Registration exam must for foreign medical grads: PMDC

Islamabad : The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has declared that all foreign medical graduates must clear the National Registration Examination (NRE) to get a full licence to practice in the country.

“The PMDC Act, 2022, authorises the Council to assess and recognise foreign medical institutions. Only the graduates of foreign institutions duly recognised by the PMDC are eligible for provisional registration. The y may be granted provisional registration but they are required to pass the NRE to obtain full licence to practice," the regulator said in a statement.

According to it, a rigorous assessment process is under way for foreign medical institutions with Pakistani students.

The PMDC, however, said several of those institutions didn't meet the regulatory standards set by the PMDC, and their graduates were demanding provisional registration certificates for clinical practice.

It disclosed that recently, two medical universities in Punjab had raised serious concerns regarding the quality of medical education received by medical graduates from certain foreign countries.

The sole regulator for medical education and practice in the country said its supreme decision-making body, Council, had discussed the issue and decided that only the graduates of foreign institutions duly recognised by PMDC were eligible to get provisional registration prior to NRE.

"All other graduates enrolled at the time of erstwhile PMDC or PMC and their institutions not yet recognised under the new law will be issued provisional registration once they qualify for the NRE," it said.

The PMDC also said only graduates of foreign institutions included in the ECFMG accredited lists were eligible to sit NREs, a practice followed by different countries.

“The requirement of passing the examination for provincial or full licence is not a new phenomenon. In fact, it was started by the Council in early 90s under the PMDC Ordinance, 1962, to ensure safety, competence and consistency before a doctor can treat patients independently."

The regulator insisted that almost every country required foreign-trained medical graduates to pass some kind of licensing or qualifying examination before being allowed to begin the practice to protect patients and to maintain healthcare standards, as the exam ensures that all doctors practicing locally met the minimum knowledge and competency standards required in that country.