ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) has claimed that a total of 1,470 medical students sat for the National Licensing Examination (NLE), out of whom 1,160 passed the examination. The passing percentage was recorded at 78.9pc.

Executive member of the National Medical Authority Dr Syed Moin Ali announced the successful conclusion of the first National Licensing Examination in Pakistan. The NLE Step 1 for medical graduates was held in five centres located in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Quetta, and Karachi. The examination, which is mandated by law, is a prerequisite for medical and dental graduates to attain full licences to practice in Pakistan.

Dr Ali, in a statement, congratulated those who passed on becoming the first batch of National Licensing Examination graduates in Pakistan.

“Out of the total number of students, 1,164 were foreign graduates and 306 were Pakistani medical graduates with 903 foreign medical graduates passing, representing a pass percentage of 77.6pc and 257 Pakistan medical graduates passing and representing a pass percentage of 84pc. As many as 1,593 graduates had registered for the examination and 123 could not appear for different reasons and will be rescheduled to take their exam in December 2021,” he said.

The Pakistani medical graduates, who passed the National Licensing Examination Step 1, will now be eligible upon completion of their house jobs to apply and receive their full licence to practice medicine.

Foreign medical graduates who qualified the National Licensing Examination Step 1 are now eligible to appear in the National Licensing Examination Step 2 (clinical skills) exam scheduled for Oct 2021. On qualifying the NLE Step 2, they will be eligible for a full licence upon completion of their house job.

PMC President Dr Arshad Taqi said: “The conduct of the first National Licensing Examination has paved the way for standardisation of healthcare delivery in our nation. The NLE is now the standard expected from a healthcare practitioner for a licence to practice and be certified as a safe doctor. As the healthcare regulator, it is our legal and moral duty towards the 220 million Pakistani people we serve that only safe, skilled and competent doctors become part of the healthcare system.”

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2021