Punjab approves new admission policy for medical and dental colleges
LAHORE: The Punjab government has officially approved a comprehensive new admission policy for public and private medical and dental colleges across the province, marking a major step toward streamlining admissions and improving transparency in the healthcare education sector.
The decision was taken during a high-level meeting chaired by chief minister Maryam Nawaz, where key reforms in the provincial health and education systems were finalized.
Under the new policy, clearing the medical and dental college admission test (MDCAT) has been made compulsory for admission to public sector medical colleges. For children of overseas Pakistanis, the MDCAT admission fee has been set at $10,000.
In a major change for private sector admissions, candidates appearing on the provisional merit list of private medical and dental colleges will now be required to deposit one-third of their tuition fee with the university of health sciences (UHS). Once the final merit list is released, UHS will transfer the deposited amount to the respective college, and students will pay the remaining fee directly to their allotted institution.
The meeting also approved a joint policy requiring mandatory service following postgraduate training in private hospitals. Trainee doctors will be placed in relevant departments of private medical colleges for specialization, ensuring improved training quality and workforce availability.
Additionally, the chief minister approved the establishment of boards of management for several healthcare institutions across Punjab to improve governance, efficiency, and accountability.
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