The first group of 25 overseas students graduated from Dow International Medical College on Thursday evening. Flanked by their teachers and the Vice-Chancellor, the students took the Hippocratic Oath at the ceremony held at the Governor’s House. PHOTO COURTESY: ARIF HUSSAIN
LAHORE:
An unusual drop in admissions to private medical and dental schools has exposed a growing affordability crisis in the country, prompting the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to allow a one-time relaxation in fees to fill dozens of vacant seats.
According to a notification, the minimum merit for MBBS admissions has been reduced from 55 percent to 52%, while for BDS courses it has been lowered from 50 to 47%. The decision only applies to vacant seats and will not become a permanent policy.
The move comes after several private colleges, especially in Lahore and other major urban centers, failed to fill their allotted seats despite the completion of regular admission rounds.
Sources in the education sector revealed that the institutions had struggled to attract students primarily because of high tuition fees, which had placed medical education beyond the reach of many middle-income families.
A PMDC official, requesting anonymity, said the regulator was left with limited options as the situation risked causing financial pressure on institutions and reducing opportunities for aspiring doctors. “This is not about lowering standards permanently as it is a targeted one-off adjustment to ensure that available seats are not wasted while still maintaining a reasonable academic threshold,” the official explained.
Studies suggest that the cost of pursuing an MBBS degree in private colleges has increased significantly in recent years. Annual fees running into millions of rupees coupled with extra expenses have deterred even academically qualified candidates from applying.
Education analysts argue that the issue is less about merit and more about financial accessibility.
A senior official of the higher education department in Punjab said the development reflects a deeper imbalance in the system. “We see a clear mismatch between supply and affordability. Private colleges have capacity but students cannot afford the fees. This forced the regulator to intervene, but long-term solutions will require fee rationalisation,” the official said.
PMDC has made it clear that the relaxed credit will be applied only after the existing pool of eligible candidates is exhausted. Colleges will not be allowed to circumvent standard procedures and all admissions must still be conducted strictly on merit and in a transparent manner.
In its directive, the council also advised private medical and dental schools to review their fee structures and consider reductions to make education more accessible. The regulator has warned that the entire admission process will remain under strict surveillance to prevent abuse of the relaxation.
Stakeholders believe the decision highlights growing concerns about the commercialization of medical education. Over the past few years, rising operating costs and increasing demand for quality facilities have driven up tuition fees, but critics argue that the lack of effective regulation has allowed prices to escalate unchecked.
Parents and students have expressed mixed reactions. While some see the reduced profits as a welcome opportunity for those who narrowly missed the previous threshold, others fear it could affect the quality of future health professionals if not handled carefully.
The Punjab Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department sent a letter to the PMDC President regarding the 3% reduction in the MDCAT threshold.
The PMDC notification was reviewed by the Provincial Admissions Committee, which expressed reservations over the reduction in the merit percentage for admission to MBBS and BDS.
