Pakistan Medical Commission
Islamabad 28th September 2022: Second Council meeting was held at PMC secretariat and various issues were discussed.28th September 2022 With respect to MDCAT exam it was unanimously agreed that the same shall be held on 13thor 20th of November 2022. The exam shall be conducted by the PMC at a single day in each Province and ICT respectively through a nominated public sector University of the Province and ICT and through NUMS for NUMS constituent and affiliated Medical and Dental Colleges.NUMS MD-CAT shall only be valid for admissions in NUMS constituent and affiliated Colleges. The examination shall be paper based. The answer key will be uploaded by the universities and PMC on their website on the same day. The Council also decided to extend timeline for registration of MDCAT exam for 10 days.The nominated universities are Bolan University of Medical & Health Sciences for Baluchistan, University of Health Sciences Lahore for Punjab, Khyber Medical University Peshawar for KPK, Dow University of Health Sciences Karachi for Sindh and Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University Islamabad for ICT, AJK and Gilgit- Baltistan.In order to facilitate Pakistani students seeking admission in recognized colleges offering MBBS and BDS program, the Council decided that the pass percentage of MBBS will be 55% and that of BDS will be 45% so that maximum number of students are catered in the country and are saved from financial burden incurred during their course of study abroad. Keeping in view that the maximum number of students who intend to take MD-CAT reside in Saudi Arabia and UAE, it was unanimously agreed that centers for MD-CAT will be made in these two countries, detail of which will be uploaded on official website. For Foreign students residing in any other country intending to appear in MDCAT exam may appear in MDCAT being held in Pakistan or in either of the two countries.Regarding NLE Examination it was unanimously decided to conduct NLE Step 1 Exam in the last week of October and NLE Step 2 Exam in the last week of November,2022 for foreign graduates. For graduates of Pakistan the NLE Exam shall be conducted through their degree awarding Universities under the umbrella of PMC. For future pass percentage of NLE 1 and NLE 2 has been fixed as 50% with no retrospective effect in any terms.
The Council took up the matter of basic additional postgraduate and medical educationqualifications of doctors and decided that registration of recognized basic postgraduate qualifications will be allowed as per law. Foreign additional qualifications shall however be recognized after due scrutiny and evaluation.President apprised the Council that since PMC has qualified eligibility for the WFME
Accreditation process, an Internal and External Task force has been constituted to expedite the finalization of accreditation application to be submitted to the WFME. Keeping in view that the deadline by ECFMG has been fixed as 2024 and the future of our graduates is at stake, the Council reiterated that WFME accreditation process be undertaken at priority.Moreover, the Council unanimously decided to renew registration certificates for 5 years instead of 2 years and allowed 50 percent discount in registration fee for license for doctors aged 60 years and above. The Council decided to withdraw licensing pathways and categories of foreign undergraduateMedical and Dental institutions. List of recognized /accredited institutions shall be uploaded on official website.The Council decided that regional offices in Karachi shall be strengthened and new offices inMuzaffarabad and Gilgit- Baltistan shall be established at the earliest to facilitate general public and doctors.Meeting was presided by the President PMC and attended by Dr. Noushad Ahmad Shaikh, Dr. Khurshid Ahmad Nasim (Vice President), Lt. General Nigar Johar (Surgeon General), Dr. Muhammad Fakhr-e- Alam (Secretary Health), Mr. Jawad Amin Khan, Barrister Ch. Sultan Mansoor, Mr. Shabbir Kasbati, Prof. Dr. Naqibullah Achakzai and Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zubair Khan.
