The Punjab government’s new admission policy for public sector medical colleges has sparked widespread criticism from 2025 aspirants, who have labelled it a “severe injustice” that undermines the rights of deserving students.
The controversy emerged after the government announced that candidates from 2023 and 2024 could reapply for 2025 medical admissions using their old MDCAT scores. The policy, to be implemented by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), has been described as unprecedented and discriminatory.
At a press conference on Thursday, representatives of the 2025 cohort condemned the policy, saying it discriminates against current-year aspirants. They urged the government and the PMDC to withdraw the decision and ensure fair admissions based solely on the 2025 MDCAT results.
“The three-year validity of MDCAT scores has no precedent — nationally or internationally,” one speaker said. They cited Sindh’s admission authority, which restricted eligibility to the current year’s entry test to maintain fairness.
The students questioned why medical candidates alone were subjected to such a policy, while universities like NUST, AKU, UET, PU, and GCU conducted admissions strictly on the basis of current-year tests.
Aspirants described the new rule as a “backdoor entry” for students who failed to secure admission in previous years. “It implies that 2025 aspirants are less deserving — which is illogical and unfair,” they said.
They backed their argument with statistics, noting that the 2024 MDCAT had 200 questions, and 2,750 students scored between 190 and 200 marks. In contrast, the 2025 test had 180 questions, and only 817 students scored between 170 and 180 marks — showing that the 2025 exam was more difficult.
“Treating both tests as equivalent deprives 2025 aspirants of their right to fair competition,” they stressed.
The students warned that the new policy could lead to administrative chaos, as candidates already admitted in 2024 might reapply to upgrade to more prestigious colleges or shift to hometown institutions.
“This will trigger unnecessary seat replacements and disruptions, ultimately wasting valuable resources,” they cautioned.
The 2025 aspirants urged the Punjab government to review the decision and follow the example of Sindh, NUST, and AKU, restricting medical admissions exclusively to those who appeared in the 2025 MDCAT.
They concluded that fair competition and merit-based selection are the only ways to uphold transparency and restore students’ trust in the medical education system.
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