For next induction cycle: PMDC, private medical institutes agree on central admissions policy
Admission tests to be held centrally; parents express concerns over hike in fees
Pakistan Medical and Dental Council. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Private medical colleges across the country have agreed to enroll students under a new centralised admission policy and fixed fee structure. However, it will be accompanied by a hike in the annual fees of private medical colleges.
The new policy is expected to go into during the upcoming admissions cycle.
The policy stated that Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had helped the Pakistan Association of Medical and Dental Institutions (Pami) — a body of private medical teaching institutions in the country — and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Pmdc) — the apex regulator of medical education in the country — reach an agreement and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The agreement saw private medical colleges agree to work under a centralised system. However, it came at a cost of granting medical colleges a fee hike of Rs100,000, from Rs850,000 to Rs950,000.
In 2016, the Pmdc had first proposed a central induction system for students to stop private medical colleges from taking donations and charging admission fees as per their liking.
The colleges, though, had refused to implement this policy and challenged it in various courts across the country, obtaining stay orders against it.
In a case being heard at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry by Chief Justice Nisar, he played the role of an arbiter to help reach an agreement.
Pami General Secretary Khaqan Khawaja announced the new policy at a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday.
According to the agreement, Khawaja said that one private university would be designated to conduct a single admission test for all medical students in the province and then prepare merit lists. These lists will then be sent to private colleges for enrolling students per that list.
Furthermore, private colleges will be bound to charge a fixed annual fee of Rs950,000 per year. If any student is charged more than that, especially under the guise of ‘donations’, they can lodge a complaint with Pami who will be responsible for taking action against the college.
Reservations
Parents of students, however, have expressed their reservations over the enhanced fees.
The Rs100,000 increase in annual fees means that medical education will cumulatively cost an additional Rs500,000 over five years.
This after medical colleges had raised fees from Rs640,000 to Rs850,000 last year, they said.
Some education officials believe that the exorbitant fees were never factually analysed to determine the basis of the calculation and subsequent increase.
Pmdc Registrar Dr Waseem Hashmi, though, noted that a consensus has finally been reached between the regulator and private institutions and that it was a commendable move that a central policy to enrol students will now be in vogue and decisions will not be taken on an individual basis.
However, a final decision on the policy and its implementation is expected to be taken by the Supreme Court on September 5, Dr Hashmi noted.
Last year, the PMDC had proposed that annual fees of medical colleges be hiked from Rs640,000 to Rs800,000. However, the hike was shot down by a parliamentary committee.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2018.
Private medical colleges across the country have agreed to enroll students under a new centralised admission policy and fixed fee structure. However, it will be accompanied by a hike in the annual fees of private medical colleges.
The new policy is expected to go into during the upcoming admissions cycle.
The policy stated that Chief Justice Saqib Nisar had helped the Pakistan Association of Medical and Dental Institutions (Pami) — a body of private medical teaching institutions in the country — and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (Pmdc) — the apex regulator of medical education in the country — reach an agreement and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The agreement saw private medical colleges agree to work under a centralised system. However, it came at a cost of granting medical colleges a fee hike of Rs100,000, from Rs850,000 to Rs950,000.
In 2016, the Pmdc had first proposed a central induction system for students to stop private medical colleges from taking donations and charging admission fees as per their liking.
The colleges, though, had refused to implement this policy and challenged it in various courts across the country, obtaining stay orders against it.
In a case being heard at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry by Chief Justice Nisar, he played the role of an arbiter to help reach an agreement.
Pami General Secretary Khaqan Khawaja announced the new policy at a news conference in Islamabad on Tuesday.
According to the agreement, Khawaja said that one private university would be designated to conduct a single admission test for all medical students in the province and then prepare merit lists. These lists will then be sent to private colleges for enrolling students per that list.
Furthermore, private colleges will be bound to charge a fixed annual fee of Rs950,000 per year. If any student is charged more than that, especially under the guise of ‘donations’, they can lodge a complaint with Pami who will be responsible for taking action against the college.
Reservations
Parents of students, however, have expressed their reservations over the enhanced fees.
The Rs100,000 increase in annual fees means that medical education will cumulatively cost an additional Rs500,000 over five years.
This after medical colleges had raised fees from Rs640,000 to Rs850,000 last year, they said.
Some education officials believe that the exorbitant fees were never factually analysed to determine the basis of the calculation and subsequent increase.
Pmdc Registrar Dr Waseem Hashmi, though, noted that a consensus has finally been reached between the regulator and private institutions and that it was a commendable move that a central policy to enrol students will now be in vogue and decisions will not be taken on an individual basis.
However, a final decision on the policy and its implementation is expected to be taken by the Supreme Court on September 5, Dr Hashmi noted.
Last year, the PMDC had proposed that annual fees of medical colleges be hiked from Rs640,000 to Rs800,000. However, the hike was shot down by a parliamentary committee.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2018.