KARACHI, Dec 10: The University of Karachi may delay its MBBS First Professional annual examinations due to extension in the schedule of the on-going degree class annual examinations for college students, said sources on the campus.

It was learnt that due to changes made in the schedule of degree class exams, the KU examinations department was finding it difficult to start the MBBS First Prof (parts A and B) annual examinations in line with the schedule prepared by the then KU dean of medicines and announced by the varsity over six months back. As per an earlier KU announcement, Part A exams are to begin on January 10 and those of Part B in February.

According to a source, the papers of BCom (external) annual exams, which are due to commence on December 30, will terminate at around January 17 and as such the examination staff will not be in a position to arrange for the timely conduct of First Prof medicine examinations.

The university is at present in the process of accepting examination forms of Part-A exams from students of affiliated colleges. To a question, an official of the examinations department said that on the basis of news reports, it was understood that students of the Dow Medical College and the Sindh Medical College would not appear in the First Prof exams under the KU now.

However, till date, neither have the enrolments of Part-A candidates nor examination details of those that appeared in the First Prof Part-A exams been collected by the Dow University of Health Sciences - necessary as per varsity rules - added the official, saying that KU would examine only those applying within the stipulated period.