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Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services has called for comprehensive reforms in the country’s medical education system, directing the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to align its policies with international standards and improve transparency in medical admissions.
During a meeting chaired by Senator Anusha Rahman, lawmakers reviewed the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT), admission policies, and the overall quality of medical education. The committee stressed that students deserve a fair, transparent, and merit-based admission system.
PMDC officials informed the committee that the MDCAT syllabus has been updated to include common topics from both FSc and A-Level curricula. According to the council, this change has significantly reduced complaints regarding syllabus differences and created a more balanced examination for candidates.
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However, the committee asked the PMDC to submit a detailed report on the development of its question bank, including how experts prepare exam questions and how stakeholders are consulted before finalizing the syllabus. Lawmakers emphasized that greater transparency would help improve students’ confidence in the examination process.
The committee also expressed concern over a misleading advertisement claiming that MDCAT was compulsory for all Pakistani students seeking admission to foreign medical universities. PMDC clarified that the requirement applies only to graduates of recognized foreign medical institutions under existing regulations and not to every overseas university.
Lawmakers directed the council to issue a public clarification immediately and explain why no action had been taken against those responsible for publishing the inaccurate advertisement. They also questioned the policy requiring students studying medicine abroad to register with the PMDC, suggesting that the council should focus more on preventing admissions to low-quality medical colleges instead of creating unnecessary procedural hurdles.
Another major issue discussed was the limited number of medical seats in Pakistan. The committee noted that while more than 113,000 students qualified in the 2024 MDCAT, only around 22,300 seats were available in public and private medical colleges. Members stressed that the growing gap between successful candidates and available seats requires urgent policy attention.
The Senate panel concluded that strengthening medical education, improving MDCAT transparency, and expanding opportunities for deserving students are essential steps toward producing qualified healthcare professionals and raising Pakistan’s medical education standards.