ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Tuesday directed 16 new medical colleges to provide a list of their faculty members in 10 days failing which they will not be considered for inspection.

The council considered the cases of the 16 new medical colleges during a meeting of the council on Tuesday which was chaired by PMDC President Dr Shabbir Ahmed Lehri.

Talking to Dawn, Dr Lehri said the new colleges had not submitted lists of their faculty members and that once they do, they will be discussed in the council again but inspection teams will not be sent to the colleges if the lists are not received. Only after inspections will the PMDC allow the colleges to start admissions.

He said it was also decided during the meeting to allow A-level students in Pakistan to sit SAT-II and MCAT exams for admissions into medical colleges just this once and that from the next year onwards, they will have to sit the centralized test.

Those who have studied towards their A-levels out of the country will be able to get admissions after sitting SAT-II and MCAT exams this time, but they will only be considered for the 15pc foreign quota.

The meeting was attended by Supreme Court representative retired Justice Shakirullah Jan, Senate representative Dr Jehanzeb Jamaldini, representatives of armed forces, federal government, the provinces and other stakeholders.

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2017