Changes affect the number of foreign universities recognized by PM&DC, determine who can receive a provisional license
The new change in rules issued by the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) has created a storm of confusion among Pakistanis who were foreign medical university graduates. The changes affect the number of foreign universities recognized by the PMDC, which decides who can receive a provisional license to continue with their house job or who must pass the National Registration Examination (NRE) to get a provisional license for their house job.
What are the changes?
Only graduates from PM&DC recognized foreign medical universities will be eligible for:
• Preliminary registration
• Domestic jobs in Pakistan
In the event that the student has graduated from a non-recognized foreign medical university, the student will be required to sit for the NRE to receive the provisional license.
This policy mainly affects students studying in the following countries:
• China
• Russia
• Kyrgyzstan
• Kazakhstan
• Azerbaijan
According to the statement shared by PM&DC, most of the affected students are those who started their education in foreign universities under the PM&DC Ordinance 1962 and Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) Act 2020 was in place. Majority of the affected students have received degrees from institutions mainly from Afghanistan, Central Asian republics like Kyrgyzstan, Iran, etc.
However, a new council was constituted in April 2023, and the respective council has implemented several reforms “to promote medical education.” PM&DC states that these new rules have been introduced to “ensure patient safety and strengthen the national health system.” According to the notice shared by PM&DC, the institution is raising the processing fee “for inclusion in PM&DC’s recognized list of institutions” from $5,000 to $10,000.
The confusion regarding the new policies began when this year’s summer graduates returned to the country.
Selected representatives of foreign medical graduates (FMGs), Dr. Rafey Sher, detailed the confusion at the scene. “When we graduated and returned to Pakistan, our university was recognized on the new list and students from the batch who graduated just six months before us were able to obtain their provisional licenses (necessary for your domestic job). But when we returned, we found our portals closed. We were told by the PM&DC that this was due to an IT problem, which they persisted with for two months and then changed their policy.”
Dr. Rafey Sher graduated from the International University of Kyrgyzstan (IUK), a university that is on the recognized list of PM&DC, but he is still unable to obtain a provisional license.
After much public backlash and criticism, PM&DC issued a press release addressing the students’ grievances, detailing why the policy had changed and how the department will conduct itself going forward.
Read: MDCAT 2026: higher eligibility criteria, revised exam structure
PM&DC claims only 700 students are unable to obtain their licences, FMGs claim the figure is closer to 3,000. When The Express Pakinomist asked Dr. Rafey on justifying the number, he said that 700 students were those who were able to access their portals and had their applications rejected. The 3,000 figure includes students who graduated and returned to find their portals inaccessible.
The statement said that after discussing the complaints of students, “Accordingly, it has been decided that only those candidates from foreign institutions duly recognized by PM&DC are eligible for issuance of provisional registration before NRE.”
According to Dr. Rafey did not reflect this statement on the spot, “After announcing the new policy, I visited their office in person and they denied their own press release.” Dr. Rafey had also gone to Parliament and garnered the support of many members of the Pakistan People’s Party, and also had the opportunity to meet the Federal Health Minister, Mustafa Kamal.
“I told him in detail how, despite my university being on the list of recognized institutions, I failed to receive my provisional license. I have wasted 4-5 months already and now all house job slots are filled. We have wasted a year of our time, even though according to their press release, we should have been able to start our house job without sitting for NRE.”
Dr. Fatima Abid, director of admissions at Jinnah Sindh Medical University, tells The Express Pakinomist that many graduates from Sindh universities face a similar situation. “Several universities in Sindh appear on the approved list (including DUHS, JSMS, LUMHS, Isra University), many candidates have reported delays in receiving their provisional licenses.”
She went on to call on the PM&DC to provide clarity to the students on the delays which she said stemmed from inspection reports or procedural backlog, stressing that timely issuance of licenses is essential for house jobs in public hospitals.
The Express Pakinomist contacted the PM&DC for a comment on their new policies and the allegations leveled against them by the FMGs, but they have not responded.
