ACGME-I Honors Excellence: Q and A with Novera Ghayoor Chughtai MBBS, FCPS
This interview is one in a series of interviews with recipients of the 2024 ACGME International Awards. The awardees join an outstanding group of current and previous honorees whose work and contributions to graduate medical education (GME) around the world represent the best in the field. They will be honored at the ACGME Annual Educational Conference, taking place 7-9 March 2024, in Orlando, Florida, US.
2024 ACGME International Physician Educator Awardee Novera Ghayoor Chughtai, MBBS, FCPS is assistant professor and program director for obstetrics and gynecology at The Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan. ACGME-I spoke with Dr. Chughtai about her career and what receiving this award means to her.
ACGME-I: How did you become involved in medicine, and in academic medicine specifically?
Dr. Chugtai: I always wanted to become a doctor for as long as I can remember. Obstetrics and gynecology has always been my focus, and more specifically, urogynecology and pelvic reconstructive surgery, as it was an emerging subspecialty in Pakistan and it felt like doing something different and new.
I was a post-graduate trainee at The Aga Khan University (AKU), Pakistan, and was lucky to be exposed to international standards of education and training. I joined the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at AKU as a faculty member and have been associated with the residency program since the start of my career. This developed my interest in academic medicine and the drive to develop new teaching and learning strategies to facilitate training with improved outcomes.
ACGME-I: What does this award mean to you?
Dr. Chugtai: It’s a great honor. AKU’s obstetrics and gynecology residency program and four other programs recently received ACGME-I accreditation and we have worked really hard to achieve this milestone, which is the first for the country. We are still making endeavors towards the program's improvement and this award feels like an acknowledgment of our hard work and dedication. It has also inspired me to contribute more to academics and make impactful contributions to GME in Pakistan.
ACGME-I: As this award reflects the contributions you’ve made to GME in Pakistan, what would you consider to be the most challenging aspect of your role?
Dr. Chugtai: GME in Pakistan is in the process of a shift toward competency-based medical education. AKU was the first in the country to take this initiative and I have been a part of it since the beginning. The most challenging aspect of my role has been to inculcate and nurture a culture change toward competency-based education, as it only can be implemented in its true spirit with faculty members’ and trainees’ unwavering belief in its concept.
ACGME-I: In your view, how has the overall strengthening of GME, especially through international accreditation, benefited Pakistan's medical education and health care systems?
Dr. Chugtai: International accreditation has definitely strengthened GME. At AKU, although our efforts toward internationally standardized training were [moving] in the right direction, ACGME-I accreditation has further endorsed it. This will open new pathways for our trainees and make way for more effective collaborations across the globe. I also see it mandating an effort towards trainee competence, which will result in competent medical practitioners benefitting Pakistan’s medical education and health care systems in terms of improved patient outcomes focusing on patient safety and determinants of health, reducing burnout and physician turnover, and creating an academic culture for future successors.
ACGME-I: As a female leader in GME, what do you hope to see to further strengthen the position of women in medical education?
Dr. Chugtai: I think women have come a long way, especially in medical education. What we need to do further is to find and create opportunities to highlight our contributions, be authentic in discussing both the challenges and opportunities that come with a demanding career, combat perfectionism and address failures, but also celebrate the benefits of rewarding work. Today, female physicians are well-positioned to advise and mentor, and through professional development, they can empower and strengthen women in GME. Institutions can also improve their efforts to provide women with access and opportunities. It must be done across all roles to evenly distribute diverse talent with equal opportunity for advancement.
Read more about the winners of the 2024 ACGME International Awards, as well as recipients from past years.
Learn more about the ACGME International Awards and consider nominating a deserving GME colleague. The 2025 nomination cycle will open after the ACGME Annual Educational Conference.
