MDCAT policy explained: What is the new criteria for admission in medical colleges?

ISLAMABAD: The newly announced policy by the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) for medical and dental college admissions tests (MDCAT) has confused the aspiring health professionals regarding the changes introduced in the criteria. In a bid to clear the confusion the PMC released a video with Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr. Faisal Sultan explaining the admission process. Dr. Sultan said that the “country or the regulator” of the health sector needs to make sure that “young kids” coming into the industry have basic minimum academic achievement at the "point of entry". “The reason for this is that you are committing someone for studies for five years and you must know if they will be able to maintain [themselves during the course of] studies. This is the MDCAT that you’re familiar with,” SAPM Dr. Sultan said in the video. The SAPM explained that the difference is that “there will be one MDCAT” which he said will be “uniform so there are no variations and changes and has single credibility”. He further said that the for public colleges the MDCAT will have “50% weightage”. Dr. Sultan also said that the “provincial governments will carry out admissions in their provinces” based on the provincial government’s central merit policy. On the other hand, the private colleges will get their “admission policy approved from their affiliated university and PMC”. “Admission policy of every college will be announced annually at the conclusion of previous year’s admissions,” said Dr. Sultan. He added that private colleges will be allowed to add “their criteria apart from MDCAT over and above that”.