Students going abroad exempted from MDCAT

Pakistani students planning to study medicine or dentistry abroad will no longer have to pass the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) as the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has withdrawn the mandatory requirement following months of scrutiny over its legal basis and effectiveness. The decision was taken at a PMDC meeting held on Sept 14 and formally announced by the council on Monday. In a notice shared on X, the PMDC said the council "decided to exempt the mandatory requirement of having passed the MDCAT as a prerequisite for Pakistani students seeking admission into foreign medical and dental institutions." The notice did not give any reason for the policy change. PMDC President Dr Rizwan Taj said the decision followed a recommendation by a parliamentary committee that students intending to study abroad should not be required to take MDCAT. However, students pursuing medical or dental education abroad would remain exempt from MDCAT. Those seeking to transfer to a university in Pakistan in the middle of their studies would have to clear the National Examination Board (NEB) assessment. Students intending to practise in Pakistan after completing their education abroad would also have to pass the registration examination for foreign medical graduates. The NEB is conducted by the PMDC twice a year for medical graduates who have passed their examinations abroad. The examination is designed to assess the knowledge, clinical skills and professional competence of students who have partially completed medical or dental education overseas and seek transfer to or admission in Pakistan. In addition, graduates of foreign universities are required to appear in a registration examination to obtain a licence to begin their house job and practise medicine or dentistry in Pakistan.