NA health panel urges PMDC to reconduct MDCAT

ISLAMABAD: A majority of members from the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Health urged the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Friday to reconduct the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) across provinces and Islamabad if it is proven that the exam paper was leaked or included out-of-syllabus questions. The demand followed a series of concerns raised over the integrity of the 2024 MDCAT results.

During a meeting chaired by MNA Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, the committee was informed that in Sindh, a high-level committee had been formed to investigate the alleged paper leakage on court orders. PMDC officials assured the committee that if the inquiry confirmed the paper had been leaked, the council would have no objections to reconducting the test in Sindh. A similar case in Islamabad, concerning out-of-syllabus questions, is currently under review by the Islamabad High Court. PMDC stated that the medical universities, not the council, were responsible for conducting the MDCAT and emphasized that it would respect any court decision to reconduct the exam in any province.

The committee voiced serious concerns over the recurring allegations of MDCAT paper leaks, which surface almost every year. To address these issues, the committee recommended implementing modern technology to ensure the transparency and security of future admission tests for medical and dental colleges. PMDC President and officials provided further details on this year’s MDCAT results, clarifying that the highest scores were achieved by students who took the test under the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore, with some top students securing 199 out of 200 marks. Meanwhile, students from Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) in Karachi and Bolan Medical University in Balochistan had comparatively lower scores. These discrepancies raised additional questions regarding the fairness and consistency of the examination process.

The committee also expressed concern about the effect of these controversies on students and their families, urging swift action to restore trust in the system. It recommended aligning the MDCAT schedule with the completion of students’ FSC results, ensuring that candidates are evaluated based on their final academic standings.