Delay In MBBS and BDS Admissions Frustrate Students

MANDI BAHAUDDIN - Public and private sectors medical and dental colleges in Punjab have disappointed the students seeking admission in first year of MBBS and BDS programmes by not adhering to the schedule for completing the process of admissions.

Private colleges had received Rs 3,000 to Rs 6,000 from local students as processing fee. Some colleges received online applications while others had asked the students to purchase prospectus from colleges. Advertisement of the admissions were published in national newspapers as well as posted on official websites of the colleges. The admission process started in July and it is still incomplete despite the lapse of six months.

Papers leaked for MDCAT conducted by the University of Health Sciences (UHS) was another factor that not only caused loss of students and their parents’ confidence in the conduct of entry tests but this also contributed delay in admissions.

The Higher Education Commission (HEC) also conducted entry test twice. However, the UHS conducted new test at the end of October. This clearly showed mala fide on the part of the authorities who were responsible for holding transparent test. There is no uniformity in entry tests for admissions in medical colleges controlled by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) and University of Health Sciences (UHS) as they hold separate tests. It is now learnt that some litigation is going on between Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) over admission policy which is causing delay in completion of admission process.

Parents, worried about the future of their children, criticized PMDC for delaying the admissions. They also flayed the sudden increase in admission fee from Rs 600,000 to Rs 900,000 by the colleges.

They demanded that the government frame a uniform policy for admissions to medical colleges. “There should be one entry test for admission to private colleges and in private colleges; old fee structure should be restored,” they added. In every province, there should be one authority to control admission process on the basis of merit.

Action should be taken against the private colleges who force the students to pay heavy fees, they demanded.