September 23, 2008	Tuesday	Ramazan 22, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 22: Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) has finalised admissions to its MBBS and BDS programme-2008 and will hold introductory class for new entrants on Sept 29.

The coordinator of the DUHS admission programme, Dr Rana Qamar, said on Monday that admissions were granted to students against 426 general merit seats at Dow and the Sindh Medical College and 34 at Ishratul Ibad Institute of Oral Health Sciences, respectively.

“We have strictly followed the final merit list compiled on the basis of marks obtained by students in their intermediate exams as well as entry-test conducted by the university,” said the coordinator.

Dr Qamar said six of the 426 students in the final merit list of DUHS had withdrawn their names as they had gained admission to Aga Khan University.

There were also two girls, from among the top students, who when offered choice preferred to join the Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore, while 15 students withdrew from their general merit seats at Sindh Medical College for self-finance seats at Dow Medical College.

Four of the first 426 students, entitled to get admission to MBBS programme, opted for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) programme and consequently all 25 vacant seats were filled by students in the announced merit list.

The admission programme coordinator said seats filled as per merit were followed by 30 reciprocal seats and 86 self-finance seats for MBBS and 12 for BDS seats, respectively.

While all 86 seats offered on a self-finance basis for the university’s MBBS programme have also been filled, there are still a few self-finance seats vacant in its BDS programme.

All students granted admissions had deposited the required fees, said Dr Qamar.

Responding to a query, she said under the central government’s policy there were a few seats from each public sector medical college/university in the Fatima Medical College. Girls who did not want to study in co-education medical schools preferred to join F.J. College, she said.

Dr Qamar said there were two other girl students who went for the college in Lahore against self-finance scheme. They had secured enough marks to get admission to DUHS on seats reserved for self-finance.

She said there were also seats reserved for disabled persons, one each at Dow Medical College and at Sindh Medical College.

These students also had appeared in the entry test and those scoring top marks from among other intending candidates with disability were given admission to the programme.

She said regular classes for MBBS and BDS first year would begin immediately after the Eid.—APP