ISLAMABAD: The government has allowed all students, who wish to seek admission in medical and dental colleges, to take the MDCAT examination even if they have not yet taken their intermediate or A-level exams.
The decision was taken during a joint high-level meeting held here Thursday under the co-chair of Minister for Federal Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood and Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Health Dr Faisal Sultan.
The meeting aimed to ensure the admission of intermediate (Pre-medical) and A2 Cambridge students in public and private medical universities of Pakistan.
Disruption was caused in current academic year and exams due to Covid-19.
The meeting discussed various options to save the academic year of A2 and FSc pre-medical students and ensure their timely admission in the public and private medical universities across the country.
The Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) informed the minister that as per the PMC Undergraduate Education (Admissions, Curriculum and Conduct) Regulations 2021, all students who wish to seek admission in medical and dental colleges can take the MDCAT examination even if they have not yet taken their FSc pre-medical or A-level exams.
The MDCAT exam will be conducted from August 30 to September 30. All students, who will be taking their A-Level exams in October, can take the MDCAT exam in September and apply for admissions to medical colleges before their exams are held.
The admissions are to be finalised in medical and dental colleges by January 15, 2022 as per the PMC regulations.
The meeting agreed to accommodate the students, taking their A-level exams in October and expecting results in January, 2022. Each medical and dental college and university will be directed not to finalise the admissions of students, who will be taking their A-levels in October, as the admissions of those students will be finalised after the declaration of results of A-level exams in January, 2022.
For this purpose, the PMC will permit colleges to finalise admissions on these special category seats by February 10, 2022.
The PMC vice president also requested the federal minister for education and SAPM on health to consider using only elective subjects’ results this year for merit creation in public colleges as the FSc exams are being held for elective subjects only.
The PMC is already considering a policy on these lines for private colleges.
The minister and SAPM reaffirmed that the incumbent government is absolutely focused to address the education emergencies due to Covid-19, and said no stone would be left unturned to provide the students fair opportunities for their career path.
It was also agreed that the ministry of federal education will closely coordinate with provincial governments for the smooth implementation of this agreed policy.
