MDCAT mandatory for AHS degree programmes

LAHORE:The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has made the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) mandatory for admission to four and five-year undergraduate degree programmes of Allied Health Sciences (AHS) in Punjab.

The admission to these programmes including BSc (Hons) and Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), will be based on the same weightage criteria used to calculate merit for MBBS and BDS, that is, 50 percent weightage to MDCAT, 40 percent to Intermediate, and 10 percent to Matriculation marks. Admissions to these programmes will be opened immediately after the declaration of the MDCAT result by the university while the classes in all institutions will start on January 15. These decisions were taken at the 25th meeting of the Board of Studies in Allied Health Sciences on Thursday. UHS Institute of Allied Health Sciences' head Professor Saqib Mahmood presided over the meeting in which principals and representatives of 34 affiliated institutions participated. The board decided to add English language proficiency courses such as IELTS to the curricula. This decision has been taken to increase the acceptability of Pakistani nurses and paramedics abroad and to provide better job opportunities. All undergraduate AHS programmes were also approved to be gradually shifted to the semester system.