ISLAMABAD – A Senate sub-committee on health has recommended conducting the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) twice a year to give aspiring medical students more opportunities and greater flexibility in pursuing admissions.
The recommendation was made during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, chaired by Senator Anusha Rahman at Parliament House. Federal Health Minister Syed Mustafa Kamal and senior senators attended the session.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) briefed the committee on the MDCAT system and its development over the years. Members expressed concerns over differences between FSc, IB, and A-Level educational systems, saying students from different backgrounds face difficulties preparing under the current MDCAT framework.
The committee noted that many students rely on costly private coaching academies due to syllabus differences and called for a fair examination approach that considers students’ academic streams.
Health Minister Mustafa Kamal assured lawmakers that genuine concerns would be addressed. He said some tuition groups were spreading misleading information to create controversy around the test process and clarified that MDCAT was scheduled several weeks after board examinations.
The committee also discussed the high cost of private medical education, stating that expensive fees were preventing deserving students from enrolling and encouraging some to seek affordable options abroad.
Members called for a review of private medical college fee structures and better awareness campaigns about unrecognized foreign medical institutions. They also recommended creating more opportunities for Pakistani medical graduates returning from abroad to complete house jobs and professional training.
The PMDC defended the importance of MDCAT, stating that reducing its weightage could affect the credibility of the national admission system.
