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The Dow Medical College, now one campus of the University, is the oldest in Sindh and the second oldest in Pakistan. It is one of the premier institutions in the country, with famous alumni including Dr Nafis Sadik, currently Special Adviser to the UN Secretary General with additional responsibilities as Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia , and former head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The college is situated in Karachi, Pakistan. It was first established in Hyderabad, Pakistan as a small college. Before the independence, in 1941, the Indian Medical Council in order to introduce a uniform standard of medical education either abolished or raised many medical schools to a university level. Dr. Holmisted efforts granted the medical school at Hyderabad a status of a degree college in 1941 by the government of Sindh. The same year the government of Sind appointed a committee to implement this decision and to explore the feasibility of moving this medical school from Hyderabad to Karachi.

In 1943, this committee which consisted of: Dr. Hermends R. Wadhwani, the then Minister of Public Health; Col. J. E. gray, the then Inspector General of civil hospitals; and Mr. Abhichand, the then Executive Engineer, developed the plans for the Dow Medical College. Major ( Later Lt. Col. ) Aziz K. M. Khan continued this project during the absence of Col. Gray. The college was inaugurated by Governor Maudie of Sind in Hyderabad in 1945.

The first batch of the admitted students consisted of forty-five students among which there was a Muslim girl student named Ms. Fahmida Shaikh.

In 1944, the University of Bombay granted a temporary affiliation, which was later withdrawn on the recommendation of a three member committee consisting of Dr. Molgonkar, Dr. Yodh and Col. Jalal M. Shah. However, this committee recommended moving this institution to Karachi and later the affiliation to University of Bombay was restored for the years 1945 and 1946.

The foundation stone of the new building was laid in Karachi on December 10, 1945 by Sir Hugh Dow, the then Governor of Sind, after whom this medical college was named. The medical college was transferred from Hyderabad to Karachi on December 31, 1945. It was temporarily housed in the N.J.V. High School building. Dow Medical College started functioning in the new building in the November of 1946. In the December of 1946, Bombay University's team of inspectors recommended to continue its affiliation for the pre-clinical years and a conditional affiliation for the clinical subjects.

In 1947, Dow Medical College came under University of Sind's jurisdiction. A new committee was appointed by the University of Sind. It visited the institution on December 22nd 1947 and recommended full affiliation. It remained under Government of Sind until the central government took over on July 8, 1951.

In 1953, the Student Union was established by the students. In 1961, College Mosque was built. In 1968 Arag Auditorium was built with the efforts of Surgeon A. Rahim. In 1973, the Main Auditorium, the new medical library and common room building were established. The Main Auditorium was later named after Prof. Khawaja Moin. The last major addition to Dow medical College was the "Hygiene Block" building in 1981.

In years spannning from 1997-1999, a major project of modernization of the college was undertaken. The whole library system was renovated with the addition of the latest audio-visual equipments, computers and multimedia learning resources for the medical students.

The first vice-chancellor of newly established Dow University of Medical and Health Sciences, Dr Masood Hameed Khan, assumed responsibilities of new office on on Jan 14, 2004.

The chancellor of the public sector varsities in the province, Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad, had promulgated the ordinance pertaining to the second public sector medical university on Dec 27, 2003 while Dr Hameed was named as vice- chancellor of the university on Jan 3, 2004.

The Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) is working on a plan for the development of a number of institutes for postgraduate studies at its Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases and Sindh Medical College campuses.

The university currently has two undergraduate colleges, the Dow Medical College (DMC) and the Sindh Medical College (SMC), and one postgraduate medical institute. The DUHS Karachi Act was passed by the provincial assembly this year keeping in view the growth and development of Karachi and importance of postgraduate studies in health sciences.

On its Dow Medical College campus, the university has already started construction of buildings for administrative and examination offices.

At the Ojha institute, nearly 150-acre land is available, where a 500-bed hospital and a college will be established. The Institute of Basic Sciences; the Institute of Postgraduate Studies, the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; and the Institute of Medical Technology will also be set up on the Ojha campus.

At the SMC ( Sind Medical College ) premises, an institute of dental medicine and an institute of bio-medical engineering will be set up. Both the institutes would likely to cost around Rs118 million.

Most of physicians from Pakistan graduated from Dow Medical College has been working in US and UK. Their services have been recognized by leading medical experts around the world.