Dr Saira Khan | Biography | Lahore Rheumatology Clinic

Dr Saira Khan | Top Rheumatologist in Lahore

Biography

Dr. Khan graduated from Rawalpindi Medical College and completed her Internship at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) respectively. Following the training template set out by the Royal College of Physicians London, she completed her Core Medical Training at Services Hospital, Lahore under the supervision of Prof Faisal Masud (Late).It was during this training period, Dr Khan obtained the 'MRCP' diploma from the Royal College of Physicians of UK. During her four years of Core Medical Training, she was trained to investigate, treat and diagnose patients with acute and chronic medical symptoms.

Her formal Rheumatology training commenced under the supervision of Prof Nighat Mir at Fatima Memorial Hospital. This department was one of the few leading centres recognised by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan (CPSP) for the training of post-graduate fellows in FCPS (Fellow of College of Physicians and Surgeons) Rheumatology. Whilst pursuing excellence, she proceeded to specialise further in the field of rheumatology and obtained the 'Speciality Certificate Examination in Rheumatology'.

Her qualifications and training have been approved by GMC (General Medical Council) as to be equal to the award of the UK Certificate of Completion of Training in Rheumatology. Earlier this year, she was also awarded the fellowship from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh 'FRCP'. She routinely works as a Locum Consultant in Rheumatology in the UK.

Dr. Khan has been fortunate to follow a seamless training and career pathway and has progressed to an Assistant Professor. She has recently been appointed as the Director Clinical Services of 'Arthritis Care Foundation' a charity organisation helping patients with Rheumatic diseases access the latest treatments free of cost.

Dr. Khan remains an academic enthusiast and with her position as the Joint Secretary of Pakistan Society of Rheumatology has forged international links with the Asia Pacific League Against Rheumatism (APLAR). She has been invited as a guest speaker at various international conferences and regularly presents and publishes her research in leading national and international congresses.

Dr. Khan's mission is to create a culture of innovation and learning and to provide the best care to her patients utilising all the latest methods available.

Education & Training

1995-2000

MBBS, Punjab University

2001-2009

Residency Internal Medicine, Services Institue of Medical Sciences

2011-2013

Fellow Rheumatology, Fatima Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine & Dentistry

2013-2017

Senior Registrar Rheumatology, Fatima Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine & Dentistry

2017-2020

Assistant Professor Rheumatology, Fatima Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine & Dentistry

2020 - onwards

Assistant Professor Rheumatology, Shalamar Hospital, Lahore

Research Publications

2019

A rheumatology curriculum in Pakistan for empowering family physicians and fighting disability

Pakistan has a huge shortage of rheumatology care with only 75 rheumatologists caring for a population of over 200 million. To improve access to rheumatology care, the “Empowering Family Physicians; Fighting disability” course was launched in 2018 with the help of an ILAR grant. A blended learning approach comprising of 9 online modules sandwiched between two face-to-face sessions was chosen. A statistically significant difference between pre- and post-course self-assessment of participants suggests that the course is an effective tool for teaching Family Physicians.

Cognitive dysfunction in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Cognitive dysfunction is not so uncommon in patients with SLE. Neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE) has been found to increase the morbidity and mortality of SLE patients. In our study, almost two-thirds of SLE patients had cognitive dysfunction and there was no significant difference in cognitive dysfunction in patients according to years of formal education or disease duration. So it is imperative for all clinicians treating patients with SLE to screen for cognitive dysfunction and start treatment early to achieve better outcomes and improve the quality of life of SLE patients.

ResearchGate