The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to exempt Pakistani students from the mandatory Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) when applying to undergraduate medical and dental programs abroad. This decision was finalized during the PMDC Council meeting held on September 14 and announced through a public notice on Monday.
Previously, under a policy implemented for the 2024-25 academic session, Pakistani students who completed their intermediate education domestically were required to achieve a minimum of 50 percent marks in the MDCAT conducted in Pakistan. This score was valid for three years. Additionally, students had to secure at least 60 percent marks in FSc Pre-Medical or fulfill alternative criteria via SAT-II or foreign MCAT/UCAT exams. A PMDC Student Registration Certificate was also mandatory before commencing studies at an approved foreign institution.
Other stipulations included enrollment in institutions recognized by the respective regulatory authorities, accreditation international standards, completion of a minimum of 6,200 hours of education over five years, and passing the National Registration Examination (NRE) post-graduation for full PMDC registration.
In a significant development, the council’s recent resolution removes the MDCAT requirement specifically for students seeking admission abroad, while all other regulatory conditions remain in effect. This change reverses the earlier policy that had introduced the MDCAT as a prerequisite for foreign admissions.
The nationwide standardized MDCAT was first introduced in 2020 by the former Pakistan Medical Commission, which administered the inaugural national test to approximately 120,000 candidates. The examination format shifted over time, with a centralized test in 2021, before reverting to provincial-level testing following the restoration of PMDC.
Currently, PMDC continues to mandate passing the MDCAT for admission to undergraduate medical and dental colleges within Pakistan, subject to certain exemptions. However, this latest amendment exempts students applying abroad from the MDCAT while maintaining other existing requirements under PMDC regulations.
Leave an opinion