PMC’s new decision left the candidates baffled

The recent decision to change the syllabus for a uniform Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) across the country by the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) has left eligible candidates baffled.

Despite students' protests on social media sites and the #Delaymdcat hashtag on Twitter, the health aide of the Prime Minister, Dr. Faisal Sultan, remains unfazed.

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He said that the concept behind a uniform pre-entry exam for medical students is to ensure that there will be a "basic minimum academic achievement at the point of entry" for potential doctors and dentists entering the healthcare sector.

"The reason for this is that you are committing someone for studies for five years, and you must know if they will be able to maintain [themselves during] studies." Dr. Sultan clarified.

He added that without any variations and adjustments, the only change is a single nationwide examination and that the MDCAT would have "50 percent weighting for public colleges."

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However, students across the nation, particularly in Sindh, are not prepared to accept a standardized MDCAT.

Almost half of the aspirants have not paid their pre-entry fees for the upcoming test scheduled for 15 November because they think they do not stand a chance against the new guidelines and the revised syllabus.

Students asked that the PMC postpone the exam because they didn't have enough time to prepare for the new syllabus, which was updated three times in three weeks.

PMC’s new decision left the candidates baffled