ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has taken major steps to address vacant seats in private medical and dental colleges and to regulate fee structures.
In a new move, the PMDC has reduced the admission merit for MBBS and BDS programs for the ongoing 2024–25 academic year. Students can now apply for MBBS with at least 50% marks and for BDS with 45% marks. This one-time relaxation is aimed at filling hundreds of vacant seats, especially in private colleges across Punjab and Sindh. Admissions must be completed within three days.
“This decision will allow more students, including those with second division, to pursue medical and dental education,” a PMDC official said. However, the council clarified that this is a temporary measure and will not be repeated in future admission cycles.
In an important decision, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has set the annual tuition fee for MBBS and BDS programs in private medical and dental colleges at Rs 1.8 million. A 5% fee increase is allowed for the 2025 academic session. From 2026 onwards, the fee will be adjusted every year based on inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
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Private colleges that have already charged students more than this set fee have been told to either return the extra amount or adjust it in future sessions.
The decision was made by a government committee led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, and all colleges must follow it.
These changes were recommended by the Medical Education Reforms Committee, formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to make medical education more fair, affordable, and transparent for students.
