South City Hospital MRCEM Programme Karachi: Review, Salary, On-calls and Eligibility (2027 Intake)

Many fresh graduates and house officers in Karachi are asking the same question this induction season: is the South City Hospital MRCEM programme worth joining? South City Hospital (Pvt.) Ltd., Clifton, runs a paid, three-year Emergency Medicine residency built on the UK Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) curriculum, and applications for the January 2027 intake are now open.

This guide brings together everything currently known about the programme: how it is structured, who can apply, the official salary and leave entitlements, what is known (and not known) about on-calls and duty hours, what employees say about the hospital, and the questions you should ask before accepting a seat.

Programme overview

The Emergency Medicine residency at South City Hospital is designed around the MRCEM curriculum and trains residents in acute care, resuscitation, trauma management and emergency procedures. Training is based in the hospital’s emergency department, which runs round the clock, so residents are exposed to medical, surgical and critical emergencies, triage and interdisciplinary coordination.

Eligibility

Salary and leave

South City Hospital has published a fixed salary scale for its postgraduate trainees. As the MRCEM programme runs for three years, residents move through the first three levels of the scale.

For comparison, the salary is in the same range that many private hospitals in Karachi offer their emergency RMOs, with the added benefit of a structured curriculum and supervised portfolio. Keep in mind that MRCEM examination fees are charged by the RCEM in pounds sterling and are not covered by the salary, so factor them into your budget for the three years.

On-calls and duty hours

South City Hospital has not published a duty roster, shift pattern or number of on-calls for its MRCEM residents. The only official information is that the emergency department functions 24 hours a day, which means residents should expect night and weekend duties on a rota.

Across Pakistan, long continuous duties remain common in both public and private hospitals, and emergency departments vary widely: some run fixed 8- or 12-hour shifts, while others still use 24-hour calls. Because this has a major effect on your study time for MRCEM exams and on your well-being, it is the single most important thing to confirm with the PGME office and current residents before you accept a seat.

Reviews: what is known so far

There are very few public reviews written specifically by South City MRCEM trainees. The available feedback comes mainly from general employee review platforms covering all hospital staff, and should be read with that limitation in mind.

• A Resident Medical Officer who worked in the emergency department (review dated January 2023) described the workplace as good and friendly and called it a good place to learn and polish clinical skills.
• On Indeed, the hospital is rated 2.9 out of 5 for pay and benefits, 3.5 for work-life balance, 3.4 for job security and advancement, 3.5 for management and 3.6 for culture.
• Recurring complaints from staff include the absence of gratuity and provident fund, and no medical facility for employees.
• Several reviewers describe the overall working environment as professional and the salaries as market-competitive.

Pros and cons

CPSP accreditation and UK recognition

The hospital confirms that its MRCEM and MRCP programmes are not accredited by CPSP. If your long-term plan is FCPS in Emergency Medicine, this programme will not count towards it.

The hospital states that experience gained in the programme will be counted in the UK because it follows the RCEM curriculum with GMC-registered supervisors. In practice, what matters most for UK registration is passing the MRCEM examinations themselves. Whether your training time is accepted towards a portfolio or specialist registration pathway depends on the evidence you collect, so verify current requirements directly with the RCEM and GMC. If you plan to practise in Pakistan, also confirm the current PMDC recognition status of MRCEM.

Questions to ask before you accept

1. What is the emergency department rota: fixed shifts or 24-hour calls, and how many nights per month?
2. Is there protected study time or teaching time for MRCEM preparation?
3. How many residents have passed MRCEM Primary, SBA and OSCE from previous cohorts?
4. Which departments do residents rotate through, and for how long?
5. How many consultants supervise the ED, and is a senior available on night shifts?
6. Does the hospital support exam fees, courses or study leave for exams?
7. What happens if a resident leaves before completing three years?

How to apply

Download the application form and the application fee voucher from the official PGME page. Submit the completed form, the paid voucher and all required documents at the OPD Front Desk of South City Hospital. Alternatively, pay the fee online to the hospital’s UBL account and email the form, documents and IBFT slip to pgme@southcityhospital.org.

Official PGME page

Required documents include photographs, CNIC, an updated CV with references, domicile and PRC, Matric and Intermediate certificates, MBBS degree and marks sheets, valid PMDC, house job certificates, letters of recommendation, and BLS/ACLS certificates. The full list is given in our South City Hospital Postgraduate Training 2026 announcement.

Important dates

Contact the PGME Office

Frequently asked questions

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