The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council has removed the mandatory MDCAT requirement for Pakistani students seeking admission to undergraduate medical or dental institutions abroad.
Dawn reported that the council announced on October 5 that passing the Medical and Dental College Admission Test would no longer be a prerequisite for foreign medical and dental admissions. The decision had been approved at a council meeting on September 14.
PMDC President Dr Rizwan Taj said a parliamentary committee had recommended that students planning to study abroad should not be compelled to clear the domestic entry test. The requirement had been applied to overseas admissions beginning with the 2024-25 academic session.
The change concerns the MDCAT prerequisite only. Students still need to comply with other requirements imposed by the foreign institution, host country, PMDC and any later registration process in Pakistan.