The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) recently formed a seven-member committee to make the future Medical & Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) better and more transparent.
The committee with members from all provinces is tasked with identifying and addressing challenges, ensuring transparency, minimizing errors, and implementing IT-based solutions. This includes considerations for a centralized or university-specific test, a uniform syllabus, and the scheduling of MDCAT immediately after the intermediate exams to combat the influence of tuition mafias.
The inaugural meeting of the MDCAT Reform Committee was held on Wednesday at the PM&DC office.
In the maiden session President of PM&DC, Prof. Dr. RizwanTaj, expressed his gratitude to the Chairman and the members of the committee for attending the important meeting and formally requested the Chairman to begin the session.
Chairman of the committee Prof. Dr. Suhail Amin welcomed all members and provided a brief update on the recent proceedings of MDCAT 2024 and its legal aspects of conducting the examination in accordance with the PM&DC Act 2022.
Following the brief update, the Chairman emphasized the importance of implementing a unified syllabus for the conduct of this high-stakes examination. He further highlighted the need to incorporate technology to enhance the quality of the exams.
The committee chairman formally assigned future tasks and established three sub-committees (working groups) with deadlines for further work to streamline the reform process.
The first sub-committee, the MDCAT Syllabus Committee, is comprised of four members and will draft a unified syllabus with consensus from local and foreign boards. They will develop a Table of Specifications for the exam and create an outline with a plan for building a sustainable question bank.
The second sub-committee, the E-Assessment Project Committee, is comprised of three members who are tasked with proposing a secure question bank portal and e-assessment plan, along with technical specifications and cost estimates. They will also draft a working paper on the modalities for conducting centralized e-MDCAT.
The third sub-committee, the MDCAT Policy Document Committee, is comprised of two members who will work on developing a comprehensive policy document for the smooth implementation of the national exam.
The Chairman directed all sub-committees to submit their drafts by December.
The draft action plan shall be reviewed in its upcoming meeting. In his closing remarks, the Chairman thanked all the members formally for their valuable input and time.
The IBCC Chairman announced the completion of the “Examination Bible,” a comprehensive guide for grades 9-12 outlining exam procedures and question bank development, to be implemented nationwide. He supported e-examinations for MDCAT, emphasizing their practicality for MCQs, and highlighted the successful adoption of a grading system in board exams. He pledged full support for this national initiative.
The committee also reviewed the status of the syllabus and question bank. PM&DC informed the committee that the MDCAT syllabus has undergone one round of revision, but further revisions are still necessary. The committee also deliberated on enhancing the question bank.
Members of the committee deliberated that globally, all such entry tests are designed to assess a candidate’s potential as a health professional. Therefore, we must also consider incorporating more content that tests higher cognitive abilities, critical thinking, and ethical and contextual domains. He further noted that the current practice primarily involves retesting previously covered content, which does not adequately justify the significant efforts invested in this high-stakes examination for a specialized profession.
The President of PM&DC, Prof. Dr. RizwanTaj, endorsed all the points discussed and informed the members that he had attended several meetings at the Senate and National Assembly on the same issue. He emphasized that PM&DC must submit an Action Plan for the reforms of the MDCAT examination by December 2024.
He added that in response to recent issues regarding the MDCAT examination, it is imperative to address concerns and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to ensure a fair and transparent examination process across Pakistan.
He emphasized the need for MDCAT to remain free from controversy and upheld as a standard of integrity. He expressed regret over the misconduct that occurred in the recent MDCAT exam despite extensive efforts to uphold fairness, he stated, “We are deeply concerned about the harm caused by unscrupulous elements who have tarnished the image of the entire system in this national exercise.
