The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has directed all medical and dental colleges to halt admissions for their MBBS and BDS programs for 2024. This follows restraining orders issued by the Sindh High Court (SHC) and Islamabad High Court (IHC) regarding the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) results.
The courts are investigating allegations of irregularities, including a paper leak in Sindh and claims of “out of syllabus” questions in Islamabad. PMDC officials have clarified that these issues affect admissions nationwide, as the results from Dow University and SZAMBU are applicable across Pakistan under PMDC law.
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In a conversation with The News, PMDC President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj confirmed the decision to pause admissions. He stated, “The high court rulings apply to all medical institutions in the country, and we must wait for the court’s final decisions before moving forward.”
The controversy began when numerous students, particularly from Sindh, alleged that the MDCAT paper had been leaked. These concerns prompted petitions that led to the courts’ intervention. Over 38,000 candidates from Sindh alone sat for the exam, and irregularities in the scores have fueled further suspicion.
The courts are expected to issue final decisions by the end of October, leaving thousands of aspiring medical students in uncertainty.