PMDC did not reconsider requirement to collect MDCAT question booklets — Dawn
In Pakistan, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), according to Dawn, refused to reconsider the requirement to collect question booklets from applicants immediately after the Medical & Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT). Representatives of medical universities in Punjab and Sindh raised the issue during an online meeting on preparations for the exam scheduled for September 20.
PMDC's position
According to the publication, representatives of the two provinces asked PMDC to revoke or amend the recent directive on collecting test materials. The council did not agree to withdraw or change this decision.
The PMDC position voiced at the meeting indicates that the new procedure is planned to be applied during the MDCAT on September 20, despite objections from representatives of Punjab and Sindh.
Legal objections
An official familiar with the situation told Dawn that senior health department officials questioned the legal basis of the directive. In their view, PMDC cannot unilaterally determine the policy and standards for conducting the provincial MDCAT.
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The officials referred to Section 17(1) of the PMDC Act 2022. Under the provision cited in the publication, each province is to conduct one MDCAT in accordance with policies and standards approved by provincial governments, while the council approves testing dates.
They also raised the question of whether PMDC can change the established procedure through a directive or a letter to universities conducting admissions without approval from the relevant provincial authorities. In Punjab, the University of Health Sciences has provided participants with question booklets immediately after the test since 2017.
According to the officials, a change to this procedure must first be approved by the competent provincial body in accordance with the law and the current admissions policy. They also said there was dissatisfaction among MDCAT participants, who consider the collection of booklets a restriction on their ability to retain materials from the exam they took.
