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PMDC introduces new MDCAT syllabus

PMDC introduces new MDCAT syllabus

Express Tribune13-06-2025

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) uploaded the new syllabus for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025 on its official website on Thursday, which would serve as the core framework for the upcoming examination.
The new syllabus encompasses five key subjects – Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, and Logical Reasoning – with focus on conceptual understanding and critical thinking. The PMDC encouraged aspiring students to begin their preparations following the newly issued curriculum syllabus.
The final date of the MDCAT exams was likely to be announced in a couple of days following consultations with admitting universities. The exams are likely to be held on either the last Sunday of September or the first Sunday of October 2025.
The exam will consist of a total of 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) — categorised as 15% easy, 70% moderate, and 15% difficult — which would be answered in three hours, said a statement, while defining the structure, weightage, and difficulty levels for the exam. "No negative marking will be applied."
According to the statement, candidates must achieve a minimum of 55% marks to qualify for admission to medical colleges and 50% marks for admission in dental colleges.

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PMDC introduces new MDCAT syllabus
PMDC introduces new MDCAT syllabus

Express Tribune

time13-06-2025

  • Express Tribune

PMDC introduces new MDCAT syllabus

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) uploaded the new syllabus for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2025 on its official website on Thursday, which would serve as the core framework for the upcoming examination. The new syllabus encompasses five key subjects – Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, and Logical Reasoning – with focus on conceptual understanding and critical thinking. The PMDC encouraged aspiring students to begin their preparations following the newly issued curriculum syllabus. The final date of the MDCAT exams was likely to be announced in a couple of days following consultations with admitting universities. The exams are likely to be held on either the last Sunday of September or the first Sunday of October 2025. The exam will consist of a total of 180 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) — categorised as 15% easy, 70% moderate, and 15% difficult — which would be answered in three hours, said a statement, while defining the structure, weightage, and difficulty levels for the exam. "No negative marking will be applied." According to the statement, candidates must achieve a minimum of 55% marks to qualify for admission to medical colleges and 50% marks for admission in dental colleges.

‘First Licensing System' at PMDC regional office in Lahore launched
‘First Licensing System' at PMDC regional office in Lahore launched

Business Recorder

time30-05-2025

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‘First Licensing System' at PMDC regional office in Lahore launched

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), to facilitate medical/dental graduates and practitioners, has launched for the first time, the Licensing System at the PMDC regional office in Lahore, Punjab. According to an official communiqué, the digital initiative targets to simplify and expedite the registration process for graduates and medical and dental professionals and specialists, enabling them to complete their registrations quickly and securely. The system promotes greater transparency, efficiency, and accessibility by eliminating traditional hurdles and significantly reducing processing times. One of the most notable benefits is that it saves medical and dental practitioners' valuable time and effort by eliminating the need to travel from Lahore to the Islamabad head office to resolve their queries. Furthermore, doctors facing difficulties in filling out the online portal application will be assisted by the staff available at the regional centre who is equipped to help with the submission process. All registration services will now be available at the PMDC Lahore Regional Office. These services include full registration, license renewal, issuance of Good Standing Certificates, provision of duplicates, and updates or changes to practitioner records, shall be facilitated except for matters related to teaching and practical experience. The Lahore office will also assist with the submission and processing of online applications, as well as resolving related queries for the above categories. Original certificates will be dispatched to practitioners via TCS courier service, while a copy of the certificate may also be provided to medical and dental professionals for their convenience. Prof Dr Rizwan Taj, President of PMDC, emphasised the significance of this development by stating: 'This is a step towards accelerating the licensing process through PM&DC's regional offices. By launching this initiative, we are empowering our doctors to begin their professional journeys without unnecessary delays.' He added that Phase-I has been launched in Lahore to serve practitioners in Punjab. The system will be expanded nationwide in the coming months. Phase-II will be launched in Peshawar and Karachi, followed by Phase-III in Jamshoro and Balochistan, and finally Phase-IV in Multan. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025

MBBS fee spike irks families
MBBS fee spike irks families

Express Tribune

time25-05-2025

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MBBS fee spike irks families

In Pakistan, nearly all parents hope that at least one of their children gets to flaunt the highly revered, 'Dr.' title of a doctor. However, as the medical education sector becomes increasingly reliant on costly private institutions, it appears that the white coat will now be reserved for those born with a golden spoon in their mouth. In 2019, the total tuition fees for the five-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree was fixed at Rs5 million. Although private medical colleges implemented this policy for two years, now they are charging Rs10 million to Rs15 million as fees for the same degree. As a result of the increase in fees, students and their parents are facing severe financial difficulties since they also have to bear the additional cost of Rs2 million on books, clothing, transportation and daily expenses during the five-year academic period. Beenish, a pre-medical student, shared her experience of taking admission at a private medical school after she could not qualify for a government college. 'In addition to the first-year fee of Rs2.2 million, I was asked to deposit additional money in the name of donation, for which no receipt was given. If we use the college's transportation, then Rs100,000 is collected annually as travel charges. Similarly, a monthly fee of Rs50,000 is sought for living in the girls' hostel. Our parents are suffering from severe mental stress because of the huge sum of money required for our education,' said Beenish. Ali Murtaza, a second-year medical student at a private medical college confirmed that exorbitant fees were being collected from students at private institutions even though their faculty was incomplete. 'Private medical colleges have a monopoly in the city and are charging arbitrary fees. As a result, medical education has become so expensive that the children of low to middle-income parents cannot afford to become doctors,' exclaimed Murtaza. Muhammad Zia Iqbal, former Dean of Basic Sciences at Dow University and former Professor at the Sindh Medical College, confirmed that private medical education had become a commercial industry in the country since the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) had failed to formulate any uniform policy regarding their fees. "Hence, the annual fee of private colleges has increased by 200 per cent," claimed Iqbal. On the other hand, the PMDC has maintained complete silence on the extraordinary, unannounced and arbitrary increase in tuition fees by private medical and dental colleges. From 2019 to 2021, the annual tuition fee for MBBS was fixed at Rs1 million. However, after the dissolution of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), the Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) divided medical colleges across the country into A, B and C categories, after which these colleges started deciding their own fee. Some medical colleges are charging an additional fee of 10 to 20 per cent every year. An international medical college in Karachi is charging a five-year fee of 90,000 US dollars, hence proving that the PMDC has become practically inactive. This is aggravated by the fact that limited seats are allocated for medical education in government medical and dental colleges. A total of 2,450 seats are allocated for MBBS in government medical colleges in Sindh. The number of government medical colleges across Sindh including Karachi is 12 while the number of government dental colleges is seven and the number of government medical universities is six. The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has issued a public notice on January 8, 2025, directing private medical and dental colleges to not collect fees for the academic session of 2024-25 until the Medical Education Committee established by the Prime Minister under the chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister takes a decision regarding the review of tuition fees.

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