LAHORE: The University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore, has announced admissions against 252 reserved MBBS and BDS seats in Punjab's public-sector medical and dental colleges for the 2026–27 academic session, opening an important opportunity for eligible students from other provinces and regions to pursue medical and dental education in the province.
According to an official public notice, 214 seats have been allocated to MBBS and 38 to BDS, covering candidates from Islamabad Capital Territory, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, Balochistan and the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), including specified Higher Education Commission (HEC) scholarship categories.
The admission process is being conducted under the policy notified by the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department, Government of Punjab, on October 14, 2026.
Online applications for MBBS will begin at 9:00 AM on Monday, October 26, and close at 5:00 PM on November 9, 2026. BDS applications will follow a separate schedule, opening on December 14 and closing on December 28, 2026.
UHS has advised candidates to apply through the designated online admission portals, ensure that their academic and domicile documents are complete, and carefully select their preferred colleges before the respective deadlines.
How Punjab's 252 reserved medical, dental seats are distributed
The quota allocations are intended to provide admission opportunities to candidates belonging to specified regions outside Punjab, including those covered by special goodwill and scholarship arrangements.
The largest single regional allocation is for Gilgit-Baltistan, which has been assigned 55 MBBS and five BDS seats.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) has been allocated 36 MBBS and three BDS seats, while Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) has received 26 MBBS and four BDS seats.
For Balochistan, the university has announced 20 MBBS goodwill seats, with no BDS seats listed under that particular category. A separate HEC scholarship allocation provides another 28 MBBS and 10 BDS seats for candidates from the province.
The former FATA has been allocated 21 MBBS and six BDS seats under its general regional category. An additional 28 MBBS and 10 BDS seats have been reserved under the HEC scholarship category for the former tribal areas.
Taken together, Balochistan's two categories account for 48 MBBS and 10 BDS seats, while the former FATA's allocations total 49 MBBS and 16 BDS seats.
The overall distribution represents 214 MBBS and 38 BDS seats, as specified in the UHS notification.
These allocations are restricted to their respective eligibility categories. Applicants must select only the categories for which they qualify, while selection lists will be subject to verification by the relevant provincial governments, HEC or other competent authorities, as applicable.
MDCAT, academic eligibility requirements
UHS has established minimum academic and entrance examination requirements for applicants seeking admission against the reserved seats.
Candidates must have passed the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) for 2026, 2025 or 2024 from their respective province or region.
The minimum qualifying score is 55% for MBBS and 50% for BDS.
In addition, applicants must have completed the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC Pre-Medical) or an equivalent qualification representing at least 12 years of education.
The academic qualification must be recognised by the Inter Boards Coordination Commission (IBCC), with applicants required to have obtained at least 60% marks.
The prescribed subject combination includes Biology, Chemistry and Physics or Mathematics.
Meeting these minimum requirements establishes basic eligibility; it does not guarantee admission, which will depend on the applicant's aggregate merit, quota eligibility, available seats and completion of the verification process.
Domicile, regional eligibility conditions
A valid domicile certificate from the relevant province or region is mandatory for applicants claiming reserved seats.
UHS has also specified alternative documentation for certain regions.
Candidates from Azad Jammu and Kashmir may provide a first-class State Subject Certificate, a Permanent Resident Certificate or a Refugee Card issued by the relevant state authority.
Candidates from Balochistan may submit a Local Certificate issued by the relevant district authority.
Applicants are advised to ensure that their regional eligibility documents meet the requirements of their selected quota category before submitting the application.
This is particularly important for candidates applying under HEC scholarship allocations, where the relevant competent authority will be involved in verifying the selection lists.
How UHS will calculate admission merit
Admissions will be determined through a weighted merit formula combining secondary school performance, higher secondary academic marks and MDCAT results.
Under the announced formula, MDCAT carries the highest weightage at 50%, followed by HSSC Pre-Medical or equivalent qualifications at 40%, while Matriculation/SSC or equivalent results contribute the remaining 10%.
The merit system places substantial emphasis on entrance examination performance while taking account of academic achievement across the preceding stages of education.
Applicants should therefore calculate their aggregate using the prescribed weightages rather than relying solely on their MDCAT scores.
The provisional and final merit lists will be published according to the separate schedules announced for MBBS and BDS.
MBBS admissions: October 26 opening, November 9 deadline
The application process for reserved MBBS seats will begin on October 26, 2026, at 9:00 AM.
Candidates will have until November 9, 2026, at 5:00 PM to complete and submit their online applications.
According to the official timetable, UHS will publish the provisional order of merit on November 13, followed by the final order of merit on November 17.
The first college-wise selection list is scheduled for November 27, 2026.
The second selection and upgradation list is expected on December 4, followed by the third list on December 10, 2026.
Classes for students admitted to MBBS programmes are scheduled to commence on Monday, February 1, 2027.
The university has clarified that the schedule may be revised in accordance with directions issued by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) or the Government of Punjab, including changes to the number of selection lists.
BDS admissions: Applications open December 14
The BDS admission process will follow a later timetable.
Online applications for the 38 reserved dental seats will open on December 14, 2026, at 9:00 AM, with the application deadline fixed at December 28, 2026, at 5:00 PM.
UHS plans to publish the provisional BDS merit list on January 4, 2027, followed by the final merit list on January 7.
The first college-wise selection list is scheduled for January 18, 2027, with a third selection or upgradation list listed for February 1, 2027.
The notice contains an apparent typographical inconsistency in the date of the second BDS selection/upgradation list, which is printed as January 25, 2026, despite the surrounding dates belonging to the 2027 admission cycle. Candidates should verify that date through an updated UHS announcement.
Classes for the BDS programme are scheduled to begin on Monday, March 1, 2027.
The separate BDS timetable is particularly important for students who may be following both medical and dental admission opportunities, as the two programmes have different registration periods, merit announcements and class commencement dates.
Online applications, documents and Rs2,000 processing fee
UHS has made online submission mandatory, with separate admission portals for MBBS and BDS.
Candidates must register using their name, email address, CNIC, passport or Child Registration Certificate number, mobile phone number and a password.
After creating an account, applicants must complete their personal and academic profiles, provide MDCAT details, select eligible seat categories and indicate their college preferences.
The university requires applicants to select all available college options applicable to their chosen seat category, arranging them in order of preference.
The online application must be supported by clear, legible scanned copies of mandatory documents, including Matriculation and HSSC certificates or result cards, domicile documentation, the applicant's CNIC, B-Form or passport, identification of the applicant's father, mother or legal guardian, and a recent colour photograph.
Academic certificates must be verified by the relevant boards.
Uploaded files must be in PNG or JPG format, with each file not exceeding 500 KB.
Applicants must also generate a fee challan and pay a non-refundable, non-transferable processing fee of Rs2,000.
The amount may be deposited through the Bank of Punjab or National Bank of Pakistan using branch banking or the designated 1Bill Invoice facility.
UHS has specifically warned applicants not to use the 1Bill top-up option, which is different from the prescribed invoice payment method.
The paid challan or receipt must be uploaded to the online portal within the application period.
Candidates must review their completed applications and acknowledge the prescribed undertaking before final submission.
Although applications may be modified until the applicable submission deadline, the number and order of college preferences become final and cannot be changed after the deadline.
Selection lists, college joining and mandatory upgradation
The admission process will continue after the publication of the merit and selection lists.
Candidates selected for admission will be required to download the relevant college fee challan from the UHS portal and deposit the prescribed college fees and dues within the stipulated period.
Admission will be confirmed only after the candidate has paid the required fees and joined the allotted college in writing within the prescribed deadline.
Failure to satisfy either requirement will result in cancellation of the admission, with no vested right to retain the seat for that academic year.
The university has also made the upgradation procedure mandatory.
Where vacancies arise because selected candidates do not join their colleges, available seats will be filled through subsequent selection lists according to merit and the preferences recorded by applicants.
Candidates upgraded to another college will be required to report to their new institution within the stipulated period, with UHS arranging the transfer of fees to the newly allotted college.
The policy leaves applicants with little flexibility once the relevant fee-payment and joining deadlines have passed.
No hard-copy applications or separate admission letters
UHS has emphasised that the admission process will be conducted online and that hard-copy applications will not be entertained.
Incomplete applications or submissions that fail to meet the prescribed requirements will be rejected.
The university has also warned that forged documents, fabricated credentials or false information may lead to immediate cancellation of an application or admission, along with possible disciplinary or legal action.
All merit lists and college-wise selection lists will be published on the official UHS website.
The university will not send separate admission call letters, making it the responsibility of applicants to monitor the website, follow official updates and act on the announced deadlines.
The relevant provincial governments, HEC or another competent authority, as applicable, will vet selection lists before publication.
What the new admission schedule means for aspiring doctors and dentists
The latest UHS announcement establishes a defined admission pathway for students from specified regions seeking places in Punjab's publicly funded medical and dental institutions.
The allocation of reserved seats provides opportunities across several categories, while the separate MBBS and BDS schedules allow the university to manage the two admission processes independently.
For dental applicants in particular, the December 14 opening date, December 28 deadline and January selection schedule will be central to planning their admissions for the 2026–27 session.
However, eligibility under a regional quota does not automatically secure a place. Applicants must satisfy the academic requirements, obtain the required MDCAT score, provide valid regional documentation and achieve sufficient merit within the relevant allocation.
With MBBS applications opening on October 26, the immediate priority for eligible candidates is to review the official prospectus, verify their quota category and supporting documents, and complete the application through the correct UHS portal before the deadline.
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