The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has decided to waive the mandatory MDCAT requirement for Pakistani students seeking admission to medical and dental colleges abroad.
According to a public notice issued by the PMDC, Pakistani students applying for admission to foreign medical and dental institutions will no longer be required to pass the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT).
The decision means Pakistani students seeking admission to medical or dental programmes at foreign institutions can apply without having to appear for or pass the MDCAT.
The development comes after the PMDC recently reversed its decision to extend the duration of the Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme.
The council has confirmed that the BDS programme will remain four years long after withdrawing its earlier decision to extend the programme to five years.
PMDC officials informed the Senate Standing Committee on Health that the council had withdrawn its previous notification regarding the extension of the duration of dental education.
The committee directed the PMDC to issue a formal notification confirming the four-year BDS programme.
