Private Medical Colleges Urge PMDC to Lower MDCAT Passing Marks to Fill Vacant Seats

The administration of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU), Larkana, has requested the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to revisit the admission criteria for MBBS and BDS programmes for the 2025–26 academic session.

According to officials familiar with the matter, SMBBMU’s registrar wrote to the PMDC last month, pointing out that many seats in private institutions are remaining unfilled because applicants are unable to meet the current eligibility thresholds.

In the letter, the registrar stated that around 350 MBBS seats have remained vacant after candidates failed to qualify under the existing PMDC criteria. The university has also reportedly received several representations from private medical and dental colleges, expressing concern that repeated admission rounds have still not helped fill the empty seats.

The registrar reminded the PMDC that during the previous academic year, the passing requirement for MBBS and BDS admissions was lowered by five percentage points to address a similar issue. That relaxation, he noted, helped improve admissions and prevented seats from going to waste.

At present, the PMDC requires candidates to have at least 55% marks for MBBS admissions and 50% for BDS.

However, the letter argued that the current session has seen an even smaller pool of eligible candidates compared to last year, while the number of unfilled seats has increased. Given the situation, SMBBMU recommended a broader relaxation than the one granted previously.

The registrar proposed a 10% reduction in the minimum marks requirement — suggesting the eligibility threshold be brought down to 45% for MBBS and 40% for BDS.

He maintained that the proposed change would help ensure better utilization of available seats, keep academic activities running smoothly, and protect the interests of both institutions and prospective students, while still maintaining acceptable academic standards.

The letter also linked the request to Sindh’s wider healthcare needs, arguing that seat wastage could ultimately affect the supply of future medical professionals.

Copies of the communication were also forwarded to relevant provincial and institutional stakeholders, including the Sindh health secretary, the vice chancellor of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, and the chairperson of the province’s Supervising and Steering Committee.

When contacted, SMBBMU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Nusrat Shah confirmed that the letter had been sent, adding that the university had not yet received a response from the PMDC.