PMDC prepares for medical admission exam today

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) convened a meeting with the vice chancellors from public universities authorised to administer the medical and dental admission test (MDCAT).

The medical entrance exam, MDCAT, is scheduled for Sunday (today).

Read more: MDCAT exam in Punjab: Section 144 imposed in 12 Punjab cities

The meeting was led by the President of PMDC Professor Dr Rizwan Taj. Other key participants included Professor Rathore from University of Health Science (UHS) Lahore, Professor Dr Saeed Qureshi from Dow University of Heath Sciences, and Professor Dr Zia-ul-Haq from  Khyber Medical University, Peshawar.

Representatives from Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University, Islamabad, and Bolan University of Medical and Heath Sciences, Quetta were also in accented.

The university officials reported that preparations for the medical entrance exam was well underway, with testing set to occur in 30 cities across Pakistan and at two international centres in Riyadh and Dubai.

They confirmed that “admit cards” have been issued and all “necessary arrangements” were finalised in accordance with established protocols.

The PMDC stated that they were cooperating with the govemrent authorities and security agencies to ensure the MDCAT was conducted securely, while also maintain both, secrecy and transparency

To protect the MDCAT paper from leaking, the PMDC said it has taken all kinds of measures. The representatives said that it was essential to maintain the integer of medical entrance exams as the exam-takers were future medical and dental professionals.

The council said “strict” vigilance would be conducted during the exam to prevent cheating or any other disruption ,

In a bit to ensure a secure examination environment, the PMDC requested the enforcement of section 144 under the constitution, which prohibits public gatherings and the use of electronic devices, during the MDCAT.

Key directives from the PMDC includes comprehensive candidate verification and identification procedures, the deployment of of invigilators and monitoring teams to uphold examination standards.

Modern surveillance technology was also employed to deter cheating.

Universities were also instructed to take appropriate action against any person caught cheating. 

The universities conducting the MDCAT have established centres in:

1. Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University has 33 centres
2. UHS has 26 centres
3. Khyber Medical University has 13 centres
4. Dow University of Health Sciences has 6 centres

A total of 167,744 students have registered for the MDCAT exam, with the breakdown of candidates by province.

Punjab has 58,380 hopefuls giving exams, Sindh boasts 38,678, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 42,329 while Balochistan has a mere 5,806 candidates.

Meanwhile, the Islamabad Capital Territory has 18,408 registered students, while Azad Jammu and Kashmir have 3.145.

Read more: Peshawar to suspend mobile phone service for MDCAT

Similarly, Gilgit-Baltistan has 739 candidates, while internationally, 259 students are appearing.

Candidates were warned of strict penalties if caught weathering, with disciplinary action taken, inclujding being barred from future MDCAT exams.