Web desk: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has approved a 5 per cent increase in tuition fees for private medical and dental colleges across the country.
From next year, college owners will also be officially allowed to increase fees according to the Consumer Price Index and inflation rate.
PMDC approved a 5 per cent increase in fees for the session 2025-26, after which the fees of private medical and dental colleges for the session 2025-26 have been fixed at 18 lakh 90 thousand.
Private medical colleges have also been given free rein to increase their own fees from 2026-27.
Private medical and dental colleges will be able to increase fees according to the Consumer Price Index and inflation rate, which will result in medical education becoming more expensive.
New MDCAT Rules Announced
Previously, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) had revised the MDCAT examination criteria and schedule for MBBS and BDS admissions for the 2026 academic session.
Speaking to The Tribune, Dr Fatima Abid, Director of Admissions at Jinnah Sindh Medical University, outlined the key policy changes.
She said candidates must now secure at least 65 per cent marks in FSc (Pre-Medical) or an equivalent qualification to qualify for the test, up from the previous 60 per cent requirement.
Additionally, applicants must now hold matriculation, intermediate, and domicile certificates from the same province where they intend to take the MDCAT.
According to Dr Fatima, this step aims to reduce administrative complications and ensure fairness in seat allocation and monitoring.
The revised MDCAT syllabus will cover Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English, and Logical Reasoning. It will consist of 180 multiple-choice questions with no negative marking.
Dr Fatima Abid added that the PMDC has directed all exam papers to be prepared under a standardised national framework using a centralised question bank to maintain transparency.
The MDCAT is mandatory for admission to medical and dental colleges in Pakistan. It is scheduled from October 5 to 26, 2025, at multiple centres nationwide.
