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Medical Colleges Face Seat Vacancies Despite Fee Hikes
11 Aug
Summary
- Colleges charging high fees have no vacant seats.
- Vacancies exist in colleges with lower annual fees.
- PMDC directed to probe vacant medical seats within a month.
Efforts to reduce MDCAT passing marks to fill vacant medical and dental college seats are being reconsidered due to concerns about educational quality. Health Minister Mustafa Kamal pointed out that colleges with annual fees of Rs3.5 million are fully enrolled, unlike those charging Rs1.8 million, which have numerous vacant seats.
The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Health has mandated a thorough investigation into these vacancies. The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) is required to inspect private colleges with vacant seats and submit a report within one month, identifying the underlying causes.
The committee also deliberated on potentially lowering the current 60% MDCAT eligibility threshold, acknowledging that students below this benchmark might struggle in later stages of medical education. A proposal to increase the BDS program duration to five years, aligning with international standards, was also discussed.
Furthermore, the PMDC has rescheduled the MDCAT 2026 examination to September 20, 2026, to ensure a more transparent and organized process. Concerns were raised about colleges requesting fee increases, with the minister clarifying that universities cannot independently raise fees without proper justification and scrutiny, including audited financial statements.
