Islamabad: Pakistani students graduating from medical and dental institutions in Afghanistan will neither be allowed to sit the National Registration Examination nor obtain PMDC registration to practise in Pakistan, the regulator has warned.
In a public notice issued on July 31, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) said medical and dental institutions in Afghanistan were not included in the recognised institutions list of the Education Commission on Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).
It said Pakistani nationals holding primary medical or dental qualifications from foreign institutions recognised by the ECFMG would be eligible to appear in the National Registration Examination (NRE), subject to fulfilment of other applicable requirements.
However, the council said Afghan medical and dental institutions did not currently fall within the framework applicable for PMDC recognition.
“Consequently, graduates of such institutions shall not be eligible to appear in the NRE and, therefore, shall not be entitled to seek registration with PMDC for the purpose of medical or dental practice in Pakistan,” the notice said.
The advisory followed reports that a number of Pakistani nationals were currently pursuing medical and dental education in Afghanistan.
The PMDC urged Pakistani students already studying in Afghanistan, as well as those intending to seek admission there, to carefully check whether an institution was recognised by the ECFMG before making an academic decision.
It said the Council would not entertain requests for exemption, relaxation or special dispensation from the prescribed eligibility requirements.
The PMDC said the notice had been issued in the public interest to prevent hardship for students and ensure that prospective applicants were fully aware of Pakistan’s regulatory requirements for recognition of foreign medical and dental qualifications.
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