[desithug00000]

I have a choice of going to either Shifa or King Edward Medical University. I need to know which one is better for me. I am a U.S citizen and am accustomed to schools here. And i will be returning to U.S. once i have graduated. Can someone plz give me the pros and cons of both institutions and compare them. tell me which would be more beneficial to me. my average at high school graduation was 93. i should have good IBCC scores...hopefully enough to get into both schools. Final question: Is it true that you do not have to take an Entry Test for King Edward if you are a foreigner? Plz reply back...Any and all information will be highly appreciated.#grin

Ali S

 

[Junnat]

Hi Ali, I would recommend... well not only me, most of the people here would recommend that you visit and read threads posted before you, because your questions have been answered many times before...its just that it's under different threads and posts.

For example visit threads like “Shifa College of Medicine, In Islamabad” and “King Edward Medical University, Lahore” and especially this thread called MEDICAL COLLEGES IN PAKISTAN which is the best place where you will most likely find all your answers….somewhere…because it’s 16 pages long!! Also type in different words relating to your question in the SEARCH link and it will also help you find an answer…it just takes time! You will get the hang of it as you use this site more and more…I hope this helps. Take care.

BTW to give you a short cut answer…FOREIGNER DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE THE ENTRY TEST…it’s only for LOCALS.

 

[MedGrunt]

If you have time you should definitely try to visit both places.

I never applied for KE so i don't know much about it, but islamabad is definitely cleaner than lahore. Supposedly lahore has more of a night life, but personally I like the fact that there isn't THAT much to do in islamabad because it's easier to study when i know that there's nothing better to do #wink

BTW to give you a short cut answer?FOREIGNER DO NOT HAVE TO TAKE THE ENTRY TEST?it?s only for LOCALS.

Junnat is right---Entrance tests are mainly for locals. Foreigners can take the Shifa entrance test if their SAT II scores aren't high enough. However, not many foreigners have been accepted through this route, because they're competing with over 1000 pakistanis who are used to the FSc education(which is what the test is based on)

 

[desithug00000]

its too late to take any SAT 2's this year. so i would have to take the entrance test for shifa. but like you have said...not many people are accepted through that route. so i guess KE does it for me. it might not be the cleanest of all places but hey...me being me....i love challenges

 

[MedGrunt]

I'd suggest that you try for both schools because they're both competitive and you don't want to end up only trying for one and then end up not getting in. the entrance test at shifa is difficult, but it is definitely do-able if you actually study for it. i had the same problem with SAT IIs but i made it through the entrance test #happy

 

[Wasanbaloch]

I would really suggest Shifa. When I visited Shifa last summer I was really impressed with everything. The weather is Islamabad is far better than Lahore. And adjusting to Pakistan and living in Pakistan is easier in Islamabad. I also really enjoyed the diversity of Islamabad, you will see foreigners everywhere! But the price of Shifa is $12 thousand US per year, while KE is only $10 thousand US per year. So I'm sure if you lived in Lahore and had the extra $2 grand you will be BALLIN'! LOL... Well thats my opinoin...never studied at either, but weather does matter for 5 years...I've heard great things about both school, so either schools would not be a bad choice.

 

[desithug00000]

there's only a $2000 difference in both? wow...well i guess i'll apply to both. my father is bringing back the FSC books so i can study from them for the entrance test. but how come everyone in pakistan is advocating for King Edward? they say its practically the best. some say even better than Aga Khan...i wouldnt really know...never seen either or. but i will apply to both. is it true that shifa has better facilities since its private and KE doesnt cuz its government?

 

[Rehan]

Yeah, in terms of facilities, private colleges almost always beat out government run ones. However due to govt. colleges being many decades older than private ones they are usually seen as more prestigious and established.

Some will say King Edward is seen as being great due to its 100+ year old reputation whereas others say that it is solely the old reputation and that nothing significantly sets it apart from other government colleges --however KE is one of the most sought after govt colleges in Lahore every year during the admissions cycle.

I'd say apply through both routes -- govt and private and see where you can get in and then choose where you want to go.

 

[Smeer]

Salam all,

Hands down Shifa has the better facilities of the two. Although I don't know if I should be talking since I haven't visited either of the two schools #sad. I have heard a great deal of good stuff about Shifa, especially about it's facilities/conditions being a lot better than those of the government colleges and about it being more foreigner-friendly.

Just to clarify on the pricing though, if you apply and receive a seat under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Program for government colleges, you only need to pay $200/year. That adds up to about $1000 for your five years of education in terms of tuition. The thing is there are only 15 seats for foreigners under this program, and there is only about 1 seat per government college (exception: FJMC) That's something you might want to think about and apply under if you're considering government colleges like K.E.