27 as providing the legal basis for recognising continuing professional development opportunities and organisations and establishing uniform minimum CPD standards for registered graduate and postgraduate medical and dental practitioners.
The legal framework gives the council a basis for developing a more structured national approach to professional development.
The challenge ahead will be translating that framework into a system that is practical for doctors and dentists, credible for educational providers, transparent in accreditation and monitoring, and meaningful in terms of improved professional competence.
Why the workshop matters for Pakistan's medical and dental community
For doctors and dentists, the proposed CME/CPD system could eventually influence how professional learning activities are designed, accredited, recorded and recognised.
For medical and dental institutions, it places greater emphasis on developing educational programmes around identified professional needs and measurable outcomes rather than simply conducting events.
And for patients, the underlying objective is more direct: ensuring healthcare professionals continue to update their knowledge and skills throughout their careers.
PMDC's three-day workshop runs until August 29, bringing together stakeholders from across Pakistan as the council works toward a national CME/CPD framework intended to support lifelong learning, quality assurance and continuous professional development.
The outcome of this capacity-building exercise could therefore be closely watched by Pakistan's medical and dental community as PMDC moves from the concept of a national CME/CPD system toward its eventual implementation.
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