The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC) is set to undergo complete digitalization in order to improve transparency, fairness, and efficiency across its operations. This was announced during a visit by Federal Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, Mr. Syed Mustafa Kamal, who inaugurated the newly developed MDCAT Question Bank at the PM&DC headquarters. The initiative aims to reduce human intervention to a minimum, combat favoritism and corruption, and ensure a merit-based, transparent admissions system for future medical and dental students.
During the visit, PM&DC President Dr. Rizwan Taj and the Examination Team briefed the minister on preparations for the upcoming MDCAT examination. They highlighted a series of measures being introduced to enhance the fairness and security of the exam, including the deployment of digital safeguards to protect the integrity of the process. Dr. Rizwan Taj emphasized that the PM&DC’s main responsibilities are to register candidates and oversee the MDCAT process, while the paper setting, administration, and evaluation of the exam are managed independently by designated public admitting universities. This separation of roles, he said, is critical to ensuring impartial admissions based on merit.
Minister Mustafa Kamal inspected the online registration and monitoring portal, learning that over 97,000 candidates have already registered, with numbers expected to exceed 150,000 before registrations close. More than 30 examination centers have been established across the country to maximize accessibility for candidates. The minister was also informed about measures designed to ensure transparency and accountability at each stage of the exam, and he was reassured that PM&DC does not interfere in the operational activities of the admitting universities.
Praising the unified question bank, which draws on a common syllabus agreed upon by all provinces, Minister Kamal said it would help minimize errors and bolster public trust in the admissions system. He suggested that expanding the question pool provided to admitting universities could further improve the examination’s flexibility and credibility. He reiterated that the responsibility for the exam itself rests with the provincial universities, while PM&DC continues to set policy and supervise the process.
Addressing PM&DC staff, Minister Kamal stressed the importance of moving toward a fully digital system for all council functions, including college inspections, to further enhance efficiency and transparency. He assured the government’s full support for PM&DC’s institutional reforms and digitalization efforts, describing these as in line with broader national goals for improving the education and health sectors.
President PM&DC Dr. Rizwan Taj stated that these reforms, particularly the preparation of a standardized, syllabus-based question bank, would help to address historic concerns about regional disparities and ensure truly merit-based, nationwide admissions. He confirmed that every aspect of the MDCAT process is being meticulously prepared to eliminate errors and uphold the highest standards of excellence. The steps taken by PM&DC are intended to restore public faith in Pakistan’s medical and dental admissions, with the ultimate aim of building a transparent, modern, and effective educational system.
