On Tuesday, a group of foreign graduates staged a protest outside the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) headquarters in Islamabad.
They were expressing their dissatisfaction with the passing percentage of 70% for NRE, demanding the authority to reduce it to 50%.
Protesters argued that no country worldwide requires a passing percentage as high as 70%. They questioned why foreign graduates are being treated differently in this regard.
Supporting the cause, parents of these foreign graduates also joined the demonstration. They shared their concerns about having invested their entire savings into their children’s aspirations, only to find them facing obstacles in obtaining their licenses.
The protesting students openly inquired about the authority behind the decision to raise passing marks for the NRE, which is the National Registration Examination for foreign graduates to practice in Pakistan.
Earlier, the hashtag “DelayMDCAT2023” gained significant traction in Pakistan’s online sphere after the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council announced the date for the MDCAT examination.
MDCAT holds immense significance as it’s a mandatory test for students aspiring to pursue medical and dental education in Pakistan. The exam acts as a gateway for admission into both public and private medical and dental colleges across the country.