Journal of Islamabad Medical & Dental College (JIMDC); 1211(1):1 

 1 

Editorial 
 

Journal of IMDC- ‘Inaugural Issue’  
 

Khalid Hassan 
Professor and Head, Department of Pathology, Islamabad Medical and Dental College, Islamabad 

(Bahria University, Islamabad) 
 
 
It is a matter of great pleasure and honour for Islamabad 
Medical and Dental College to launch the inaugural issue of 
its official journal- Journal of Islamabad Medical College 
(JIMDC). The main aim of launching this journal is not only 
to promote the trend of medical writing in the college, but 
also to effectively support research activities at both faculty 
as well as students’ levels. JIMDC will publish original 
(research) articles, review articles, case reports, brief 
communications, interesting images, abstracts from 
contemporary journal, and literature related to continued 
medical education.  

The last two decades have witnessed a surge of medical 
publications at national level, mainly as a result of the 
introduction of criteria of mandatory research publications 
for promotions in the cadres of medical teachers. With the 
introduction of these rules, the medical teachers were 
compulsorily pushed into research activities. As a 
consequence, the few existing journal in the country were 
choked with research articles submitted for publication. 
With the passage of time many new journals were 
introduced. Most of these journals were published by 
professional societies and various institutions. In an attempt 
to maintain uniformity with the international practices of 
medical publications, PMDC and Higher Education 
Commission (HEC) implemented strict regulations for peer 
review of the journals as an essential requirement for their 
approval. Although the steps taken by the PMDC and HEC 
have resulted in a general trend of medical writing, yet the 
‘quantity as well as quantity’ of research in the country are 
far from satisfactory. Reasons are multiple, and some of 
these are as under:  

1. A big percentage of publications are based on 
retrospective studies in a setup where record keeping is 
not optimally standardized, and as a result the 
inferences derived are more presumptive than absolute.  

2. The studies designed are usually based on data 
obtained from hospital population, and many a time, the 
values thus obtained are related to general population.  

3. There is still a dearth of true epidemiological 
studies, and therefore a true picture of disease pattern in 
various sets of population is not exactly documentable. 

4. The research is generally not problem-based; on the 
contrary, emphasis is mostly on verification of already 
published national and international data.   

5. The researchers are generally handicapped by 
paucity of funds and lack of diagnostic facilities. 

There is a need to address all these issues systematically. 
Although it may be difficult initially, yet it will be 
rewarding if a consolidated effort is made to develop habit 
of proper and regular record keeping. The tertiary care 
hospitals and medical institutions and professional societies 
may establish research forums, which should develop their 
own research guidelines. IMDC has taken a step in this 
regard, and has established a research forum for the medical 
students. The students interested in participating in research 
have been enrolled; the students thus registered will conduct 
epidemiological and clinical studies under the supervision of 
their teachers. For the students as well as faculty members 
workshops will be arranged especially regarding 
development of research proposals, research methodology, 
statistical analysis and medical writing. It is hoped that these 
steps will contribute in capacity-building at both student as 
well as faculty level.  

It is my foremost duty to thank the editorial committee of 
the journal who made a team effort in bringing out the 
inaugural issue. I am indebted to Dr Ghulam Akbar Niazi, 
the Chairman IMDC and Prof Muhammad Naseemullah, 
Dean IMDC, who guided and encouraged us at every step.  I 
am also thankful to Bahria University for their coordination. 
 It is further presumed that the Journal of IMDC will play a 
significant role in projecting and disseminating research in 
the years to come.