Foreign medical education

The landscape of medical education has undergone significant changes in recent years, particularly for students aspiring to pursue degrees abroad. Unfortunately, many foreign universities are not up to the mark, offering substandard education - or none at all - while demanding extortionate fees, taking advantage of the dreams and aspirations of students. In fact, there have also been several cases of foreign-qualified doctors failing equivalence certification.

Thus making the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) a prerequisite - under a decision by the PMDC - for students who wish to enroll in foreign medical institutions is a welcome attempt. The MDCAT requirement ensures that aspiring medical students possess a foundational knowledge necessary for succeeding in complex medical programmes, safeguarding the quality of education that students will receive abroad. Simply put, if students can't even pass the exam, it is unlikely that they would be able to handle four-plus years at a quality medical school.

The exam would also help PMDC gather data on smaller foreign universities, as exam results could help accurately illustrate a college's admission standards and overall quality. Many students who fail to gain admission to local medical schools will apply to substandard schools abroad, often using HEC scholarships or grant money. But due to the poor quality of education they receive, this taxpayer money is often wasted.

A few years ago, some foreign students were demanding exemptions from equivalency exams because they were "foreign qualified" and had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars paying for tuition and living expenses. But when forced to sit the exams, an overwhelming majority failed spectacularly. Students from some smaller universities abroad had pass rates of just 2%. These students also negatively impact the reputation of Pakistani doctors and medical students, which will harm competent young doctors in Pakistan, as they may struggle to find spots when they apply for advanced specialisations at prestigious foreign schools.