PMDC to review students’ complaints over recently held MDCAT today

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has called an urgent meeting on Friday (today) to discuss and review the complaints registered by the medical students over the recently held Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT), officials said.

According to the PMDC officials, following various reports regarding the MDCAT examinations, the regulatory body in consultation with the relevant provincial departments and universities has decided to look into the matter thoroughly.

The officials said that since the MDCAT examinations were organised by the provincial health universities and PDMC directly has no involvement in the process, so, therefore, the relevant universities are directed to share the details with PMDC. Moreover, the students will also be provided a chance to explain their problems, they added.

The young doctors have alleged of paper leak in the entrance examination for medical and dental colleges, saying that the leak undermines the principles of meritocracy, demanding a re-conduction of the MDCAT.

Moreover, the Education and Evaluation Testing Agency is also at loggerheads with the PMDC over a contentious decision. The PMDC’s plan to award grace marks to all MDCAT candidates if 90 percent fail to answer questions correctly has ignited widespread outrage among students and parents.

Education and Evaluation Testing Agency, acting through Khyber Medical University (KMU), submitted a dissenting note to the PMDC, arguing that this policy unfairly disadvantages the top 10 percent of students who answered correctly. The agency stressed the importance of justice in not penalising high-achieving minority students.

Additionally, Education and Evaluation Testing Agency has urged regional commissioners and authorities to crackdown on individuals selling advance access to MDCAT questions, calling on candidates to report such illegal activities.

The controversy has also inflicted financial losses of Rs 23 million on Education and Evaluation Testing Agency due to the rescheduling of MDCAT from 27 August to 10 September. Not only the students but the provincial government officials have also criticized PMDC’s grace marks formula, labelling it as “illogical and irresponsible.”

Legal challenges are anticipated if the policy is implemented, with some dedicated students and parents vowing to take the matter to court.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023