Medical entrance test held in tight security

LAHORE

The entrance test for admission to medical and dental colleges of Punjab province was held on Sunday in which 56,272 candidates, 36,542 female and 19,730 male, appeared.

The entrance test, conducted by University of Health Sciences (UHS), was simultaneously held in 13 cities of the province, amid tight security. Last year, 46,559 candidates had appeared in the test. There are 3405 MBBS seats in 17 public sector medical colleges and 216 BDS seats in three public dental colleges of Punjab. Besides, there are around 3,500 MBBS and 800 BDS seats in 27 private sector medical colleges and 12 dental colleges of the province respectively.

According to a UHS spokesperson, the test was conducted peacefully at 27 centres set up in Lahore, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Gujrat, Gujranwala Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Multan, DG Khan, Rahimyar Khan, Rawalpindi, Sialkot and Hasan Abdal.  A large number of police personnel were deployed at the centres. Ambulances and fire brigade vehicles were present at the centres. Besides, close circuit TV (CCTV) cameras, mobile phone jammers and walk-through gates were installed at all the centres. There were proper arrangements for the disabled students, parking and waiting area facilities for the parents of the candidates. Back-up power generators were also provided at some of the centres.

The candidates and their parents expressed their satisfaction over the arrangement made by UHS and the provincial government. Parents were seen reciting the Holy Quran for the success of their children. No untoward incident was reported during the test. In Lahore, Primary & Secondary Healthcare Secretary Ali Jan Khan, District Coordination Officer Capt (r) Muhammad Usman and other senior officers monitored the arrangements for a total of 11,155 female and 5635 male candidates who appeared in the test at the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) examination halls on Lawrence Road, Punjab University examination halls on Wahdat Road, Government Comprehensive Girls High School, Government Central Model School on Lower Mall, Government Postgraduate College for Women, Samanabad, University of Education, Township and Lahore College for Women University on Jail Road. 

UHS Vice-Chancellor Prof Muhammad Aslam and Specialised Healthcare & Medical Education Department Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah visited various centres. Talking to the media, Prof Muhammad Aslam said medicine and dentistry attracted the most brilliant students every year and they demanded a fair system. He said UHS tried to make the process structured and transparent which was regularly reviewed. He adding that UHS believed that all candidates should have an equal opportunity to show their suitability for the MBBS and BDS programmes. He said that there were around 10,000 more candidates appearing in the entrance test as compared to last year. This showed that the interest of candidates was increasing in medicine and dentistry. Prof Aslam said that entry to the medical and dental profession was based on the principles of merit, justice, equity and transparency. Meanwhile, UHS uploaded the answer keys to the question papers of different colour codes on its website www.uhs.edu.pk. With the help of these keys, candidates can calculate their scores themselves. The official result will be announced within 10 days.

In the next stage, those candidates who will score 82 per cent or above aggregate marks in accordance with the formula of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council will be eligible to apply on open merit basis and will opt for the colleges of their choice by submitting admission forms from October 03 to October 15. These forms, along with the prospectus, will be available free of cost from UHS, Lahore, Nishter Medical College, Multan and Rawalpindi Medical College, Rawalpindi. The first selection list for medical/dental colleges will be displayed on October 28.

About 7,204 candidates appeared in the test in Rawalpindi,, 8,097 in Multan, 5,742 Faisalabad, 3,188 Gujranwala, 2,649 Bahawalpur , 2,246 in Sargodha, 2,911 in  Sahiwal,  1,546 in Gujrat, 1,948 in DG Khan , 1, 813 in Rahimyar Khan, 410 in  Hasan Abdal and 1,728 in Sialkot.