PMDC drops MDCAT requirement for Pakistani students admitted to medical colleges abroad

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council said in a public notice issued on 5 October 2026 that Pakistani students seeking admission to medical or dental institutions abroad are no longer required to qualify the MDCAT. The council approved the change at its meeting on 14 September on the recommendation of a parliamentary committee, PMDC president Dr Rizwan Taj told Dawn, as reported by Eduvision and Minute Mirror. It reverses a rule announced in May 2026 that had made MDCAT and PMDC registration mandatory before going abroad.

The exemption applies only to foreign admissions; MDCAT remains the entry test for colleges in Pakistan. Students who begin abroad and later transfer to a Pakistani institution must meet National Examination Board requirements, and graduates who want to practise in Pakistan must still pass the registration examination for foreign graduates and complete PMDC registration before a house job licence. Rules on which foreign degrees are recognised also still apply, so the choice of university remains the decisive step.

Check the notice on pmdc.pk before relying on the exemption.