The admissions made by University Medical and Dental College (UMDC), Faisalabad have been cancelled by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). The council has also issued a warning to 23 other private institutions in Punjab for taking disciplinary action for the violation of PMDC’s rules. From amongst the 40 recognized private sector medical and dental colleges across Punjab, the council took action against 24 institutions, as it had received complaints against these institutions who began the process of admissions one week prior to the entrance examination date. This was a clear violation of PMDC’s rules, which are designed to ensure merit and transparency. The Council wants to ensure that professional institutions are not allowed to jeopardize the future of young students. According to the available sources; there are 3,050 total MBBS seats available at 28 medical colleges in the private sector and 715 BDS seats at the dental institutes. The admissions exams for MBBS/BDS have been scheduled on 22nd September 2013. As per the PMDC warning letter issued and addressed to the Principal of UMDC-Faisalabad, on 6th of September, it was stated that;”Prima facie it seems that you have violated the PMDC regulations and so all your admissions and admission process done before October 31 are hereby cancelled and you are directed to start admission process afresh with a fresh advertisement for admission in order to avoid invoking of Section 25 of Medical & Dental Council (Amendment) Act 2012 which amended the Section 22 of the PM&DC Ordinance, 1962”. The PMDC warning and alerts have been issued to the following private medical and dental institutions: Akhtar Saeed Medical and Dental College (Lahore), Central Park Medical College (Lahore), Institute of Dentistry, CMH Medical College (Lahore), Multan Medical and Dental College (Multan), Avicenna Medical College (Lahore), Shalamar Medical and Dental College (Lahore), Lahore Medical and Dental College (Lahore), FMH College of Medicine and Dentistry (Lahore), Margalla College of Dentistry (Rawalpindi), Wah Medical College (Wah Cantt), Sharif Medical & Dental College (Lahore), Continental Medical College (Lahore), Independent Medical College (Faisalabad), Rashid Medical College (Lahore), Islam Medical College (Sialkot), Pak Red Crescent Medical & Dental College (Lahore), Hashmat Medical & DentalCollege (Gujrat) and Aziz Fatimah Medical & Dental College (Faisalabad). In this regard, the Registrar of PMDC - Dr Raja Amjad Mahmood has also reproduced Para-3 (3) of the regulation which states; Private medical and dental institutions in all provinces shall advertise for admission of students only after the determination of final order of merit by the respective provincial testing/admission authorities or 31st October whichever is earlier. They will not conduct their own entry test and shall form final merit by utilizing the Provincial / government / NTS test result in their province / territory, however, they may conduct the aptitude test and interview as per these rules”. The documents also mention that; “The PMDC has warned the heads of the private institutions that the admissions made by institutes or advertisement before given deadline (Oct 31) will be considered a violation of the regulations of the council, the only statutory, regulatory and registration authority for medical and dental education and practitioners in the country. This is to inform you that PMDC is receiving complaints regarding admission in private medical and dental colleges before 31st October as per admission in MBBS/BDS courses and condition for house job/internship/foundation year regulations you are required to implement the regulations in letter and spirit, otherwise disciplinary action shall be initiated against violators”. It was further stated by the PMDC registrar that: “The provincial authority / NTS shall complete all formalities, including holding of entry test and declaration of its result for admission of public medical and dental colleges before 31st October each year or within four weeks of declaration of the result of FSc. by the Higher Secondary Education/intermediate boards, whichever is earlier, so that the final merit list of public colleges reaches PMDC before October 31. The provincial / central admission authority/NTS shall form the final merit for admission in medical and dental colleges after giving due weightage to matric/equivalent FSc / Intermediate / HSSC equivalent and the entry test marks as given in these regulations. Private medical and dental institutions in all provinces shall advertise for admission of students only after the determination of final order of merit by the respective provincial testing/admission authorities or Oct 31, whichever is earlier”.
