• Those who complete two years abroad may appear in NEB for transfer to Pakistan
• Foreign grads will have to sit another exam before being allowed to practice in the country

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Monday exempted students intending to study abroad from the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT).

According to a notification seen by Dawn, the PMDC has decided to exempt Pakistani students seeking admission to foreign medical and dental institutions from the mandatory requirement of passing the MDCAT.

Talking to Dawn, PMDC President Rizwan Taj said that the parliamentary committee had recommended that students intending to study abroad should not be required to pass the MDCAT.

However, he said, students would have to fulfil all requirements if they wanted to return to Pakistan to seek admission to a local institution or start practising in the country.

A senior council official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it had been decided that students could pursue their studies abroad without passing the MDCAT.

However, if they wanted to transfer to an institution in Pakistan, they would have to pass the National Equivalence Board (NEB) examination. Those who completed their medical or dental education abroad would have to appear in the registration examination for foreign medical graduates before being allowed to practise in Pakistan.

A large number of Pakistani students travel abroad and secure admission to medical and dental colleges that may lack adequate standards of education. A number of students who do not qualify for MDCAT also secure admissions abroad and later attempt to transfer to Pakistani medical institutions.

The PMDC conducts the NEB examination twice a year to assess the knowledge, clinical skills and professional competence of students who have partially completed their medical or dental education abroad and seek transfer to or admission into institutions in Pakistan. The examination is computer-based and consists of multiple-choice questions.

Pakistani students enrolled in foreign medical or dental institutions who have completed two years of study and reached at least the third year are eligible to sit the NEB examination. Passing the examination is required for transfer to or admission into Pakistani institutions for the next academic year.

On the other hand, students who complete their medical or dental education abroad must appear in the registration examination for foreign medical graduates to obtain a licence to start their house job and subsequently practise in Pakistan.

However, after returning to Pakistan, some foreign medical graduates demand that they be allowed to undertake house jobs without passing the required examination, and they have staged protests over the issue.

Last year, the PMDC had made it clear that the registration examination was essential for ensuring patient safety. The council had said that the health and safety of the public were its top priorities and vowed that it would never compromise on them.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2026