MDCAT mandatory for admission to medical colleges, rules Pakistan's top court

ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the Lahore High Court (LHC) verdict, declaring Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT) mandatory for admissions to medical colleges.

A three-member SC bench comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Munib Akhtar had reserved the judgment on September 27.

The five-page judgment authored by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah stated that the admission to medical or dental programs conducted by the public colleges should be regulated as per the policy of the Provincial Governments strictly on merit and admission to a private college should be in accordance with the criteria and requirements stipulated by the private college at least one year in advance of admissions including any additional entrance test as may be conducted by a private college subject to any conditions imposed by the relevant university to which such college is affiliated.

The apex court said that applicants will be required to take MDCAT to get admission in both public and private colleges.

It remarked that MDCAT is legal requirement under the Pakistan Medical Commission Act, 2020 and private colleges cannot replace it with their home-developed tests.

The court also quoted from the act: "Any student seeking admission in any medical or dental college shall mandatorily be required to have passed the MDCAT examination held by PMC. The passing marks for the MDCAT examination shall be 60%."