PMA slams new MDCAT rules as unfair, regressive


IV Report

KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has criticised the recent decisions announced by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) regarding the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), calling them ill-conceived, flawed, and harmful to the future of the country’s healthcare workforce.

According to a PMDC notification issued earlier this month, starting from the 2025–26 academic session, candidates seeking admission to MBBS and BDS programmes will only be permitted to sit for the MDCAT within their own province or region, based on domicile. In addition, applicants must now secure a minimum of 65% marks in FSc (Pre-Medical) or an equivalent qualification to be eligible.

In a statement issued on June 25, PMA Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro urged the PMDC to immediately withdraw the newly introduced criteria and initiate broader reforms in the medical admissions process. He warned that the new measures risk excluding deserving students and further eroding public confidence in the country’s medical education system.

Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro

The PMA termed the restriction of MDCAT centres to candidates’ home provinces as discriminatory, particularly affecting students from underprivileged and under-resourced areas. “It places unnecessary hurdles for students already facing educational inequalities,” the Association noted.

The PMA also criticised the imposition of a 65% minimum threshold in FSc or equivalent exams, describing the move as arbitrary and lacking in comprehensive evaluation. “While academic rigor is important, such abrupt changes risk pushing out committed students who may not have access to the same educational resources,” it added.

Further concerns were raised over the designation of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the sole overseas MDCAT centre. The PMA said this decision disregards the broader Pakistani diaspora and places an undue financial and logistical burden on students living in other parts of the world.

Calling for a complete overhaul of the MDCAT framework, the PMA advocated for a stronger focus on transparency and integrity within Pakistan’s matriculation and intermediate examination systems. It urged the PMDC to revise its policies through inclusive consultation with stakeholders and to adopt fairer, more equitable admission practices that uphold the merit and credibility of the medical profession. 

With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 26, 2025 at 8:48 AM

    Ŵe we look at the standard of Intermediate exam in the province of Sibdh we feel ashamed. Cheating is rampant and govt gas failed to ensure examination. At many places we see police supervising this cheating. How can we trust make obtained in that exam are genuine ir not.

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