PIMA calls PMDC, universities to announce transparent medical admission policy

LAHORE: The Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) called on the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC), relevant provincial health departments and universities to announce a uniform and transparent central admission policy.

PIMA has expressed concern about the current state of medical college admissions and the reported mismanagement during the recent MDCAT examination.

PIMA also stressed on the need to eliminate unclear and financially burdensome admission policies in medical colleges.  It has called for ensuring absolute transparency in the entrance examination process. It appears that the PMDC is currently seen as prioritizing the interests of private medical colleges.

In a statement released on Thursday, President PIMA, Dr Abdul Aziz Memon, pointed out that the PMDC has consistently fallen short in ensuring the timely processing of admissions. He highlighted that students seeking admission to medical colleges and their parents are the primary stakeholders in the admission system, but their rights seem to be disregarded, leaving them in a state of uncertainty.

The recent incidents during the MDCAT examination, such as paper leaks and widespread cheating, have raised serious concerns about the performance of relevant institutions. Dr Abdul Aziz questioned the calibre of future medical professionals that the country will produce if such issues persist.

He called for PMDC to collaborate with relevant bodies to establish a centralized policy that ensures transparency in all aspects of the admission process for MBBS and BDS programs in both public and private medical and dental colleges.

Read more: Probe team recommends re-conducting MDCAT

Separately, in a significant development, a team probing the irregularities and mismanagement during the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) has recommended re-conducting the examination.

The MDCAT, a critical assessment for aspiring medical and dental students in Pakistan, was marred by a paper leak during the test held on September 10, 2023.