Admission test sees strong participation
PMDC says the whole purpose of the NRE is to test the competency, knowledge, and skills of a graduate to ensure they are a ‘safe doctor’. PHOTO: REUTERS
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has announced the successful completion of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) for the year 2023.
The exam, conducted in a paper-based format, took place on a single day across various national and international venues.
The provincial public admitting universities, under the supervision of PMDC, played a vital role in ensuring the smooth conduct of the exam.
Prof. Dr Rizwan Taj, the president of PMDC, expressed his commitment to prioritising the bright future of students and highlighted the council's continuous efforts to provide them with the necessary support. He revealed that a total of 180,534 students from all across Pakistan appeared in the MDCAT exam.
Out of the registered candidates, 180,151 took the test at national venues, while 382 candidates sat for the exam at international centres. The international candidates were divided between two locations, with 185 candidates in Dubai (UAE) and 197 candidates in Saudi Arabia (KSA).
Dr Taj also shared the breakdown of candidates based on the provinces they belonged to. He revealed that 66,875 candidates from Punjab, 40,528 candidates from Sindh, 46,439 candidates from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 9,230 candidates from Balochistan, 926 candidates from Gilgit, 4,036 candidates from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and 12,118 candidates from the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) appeared in the MDCAT exam.
The MDCAT examination was conducted in 31 cities across Pakistan, ensuring maximum convenience for the candidates. The comprehensive arrangement was made to facilitate a large number of aspiring medical and dental students in taking the exam successfully.
Cities included Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Bahawalpur, Gujranwala, Sahiwal, Sialkot, DG Khan, Sargodha, Gujrat, Faisalabad, Karachi, Jamshoro, Dera Ismail Khan, Malakand, Nawabshah, Swat, Swabi, Peshawar, Mardan, Kohat, Bannu, Abbottabad, Quetta, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Huripur, Larkana, Mansehra, Mirpur.
The PMDC president himself visited different examination centres in Islamabad to ensure satisfaction with the preparation of the examination.
The PMDC president personally visited different examination centers in Islamabad. He further stated that special assistance was provided to candidates with special needs or handicaps in filling out their answer sheets.
Dr Taj affirmed that it was the right of all students to fulfil their dreams, and it is the responsibility of the council to assist them in achieving their goals.
He also informed that a simple examination marking pattern was implemented to facilitate the candidates, and no negative marking was applied for incorrect answers.
He said PMDC staff has worked day and night to make all necessary arrangements to conduct the MDCAT, adding that students were provided with the best facility to appear in the exam.
He also appreciated the vice-chancellors and examination heads of all public sector medical universities for doing a commendable job of ensuring transparency in exams.
He extended his best wishes to all the students and parents for their future endeavours. “I know it’s an exam of a complete family not just one student."
I know how much it’s hard to become a doctor it’s a profession of extreme talent and hard work I wish all these students add value to the medical profession and the country.”
He acknowledged that becoming a doctor requires extreme talent and hard work. Dr Taj expressed hope that the students would add value to both the medical profession and the country.