K-P abolishes medical trainee registrar posts

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Policy Board of Medical Teaching Institutions has decided to abolish Trainee Registrar positions across the province's medical teaching institutions, a move that will leave nearly 500 Trainee Medical Officers without jobs in teaching hospitals.

In a circular issued on 1 September 2026, the Policy Board directed all Boards of Governors to immediately withdraw any ongoing advertisements for Trainee Registrar posts. The board argued that these positions had been used to extend the training period of doctors who completed their required training but repeatedly failed the FCPS examination. Officials said it was unfair to continue offering this facility to unsuccessful candidates while those who passed the same exam in the same cohort were denied comparable opportunities.

The Policy Board noted that young doctors who clear the FCPS already have access to Experiential Registrar posts. These two-year positions are designed to give successful candidates the clinical experience needed to qualify for faculty appointments. Departments must set clear training programmes and performance targets. Progress will be reviewed after one year; unsatisfactory performance can trigger corrective measures, and serious under-performance may lead to removal from the post.

All medical teaching institutions have been instructed to inform doctors already working as Trainee Registrars of the decision. Those currently serving will be allowed to remain for a maximum of three months, provided their original contracts still have at least three months left and subject to legal and contractual obligations.