MDCAT made mandatory for students planning to pursue medical education abroad

The government on Tuesday introduced major reforms in the medical education system, making prior registration with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) mandatory for Pakistani students seeking medical and dental education abroad.

The decisions were taken during an important meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to review the approval of medical, dentistry and alternative medicine educational institutions. The meeting considered legal requirements related to the approval process and emphasized ensuring quality and adherence to international standards in medical education.

The committee decided that students would not be allowed to pursue medical education abroad without passing the MDCAT examination. It was also decided that only foreign medical institutions included in the PM&DC approved list and recognised by WFME would be accepted.

According to the committee, foreign medical graduates will be required to pass the national registration examination, while at least 6,200 teaching hours and 80 percent attendance will be mandatory during medical studies. Students going to non-English speaking countries were also directed to first learn the local language.

The committee instructed authorities to ensure transparent and merit-based inspections of medical and dental colleges and directed that a zero-tolerance policy be adopted against negligence or irregularities in the inspection process.

Students pursuing medical education abroad were advised to complete the PM&DC registration process before leaving the country, with the committee warning that failure to obtain prior registration could create problems in the future.

The meeting, held in Islamabad, was attended by federal ministers for health and law, Tariq Bajwa and senior officials from the relevant ministries and institutions. The PM&DC reiterated its commitment to bringing medical education in line with international standards.