That is 0 articles you have read today.
The Aporia is free and carries no advertising, so readers are the only
thing paying for it. If you are getting this much out of it, a small
donation is what keeps it independent.
Daily limit reached
You have read 0 articles today.
That is more than the 15 a day The Aporia gives away,
and well past what it can carry on nothing. Your allowance resets at
midnight.
There is no advertising here and nothing about you is sold, so readers
are the only thing paying for it. If the site is worth this much of
your day, it is worth a few dollars.
Everything else stays open: the
maps, the
directory and
search do
not count against this, and neither does re-opening something you have
already read today.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) announced on Monday that Pakistani students no longer need to pass the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) to pursue medical or dental education abroad, effective immediately. This decision came after a parliamentary committee recommended removing this requirement due to concerns over its legality and effectiveness in discouraging admission to substandard foreign institutions. While PMDC will not enforce MDCAT for those studying overseas, students who wish to transfer back to Pakistani universities mid-programme or practice medicine in Pakistan upon completion must pass the National Examination Board (NEB) assessment instead.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) announced on Monday that Pakistani students pursuing medical or dental education abroad no longer need to pass the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT). This decision was made during a meeting held on September 14. PMDC President Dr Rizwan Taj stated that a parliamentary committee had recommended this change, highlighting discrepancies in PMDC's previous policy requiring MDCAT for students seeking admission to foreign medical institutions. However, any student wishing to transfer back to a university in Pakistan midway through their studies abroad will still be required to pass the National Examination Board (NEB) assessment. The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services has been discussing stronger regulation of substandard foreign medical institutions, leading to this policy change.
Written for “Medical Studies Abroad Policy Change” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
position.
No political leaning scored for article 57825 · logged 2026-10-05
Pakistani students intending to go abroad for medical or dental education will no longer be required to have passed the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) announced on Monday.
asserted
Council → intend → Monday
In a notice shared on X, the PMDC said the decision was taken at its meeting held on Sept 14.
asserted
decision → share → Sept
During the meeting, the council “decided to exempt the mandatory requirement of having passed the MDCAT at a prerequisite for Pakistani students seeking admission into foreign medical and dental institutions,” the notice said.
asserted
notice → decide → institutions
The PMDC notice did not elaborate on the reasons behind the decision.
asserted
notice → elaborate → decision
However, PMDC President Dr Rizwan Taj told Dawn that a parliamentary committee had recommended that students intending to go and study abroad should not be compelled to clear MDCAT.
asserted
students → tell → MDCAT
The Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services has been discussing the matter, and it had highlighted the discrepancy in PMDC’s policy requiring MDCAT for students seeking admission to foreign medical institutions during its meeting on Sept 15.
asserted
it → discuss → Sept
It recommended stronger regulation of substandard foreign medical institutions, including the preparation and public disclosure of a list of institutions that do not meet prescribed standards.
asserted
that → recommend → standards
In a June meeting, the Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination had also taken up the advertisement issued by the PMDC, which made MDCAT mandatory for students seeking admission to MBBS programmes abroad.
asserted
MDCAT → take → programmes
Members had questioned the legality of the directive and expressed concern over what they termed an arbitrary policy decision lacking clear statutory backing.
asserted
they → question → backing
While PMDC officials had explained that the move was intended to discourage admissions in substandard foreign medical institutions, the committee members had questioned how MDCAT would stop admission in substandard colleges.
asserted
MDCAT → explain → colleges
The committee had maintained that imposing MDCAT test as criteria for seeking admission in foreign institutions without an explicit legal mandate required further deliberation.
asserted
imposing → maintain → deliberation
The committee had suggested that the PMDC should publish a list of foreign medical colleges and universities that do not meet recognised standards rather than imposing blanket restrictions to better guide students and parents.
uncertain
that → suggest → students
After the PMDC’s decision to abolish the restriction, an official from the council told Dawn that while students pursuing education abroad had been exempted from clearing MDCAT, any student seeking transfer to a university back in Pakistan midway through the studies would be required to clear the National Examination Board (NEB) assessment.
asserted
student → abolish → assessment
The official also said that students who willing to practice in Pakistan after completing their studies abroad would also be required to pass the registration exam for foreign medical graduates.
asserted
who → say → graduates
NEB is conducted by the PMDC twice a year for those medical graduates who have passed their exams from abroad.
asserted
who → conduct → exams
The exam is held to assess the knowledge, clinical skills, and professional competence of students who have partially completed medical or dental education abroad and seek transfer to/ admission in Pakistan.
asserted
who → hold → Pakistan
Moreover, graduates of foreign universities have to appear in a registration exam to get a license to begin house job and practice in Pakistan.
asserted
graduates → have → Pakistan
The Aporia
