ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Health, chaired by Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, proposed significant reforms to the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) on Thursday. The committee recommended raising the weightage of MDCAT scores for admissions to medical colleges to ensure that deserving students have a fair opportunity to pursue medical education.
The committee’s meeting discussed various issues concerning the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), the medical education examination system, and regulatory challenges in the healthcare sector. There were serious concerns raised about transparency, discrepancies between exam boards, and perceived injustices in the MDCAT process.
The committee proposed the introduction of a central examination system and the creation of a databank with 3,000 to 4,000 standardized questions across provinces to ensure uniformity. They also expressed dissatisfaction with the PMDC’s de-registration of colleges and alleged political interference in student registrations.
Additionally, the committee addressed issues faced by medical students, especially those who graduated from Kyrgyzstan, directing prompt action to resolve their concerns.
