Islamabad: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has categorically barred all public and private medical and dental colleges from conducting independent admissions, warning that any student admitted outside the officially designated centralized process for the 2025–26 academic session will not be registered with the regulator.
In a formal directive, PMDC informed vice chancellors of admitting universities across Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and Islamabad that admissions to MBBS and BDS programmes must be conducted strictly through universities designated by provincial governments, in line with the Medical and Dental Undergraduate Education Regulations 2025.
The council clarified that only an “admitting university” nominated by a provincial government is legally authorised to conduct centralized, provincial, or regional admission processes for medical and dental colleges within its jurisdiction. Individual colleges, whether public or private, have no authority to admit students on their own.
PMDC officials stressed that all admissions must follow the prescribed centralized mechanism and sequence, without exception, and within timelines notified under the regulations. Any deviation, including admissions made outside the authorized process or after stipulated deadlines, will be treated as non-compliant.
Under the regulatory schedule, admissions to public medical colleges must be completed by December 31 each year, while private medical colleges are required to conclude admissions by January 31. For dental colleges, the deadlines extend to February 15 for public institutions and February 28 for private colleges.
The council warned that students admitted in violation of these regulations will not be registered with PMDC, effectively rendering them ineligible to pursue medical or dental education legally in Pakistan. Responsibility for such non-compliance, PMDC said, will rest squarely with the admitting university and the concerned institution.
Health education experts say the warning reflects PMDC’s growing concern over repeated complaints of irregular admissions, unauthorized seat filling, and confusion faced by students and parents during admission cycles, particularly in the private sector.
The directive has been circulated to all recognized medical and dental colleges, provincial health departments, the Ministry of National Health Services, and senior PMDC officials, signaling a zero-tolerance approach toward admissions conducted outside the regulatory framework.
PMDC officials urged all universities and institutions to ensure strict adherence to their defined roles and regulatory obligations, warning that failure to comply could lead to serious academic and legal consequences for both institutions and students.
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