DT News - Pakistan - PMDC allows one-time MDCAT relaxation to fill vacant seats

PMDC allows one-time MDCAT relaxation to fill vacant seats

Dental Tribune Pakistan

Thu. 15 May 2025

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ISLAMABAD: In a significant development for aspiring medical students, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has announced a one-time 5% relaxation in the MDCAT qualifying criteria for MBBS and BDS admissions in the 2024–25 academic session. The decision was made in response to a formal request by Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences, Jamshoro, highlighting the alarming number of vacant seats across public and private medical institutions in the country.

This one-time policy shift is aimed at maximizing the use of national education resources while maintaining transparency and merit-based admissions, PMDC stated in its official release.

Why the revision was made

On April 16, 2025, Liaquat University requested the Council's intervention due to an unprecedented shortfall in student enrollments. After detailed deliberations, PMDC Council approved a 5% reduction in the MDCAT qualifying percentage for both MBBS and BDS programs, applicable across all provinces.

This means candidates who narrowly missed the previous cutoff may now be eligible to apply for the vacant seats under the revised criteria.

Key conditions for the MDCAT relaxation:

Applicable only for the 2024–25 academic session
Not a precedent for future admissions
All admissions must comply with PMDC Admissions Regulations, 2023
Admissions to be completed within the officially specified timeline
Ensuring public interest and institutional integrity

PMDC emphasized that this exceptional measure does not compromise on merit or transparency. Instead, it reflects the Council’s broader commitment to balancing public interest, national capacity, and academic standards in healthcare education.