Doctors Slam PMDC for Lowering MDCAT Passing Marks, Demand Rollback

Doctors Slam PMDC for Lowering MDCAT Passing Marks, Demand Rollback

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has publicly condemned the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) over its controversial decision to drastically lower the passing marks for the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) .

The regulatory body’s move to reduce the MDCAT passing threshold has sparked outrage among medical practitioners nationwide, who are now demanding the immediate withdrawal of the notification. The decision, announced quietly earlier this week, sets the new passing percentage at 52 percent for Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and 47 percent for Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) .

PMA Alleges Financial Motive Behind Decision

The Pakistan Medical Association, the largest representative body of medical practitioners in the country, has accused the PMDC of prioritizing revenue over rigor. According to the PMA, the decision is not academically motivated but is a calculated attempt to fill thousands of vacant seats in private medical colleges.

“The decision to lower MDCAT passing percentages to 52 percent for MBBS and 47 percent for BDS is a short-sighted move,” said Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro , Secretary General of the PMA.

Dr. Shoro emphasized that the vacant seats in private institutions are not due to a lack of qualified candidates. Instead, he pointed to the root cause: exorbitant tuition fees that place medical education out of reach for the average Pakistani student.

“This move aims to address symptoms rather than the root cause of vacant seats, which is the high cost of medical education,” Dr. Shoro explained.

Educational Standards vs. Financial Interests

The association issued a strongly worded statement arguing that the PMDC’s decision effectively supports the financial interests of private medical colleges at the expense of national educational standards. By lowering the passing bar to fill seats, critics argue that the regulatory body is abandoning its primary mandate: safeguarding the quality and competence of future doctors.

Doctors warn that admitting students with lower entry-level knowledge could have dangerous long-term consequences for patient safety and the reputation of Pakistan’s medical profession globally.

“To lower the bar now, simply to facilitate college revenue, is an affront to past merit,” Dr. Shoro added.

The Question of Fairness and Past Merit

The controversy has also ignited a debate about intergenerational fairness. Medical practitioners are questioning the equity of the decision for students from previous academic years who met stricter criteria often requiring 65-70% passing marks yet were denied admission due to limited seats.

The PMA has formally requested that the PMDC consider past high-achieving applicants first before relaxing standards for future candidates. They argue that thousands of students who scored higher than the new 52% threshold in previous years are still waiting for admission and should be given priority.

‘Hazardous Legal Cover’ for Substandard Education

In his most pointed critique, Dr. Shoro warned that the PMDC’s decision could set a dangerous precedent, creating what he described as a “hazardous legal cover for a substandard education system.”

He cautioned that private colleges, now armed with a lower legal entry point, might further compromise on teaching quality and faculty hiring, knowing that regulatory oversight has been relaxed. The PMA fears this will lead to a two-tier medical system: a high-standard public sector and a poorly regulated private sector producing under-qualified graduates.

PMDC Defends Its Position

While the PMDC has not yet issued a detailed formal rebuttal to the PMA’s allegations, sources within the council have previously argued that the change is based on a statistical analysis of test difficulty and aims to prevent the “wastage of seats” in the national interest. However, with the PMA’s strong opposition growing louder, pressure is mounting on the regulatory body to reverse its notification.

What This Means for Aspiring Students

For students awaiting MDCAT results, the decision temporarily lowers the anxiety of failure. However, medical education experts advise caution. Admission to competitive government colleges will still likely require much higher percentages, as merit lists are based on relative performance. The 52% threshold only applies to the “pass/fail” status, not the final merit ranking.

The PMA has urged students and parents to write to the Ministry of National Health Services to demand a rollback, insisting that compromising on quality today will lead to a healthcare crisis tomorrow.