Islamabad: Thousands of doctors pursuing postgraduate specialisation in Pakistan will no longer be officially described as “postgraduate trainees”, or PGs after the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) decided to replace the title with “specialty registrar” in what it says is a move to better reflect their professional standing and strengthen patients’ confidence in them.
The change will apply to doctors enrolled in, or undergoing training through, postgraduate medical and dental programmes at PMDC-recognised institutions across the country.
In a notification issued on September 17, the regulator said its council had taken the decision at its 19th meeting held on July 14, directing that “PG trainee” be replaced with “specialty registrar” in all future official communication.
The PMDC said the term “trainee” was not well perceived by patients and did not adequately convey the professional status of doctors undergoing speciality training after completing their basic medical or dental qualifications.
It said “specialty registrar” was already widely used in healthcare systems and had greater acceptance among patients, helping build confidence in doctors receiving supervised advanced training in hospitals and teaching institutions.
The change is likely to affect appointment orders, training records, correspondence, identification material and other official documents relating to postgraduate medical and dental education.
The council directed federal and provincial health departments, universities, degree-awarding institutions and PMDC-recognised postgraduate training institutions to use the new nomenclature in all future notifications, records and correspondence.
It also asked teaching hospitals and institutions to ensure that doctors enrolled in residency and other recognised postgraduate programmes are referred to as specialty registrars rather than trainees.
Doctors entering postgraduate programmes in Pakistan generally work in public and private teaching hospitals while pursuing specialist qualifications in fields ranging from medicine and surgery to paediatrics, gynaecology, psychiatry, radiology and dentistry.
They provide a substantial share of patient care in busy wards, emergency departments, operation theatres and outpatient clinics, while working under supervision and meeting training, examination and service requirements of their respective programmes.
The word “trainee” has long been used in the health sector to distinguish doctors in formal speciality education from consultants and independent specialists, but many young doctors have argued that it understates their clinical responsibilities and experience.
A specialty registrar, while not a consultant, is a qualified doctor undertaking structured training in a chosen specialty and is expected to progressively assume greater clinical responsibility under institutional supervision.
The PMDC said it had already incorporated and implemented the term through the newly approved PMDC Postgraduate Medical and Dental Standards Regulations, 2026, which are available on its official website.
The notification was sent to vice chancellors of all admitting universities, the surgeon general at General Headquarters Medical Directorate, the Ministry of National Health Services, provincial health departments and degree-awarding institutions.
It was also forwarded to principals, deans, executive directors and medical superintendents of postgraduate medical and dental institutes, as well as the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan.
The decision comes amid wider debate over working conditions, professional recognition and the wellbeing of young doctors, many of whom work long shifts in overcrowded hospitals while balancing demanding clinical duties with examinations and academic requirements.
By formally recognising them as specialty registrars, the PMDC appears to be seeking a title that acknowledges both their continuing education and their role as qualified doctors delivering supervised patient care.