ISLAMABAD, July 10 (APP): Pakistan Medical and Dental Council
(PMDC) has decided to revise admission policy for public and private
medical and dental colleges to induct students purely on merit.
According to an official of PMDC, entry test for medical and
dental colleges would be centralized at provincial and federal level
and colleges would follow the merit list to be issued by their
affiliated university after taking entry test exam.
He said it was decided that eligibility criteria for public
and private sector medical and dental colleges should be strictly
followed to avoid the substandard medical education and doctors
in the country.
Foreign seats in public and private medical colleges would
be filled transparently and the PMDC will ensure that there is no
misuse of these seats for earning purpose, the official said.
Similarly, the curriculum would be in line with future
professional demands of doctors so that they could serve in rural
deprived areas.
He said the NEB examination for foreign medical graduates
would be made further standardized and transparent.
He said that it was decided that certain measures would be
taken to meet the faculty deficiencies particularly in basic science
subjects to improve quality of medical education.
Private sector would be bound to open medical and dental
colleges in those locations where there is need of medical and
dental colleges, he added.
He said training of inspectors who inspect the medical
colleges, would be ensured while medical teachers would be trained
by universities to meet the international standards.
He said fee structure in private medical colleges would be
strictly monitored by the PMDC while overcharging by students on
the name of donation would be checked immediately.
He said that the council has already opposed the seven percent
raise in the tuition fees of students of private medical colleges
and decided to reverse the decision.
He said that the decision of this fees increase was approved
by the previous PMDC council members last year, according to which
private medical colleges were being charged Rs 689,714 for general
seats while $19,260 for overseas Pakistanis seats.
After the decision, from next year's admission, students would
pay old fees of Rs 642,000 while overseas Pakistanis would pay
$18,000.
He said that the council would take action against private
medical colleges on charging new fees. He added the council has also
started reviewing decisions of previous council and the inspection
was being conducted of those medical colleges which were approved by
previous PMDC council.
Similarly, notices would be issued to medical colleges on
violation of PMDC rules and regulations.