PMC stopped universities to conduct MDCAT immediately

ISLAMABAD: Under the act of Pakistan Medical Commission 2020, universities all over the country were stopped immediately from taking Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) and suspending the National Examination Board (NEB) exam. This step left many aspiring students taken back by the decision, as no new date has been announced as yet.

Besides, the PMC, formerly called the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), has mentioned on its website that it will be fully functional within a week and all pending applications, including the grant of full licences to MBBS graduates, will be processed from Oct 2.

The Pakistan Medical Commission Act 2020 was passed at a joint session of parliament on Sept 16 and later signed by President Dr Arif Alvi.

According to a copy of the Act, the Pakistan Medical Commission nullified the Central Induction Policy (CIP) which was approved by PMDC, allowing only admitting university from each province to conduct MDCAT for students applying in private and public medical and dental colleges.

It states that under clause 18 of the PMC Act 2020, the MDCAT will be a mandatory requirement from 2021 onwards for all students seeking admission to medical or dental colleges in the country.

“The authority shall conduct MDCAT annually on a date approved by the council and as per standards approved by the board. No student shall be awarded a medical or dental degree in Pakistan who has not passed the MDCAT prior to obtaining admission to a medical or dental college in Pakistan, provided that such requirement shall be mandatory for all students who have been enrolled in medical or dental undergraduate programmes in the year 2021 and thereafter,” act stated.

Earlier, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) PMDC had allocated admitting university which will conduct MDCAT for all public and private medical and dental colleges in each province respectively and the proposed date for MDCAT was announced 18^th October.

As pert PMC policy, the MDCAT will be conducted by the commission and schedule of the examination will be announced by the commission immediately after Oct 2 as per PMC website, though it is clearly mentioned in the Act`s clause 18 that the PMC will hold MDCAT from 2021, creating delay and confusion among students.

-MN Report