The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to significantly increase postgraduate (PG) residency training seats across the country to bridge the widening gap between medical graduates and available training opportunities.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting that reviewed concerns over the growing mismatch between the number of graduating doctors and limited residency positions. Officials noted that while undergraduate medical education has expanded considerably over the past two decades, postgraduate training capacity has not kept pace.
A PMDC spokesperson said a large number of qualified doctors compete each year for a limited number of PG residency seats, highlighting that the issue lies not in the number of graduates but in insufficient training opportunities and subsequent employment avenues.
The council warned that this imbalance has contributed to the migration of doctors abroad in search of better training and career prospects.
The PMDC President stressed the need to substantially increase residency seats in government health institutions. The council also proposed upgrading District Headquarters (DHQs) and Tehsil Headquarters (THQs) hospitals to function as accredited PG training centres in line with PMDC standards.
The spokesperson said the expansion of seats would be linked to transparent and merit-based career progression systems, which would help retain skilled professionals within the country.
Officials added that increasing training capacity would not only create more opportunities for medical graduates but also address the shortage of qualified teaching staff, as trained doctors eventually serve as educators and supervisors.
The PMDC said the recommendations are aimed at addressing human resource imbalances in the healthcare sector, improving institutional capacity, and reducing the trend of medical professionals seeking opportunities abroad, while fully respecting the constitutional authority of provincial governments.