ISLAMABAD: To safeguard the future of doctors who want to go abroad for work or training, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has completed the mandatory requirements to become eligible for the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME) recognition of its accreditation programme.

PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj also held a meeting with the WFME President Prof Ricardo León-Bórquez and his team, said a statement issued on Wednesday.

According to a statement, the main purpose of the meeting was to further improve ties and understanding between the WFME and PMDC and to discuss the way forward for the PMDC recognition. During the meeting, an introduction was given to the WFME president regarding the PMDC. All the participants from the PMDC raised queries which were replied to and explained by the president of WFME. The PMDC made the commitment with the WMFE team that all necessary steps would be taken to expedite the process of recognition with the PMDC.

Council’s Academic Board to supervise MDCAT, other exams

Meanwhile, Prof Dr Rizwan Taj also met a delegation of foreign medical graduates wherein he heard the concerns of the graduates and apprised them that it was the decision of the academic board to set passing marks at 70pc.

He added that the demand of the students would be considered but it could not be retrospectively implemented on an exam which had already been held. He assured them that the matter will be placed before the PMDC council for further deliberation and decision at the earliest.

It is worth mentioning that foreign medical graduates on Tuesday staged a protest in front of the PMDC who failed the National Registration Exam (NRE) demanding that the passing marks for the exam be reduced from 70pc to 50pc.

According to a statement, the NRE exam was conducted by the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) under the supervision of PMDC. The result was received from NUMS and was uploaded on the PMDC website the same day. The NRE exam was conducted in four cities of the country, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Karachi, and Peshawar, to facilitate the graduates.

Dr Taj also added that the PMDC Academic Board has been formed; the board will from now on look after all the examination matters of NRE, NEB and MDCAT. He added that the purpose of conducting the NRE exam was to ensure the selection of qualified doctors for patients in Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2023