Islamabad: Pakistani students intending to pursue medical and dental education abroad would now have to mandatorily qualify the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) and obtain prior registration from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) before leaving the country, a high level committee overseeing reforms in medical education decided on Monday.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the Sub Committee on Accreditation of Medical and Dental Colleges and Postgraduate Qualifications, which reviewed ongoing reforms and regulatory measures aimed at strengthening medical and dental education in Pakistan and ensuring compliance with international standards.
The committee is working under the supervision of a high level body chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, which is overseeing efforts to improve the regulatory framework governing medical and dental education in the country.
According to officials, the committee discussed in detail the accreditation and inspection mechanisms for undergraduate and postgraduate medical and dental institutions and emphasized that there would be no compromise on inspection standards, transparency and merit in the accreditation process.
Participants of the meeting reiterated a policy of zero tolerance toward negligence, irregularities and non compliance in inspections and accreditation of institutions, stressing that maintaining high standards in medical and dental education was essential to safeguard the future of healthcare services in Pakistan.
The committee was briefed on reforms and updated procedures introduced to improve the quality, transparency and credibility of inspections conducted by the PM&DC for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Regarding foreign medical graduates, the committee resolved that all Pakistani students planning to study medicine or dentistry abroad must first clear the MDCAT examination and register themselves with the PM&DC before proceeding overseas in order to avoid future issues related to recognition, licensing and registration in Pakistan.
The committee also directed students to verify before admission that the foreign medical or dental institution they intended to join was included in the PM&DC’s list of recognized foreign institutions.
In addition, the foreign institution must either be accredited by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) or listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools, the meeting was informed.
Officials said the committee also decided that foreign medical qualifications must comprise at least 6,200 hours of education over a minimum period of five years with at least 80 percent attendance to be considered for recognition in Pakistan.
The meeting further discussed language related barriers faced by Pakistani students studying medicine abroad and advised that students going to countries where the medium of instruction is not English should spend at least five months learning the local language before commencing their medical education to ensure proper communication and academic understanding.
The committee also reiterated that all foreign graduates would be required to pass the National Registration Examination conducted by PM&DC before becoming eligible for registration and medical practice in Pakistan.
Students proceeding abroad for medical and dental education were also directed to provide complete details of their residence and contact numbers in the country of study before departure and were advised to secure multiple entry visas valid for the duration of their studies.
Officials maintained that the new measures were aimed at protecting the academic and professional future of Pakistani medical students and ensuring that graduates returning from foreign institutions met both national and international standards required for medical practice.
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