About the Journal

Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences

Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences (PJMS) previous title "SPECIALIST" till December 31^st 1999 is a peer-reviewed, fully Open Access biomedical journal published regularly since 1984.

Aims and Scope
The journal aims to disseminate scientifically sound, ethically conducted, and clinically relevant research that contributes to the improvement of healthcare practice, medical education, and public health.
PJMS publishes original research articles, systematic and narrative reviews, short communications, case reports, and articles on current clinical practice across the medical and health sciences. The journal covers a broad range of disciplines, including clinical medicine and surgery, medical and surgical subspecialties, public health, epidemiology, medical education, health services research, and allied health sciences.
The journal prioritizes manuscripts that:

• Demonstrate methodological rigor and ethical compliance
• Address clinically relevant questions or healthcare challenges
• Contribute evidence applicable to regional and global health contexts
• Adhere to international reporting and publication standards

While PJMS has a strong focus on healthcare issues relevant to Pakistan and other low- and middle-income countries, it welcomes submissions from researchers worldwide and serves an international readership.
All submitted manuscripts undergo independent peer review. The journal maintains editorial independence and is committed to transparency, academic integrity, and the timely publication of valid and reproducible research.

Journal License Policy:
All articles published in Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences are Open Access and are freely available online immediately upon publication. Open Access publication is supported through an Article Processing Charge (APC), which covers editorial management, manuscript processing, article production, online hosting, indexing and abstracting services, and customer support.
The APC is payable after editorial acceptance and prior to publication.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Editor-in-Chief

Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid
Chief Editor, Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences

Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid is a senior medical journalist with over five decades of experience in medical journalism and scholarly publishing. He is a member of the World Association of Medical Editors (WAME), a founder member of the Eastern Mediterranean Association of Medical Editors (EMAME) and the Pakistan Association of Medical Editors (PAME), and a member of the British Medical Journalists’ Association.
He serves as an Advisor to the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, where he has been involved in organizing certified courses in Medical Journalism since 2019. To date, ten batches have successfully completed these courses. He is also an Advisor to the Rector, University of Lahore, for Academic and Scientific Writing.
Mr. Jawaid has authored 113 papers published in peer-reviewed journals in Pakistan and internationally. He has conducted over two hundred workshops and training sessions on medical writing, editing, and publication ethics in Pakistan and across the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region.
He is the author of twenty-six books on topics including scientific and medical writing, medical history, ethics, and professional development. His published works include titles on medical ethics, the history of medicine in Pakistan, and evidence-based medical communication.
Mr. Jawaid is a member of the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) Journals Evaluation and Recognition Committee.

Editorial Responsibilities
As Chief Editor of Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences, Mr. Shaukat Ali Jawaid is responsible for providing strategic editorial leadership and ensuring the integrity, quality, and transparency of the journal’s publishing process. His editorial responsibilities include:

• Defining and upholding the journal’s editorial policies, scope, and ethical standards in line with international best practices
• Overseeing the peer-review process to ensure fairness, confidentiality, and timely decision-making
• Making final decisions on manuscript acceptance or rejection based on academic merit, reviewer feedback, and relevance to the journal’s scope
• Ensuring compliance with international guidelines on publication ethics, authorship, conflicts of interest, and research integrity
• Safeguarding editorial independence and ensuring that editorial decisions are free from commercial, institutional, or personal influence
• Appointing, guiding, and coordinating with associate editors and members of the editorial board
• Promoting transparency in editorial processes and continuous improvement in journal quality
• Supporting capacity building in medical writing, peer review, and editorial practice through training and mentorship

The Editor-in-Chief does not participate in the editorial decision-making process for manuscripts in which he has a conflict of interest.

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