Sri Lankan scholar at JSMU wins two national medical honours in two weeks

KARACHI: A Sri Lankan medical student studying at Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) has earned national recognition in two major medical competitions within a span of two weeks, highlighting the achievements of international students pursuing medical education in Pakistan.

Abdul Thawwab Ishaque, an HEC Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholar from Sri Lanka pursuing his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at JSMU, secured first place in the National Surgical Olympiad and later won a bronze medal at Pakistan’s first Medical Simulation Olympiad.

The achievements were highlighted by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan, which described Ishaque as demonstrating exceptional clinical excellence, leadership and dedication to his medical education.

First place at National Surgical Olympiad

Ishaque led his team to first place at the National Surgical Olympiad, organised by the Surgery Interest Group at Aga Khan University (AKU).

The competition brought together teams from leading medical institutions across Pakistan, providing medical students with a national platform to demonstrate their surgical knowledge, clinical reasoning and teamwork.

The JSMU scholar's performance placed his team at the top of the national competition.

Bronze medal in medical simulation

Within the same two-week period, Ishaque also contributed to Team JSMU's bronze-medal finish at Pakistan's first Medical Simulation Olympiad.

The competition was hosted by the Centre for Innovation in Medical Education (CIME) at Aga Khan University as part of SIMPACT, bringing medical students into a simulation-based competitive learning environment.

According to HEC, Team JSMU was the only medical college in Karachi to reach the podium in the competition.

The back-to-back results gave Ishaque national recognition across two different areas of clinical education — surgical competition and medical simulation.

International scholar makes mark in Pakistan

Ishaque's achievements also highlight the role of Pakistan's medical universities in providing international students with opportunities to participate in competitive clinical and academic activities alongside local students.

As an HEC Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholar from Sri Lanka, he is pursuing his MBBS education in Pakistan through the scholarship programme.

Reflecting on the two national achievements, Ishaque said winning the titles back to back was a testament to the education and clinical training he was receiving in Pakistan.

He also expressed gratitude to HEC for providing him with the opportunity to pursue medical education at Jinnah Sindh Medical University in Karachi.

HEC highlights international scholars' achievements

The Higher Education Commission said it takes pride in supporting international scholars who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership, commitment and dedication to their educational and research pursuits.

Ishaque's performance places those qualities in a practical clinical-learning context, with his achievements spanning surgical knowledge, medical simulation, teamwork and competitive medical education.

For JSMU, the results also provide a national platform for recognition of its students' participation and performance in major medical competitions, while highlighting the contribution of international scholars to Pakistan's medical education environment.

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