Foreign graduates allowed to appear in NLE unlimited times

Islamabad : The Medical and Dental Council has allowed foreign medical graduates to sit the National Licensing Examination unlimited times in five years to claim mandatory registration for professional practice in the country.

A notification for the purpose has also been issued, said the Pakistan Medical Commission.

The development came during a meeting between representatives of foreign medical graduates (FMGs) and Academic Board chairman Dr Adil Haider, the PMC president, vice-president and secretary, and National Medical Authority executive member and member (examinations) here.

The other issue discussed in the meeting was the three mandatory stations in NLE-II.

The board chairman noted the FMG representatives' concern that due to the subjective nature of marking in mandatory stations, students qualifying with an aggregate of higher than 70% end up failing due to not qualifying a single mandatory station.

He said the mandatory stations represented essential basic skills like basic life support and trauma care, which was a competency every doctor was expected to have at the minimum.

The board chairman informed visitors that he would immediately discuss with the board their concerns that either the mandatory stations should be based on an objective marking system or alternatively, the requirement of passing all mandatory stations be removed.

He also said mandatory stations if retained in the future would consist of the basic skills and will be in advance declared along with the relevant topics so that all students cold specifically prepare for these skills.

The PMC president informed visitors that in view of the Academic Board’s observations in their last meeting pertaining to the mandatory stations, the students, who had failed to qualify a mandatory station but obtained more than 70 per cent aggregate marks in all 20 stations, would be notified as qualified so that they were not placed at any disadvantage on account of subjective marking rather than objective marking.