ISLAMABAD: Pakistani students planning to study medicine or dentistry abroad will no longer be required to pass the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), following a decision by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to withdraw the requirement.
The decision was taken at a PMDC meeting on September 14 and formally announced by the council on Monday.
In a notice posted on X, the PMDC said it had decided to exempt Pakistani students from the mandatory requirement of passing the MDCAT as a prerequisite for admission to foreign medical and dental institutions.
The council did not provide a specific reason for the policy change. PMDC President Dr Rizwan Taj said the decision followed a recommendation from a parliamentary committee that students intending to pursue medical or dental education abroad should not be required to sit the MDCAT.
Students who begin their medical or dental studies abroad but later seek to transfer to a Pakistani institution during their course will, however, be required to clear the National Examination Board (NEB) assessment.
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The NEB is conducted by the PMDC twice a year and assesses the knowledge, clinical skills and professional competence of students who have partially completed medical or dental education overseas and seek admission to or transfer into a Pakistani institution.
Foreign medical and dental graduates who wish to practise in Pakistan after completing their studies abroad must also pass the relevant registration examination before obtaining a licence to begin their house job and practise in the country.
The policy change removes the MDCAT requirement at the point of admission to foreign institutions, while retaining examination requirements for those seeking to continue their studies in Pakistan or practise there after graduation.
