Zubair Qureshi
The admitting universities of Sindh, Balochistan and AJ&K are permitted to hold the admission test for admission to medical and dental colleges on September 8, 2019.
Earlier they were given along with Punjab, KP and Federal universities August 25, 2019 as date for the admission tests. This was decided on Sunday in a meeting of the admissions board of Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) at Islamabad. Vice Chancellors of all the admitting universities attended the meeting and considered in detail requests by the representations of the Sindh and Balochistan admitting universities to grant them extension in the date for holding the Admissions Test.
Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences, Jamshoro (Admitting University Sindh) and Bolan University of Medical & Health Sciences (Admitting University Baluchistan) had sought time to hold the Admission Test (MDCAT) in view of lack of resources and ability to hold the admission test on the notified date of August 25, 2019.
The admission board also allowed the admitting universities of Punjab (University of Health Sciences); KP (Khyber Medical University), Federal & GB (SZAMBU) and Armed Forces (NUMS) may to hold the Admission Test on the already notified date of August 25, 2019 as already organized by them or alternatively the may hold it on September 8, 2019 subject to informing PM&DC within one week.
The above extension of date in the admission test has been further granted on the basis of the undertaking by all the admitting universities that no further extension shall be sought and they shall strictly abide by the central schedule issued by PM&DC for the admissions process from the date of advertising for submission of applications for admissions to the closure of admission subsequent to the completion of merit list for both Public and Private Medical and Dental Colleges.
In a release issued here Sunday, PMDC clarified the admission board will be shortly issuing a final schedule of all relevant dates for the admissions process which will be initiated after the conclusion of the Admission Test to ensure all admissions to public and private colleges across Pakistan is done on a singular schedule to ensure students are fully aware of their placement and not confronted with later placement by different admitting universities which was one of the major reasons for delay caused in the admissions process last year.
It has also been clarified in the PMDC press release that admission to public colleges in all provinces will be on the basis of provincial domicile of students or any other provincial or federal policy pertaining to special quotas relating to domicile, open merit or self-finance subject to all admissions being strictly on merit. PM&DC has not placed any mandatory requirement on public colleges to offer any seat to a student from outside the relevant province.
The admission board has reiterated its primary concern i.e. to ensure that as per the mandate of Article 37 of the Constitution of Pakistan all admissions are strictly on merit and students from across Pakistan have a fair, equal and transparent opportunity to obtain admission in medical and dental colleges with a view to producing the best quality doctors for the future of Pakistan.
