- admission@smcn.edu.pk
Islamabad, October 12, 2022
In exercise of the powers conferred section 40 and sub-section 2(f) of section 8 of the
Pakistan Medical Commission Act, 2020 (XXXIIIof 2020), the Medical and Dental Council is
pleased to make thefollowing regulations, namely;-
1. Short title, application and commencement. -(1) These regulations may be called the Medical and Dental Undergraduate Education (Admissions, Curriculum and Conduct) Policy and Regulations 2022.
(2) These regulations shall apply to all medical and dental undergraduate programs recognized by the Commission in Pakistan, all registered medical and dental colleges and accredited teaching hospitals for imparting undergraduate education and house jobs.
(3) These regulations shall come into force at once.
2. Definitions.-(1) In these regulations, unless the context otherwise provides;
(a) “Act” means the Pakistan and Medical Commission Act, 2020;
(b) “Authority” means the National Medical Authority established under the Act;
(c) “Board” means the National Medical and Dental Academic Board constituted under the Act;
(d) “Council” means the Medical and Dental Council constituted under the Act;
(e) “foreign student” means a student who is not a Pakistani Student and holds only a foreign nationality;
(f) “full license” means a permanent license to practice granted under the Act, subject to the continuing validity of the license under the Act and applicable rules and regulations;
(g) “Medical and Dental Colleges Admissions Test” or “MDCAT” means the medical and dental colleges admissions test as described in section 18 of the Act;
(h) “National Licensing Examination” or “NLE” means national licensing examination as described in section 20 of the Act;
(i) “Pakistani student” means a student who is a Pakistani national or defined as an Overseas Pakistani under applicable law and may hold dual nationality and may be resident or non-resident in Pakistan; and
(j) “Student Fee” means student fee as described in regulation 8;
(2) The words and expressions used in these regulations, but not defined herein shall have the same meaning as are assigned to them in the Act.
CHAPTER II
ADMISSIONS
3. Eligibility for Admission.-(1)Any person seeking admission in any undergraduate medical or dental college in Pakistan shall be eligible having fulfilled the following mandatory criteria;
a) have passed the MDCAT examination;
b) obtained a Higher Secondary School Certificate qualification (“HSSC”) or an equivalent 12th-grade qualification recognized in Pakistan and obtained a minimum of sixty percent (60%) marks therein, or a higher percentage as may be notified by the Medical and Dental Council; and
c) passed the subjects of biology and chemistry and either physics or mathematics in the examination of the Higher Secondary School Certificate or an equivalent 12th grade qualification recognized in Pakistan:
Provided that the mandatory eligibility requirements shall not apply to a student admitted on a special program seat pre-defined exclusively for a Federal Government program for foreign students under bilateral agreements with other countries. Such students shall also not be entitled to apply for a Full License to practice in Pakistan after having obtained their degree and will have to apply as foreign graduates subject to applicable licensing pathways.
(2) The general principle to be applied shall be that admissions to medical colleges should be concluded prior to admissions of dental colleges, and admissions to the public sector colleges are concluded prior to admissions to private colleges.
Public Medical Colleges 31′ December 2022
Private Medical Colleges 31″ January 2023
Public Dental Colleges 15th February 2023
Private Dental Colleges 28th February 2023
Provided that all medical & dental colleges shall display the status of total number of vacant seats on their official website by the 10th March 2023 and shall send the same to the Council. The vacant seats shall be filled on merit by 31″ March 2023. The admission on vacant seats shall be done from students on merit in the waiting list and no transfer will be done in respect of students already granted admission.
4. Admissions Process for Public Colleges.-(1) Admissions to public colleges shall be conducted and completed by the respective government or public sector universities nominated by their respective provincial government.
(2) The government/admitting university shall formulate the merit and admission criteria for the public colleges as under:
MDCAT 50% weightage
F.Sc (Pre-Medical)/HSSC/Equivalent 40% weightage
SSC/Matriculation/Equivalent 10% weightage
(3) The government may create category of seats in the public colleges for purposes of admission in accordance with applicable law. No category shall be created which permits a student who has not qualified the MDCAT or be admitted in violation of the fundamental principle of merit as mandatorily applicable under Article 37(c) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973.
(4) The final criteria for merit and admission including all category of seats shall be publicly announced by or before 1″ August of each year. A copy of the criteria and categories shall be provided to the Authority by 1st August of each year.
(5) If any public scholarship or funded program requires seats to be allocated for its program in public colleges, the public authority responsible for such program shall seek and obtain the allocation of the required seats from the respective government or authority in respect of public colleges administered by them by or before 1″ August of each year.
(6) The admission process shall be conducted through an online portal and in a transparent manner. The final merit lists and admission lists shall be provided to the Authority for purposes of review and record on the date of issuance of the merit list and admissions list.
(7) Admissions to medical and dental programs shall be conducted separately and each student shall be required to apply separately to a medical or dental program. A student having not applied to a given program shall not be entitled to admission to such program.
(8)The merit lists shall be made public not later than 15th December and admissions to public medical colleges shall be completed by or before 31st December of each year. Admissions to all special category seats in public medical colleges not being on open
merit shall be completed by 10th January of each year. The merit lists shall be made public not later than 10th February and admissions to public dental colleges shall be completed by or before 15th February of each year. Admissions to all special category seats in public dental colleges not being on open merit shall be completed by 28th February of each year.
(9) The final list of admitted students shall be made public by or before the applicable final date notified by the Authority pursuant to sub-regulation 2 of regulation 3. Thereafter, upon final verification by the relevant universities with whom the college is affiliated the verified list shall be submitted by the university to the Authority in the prescribed manner through PMC Online portal within thirty days of completion of the admission. No admission shall be entertained and no student shall be registered by the Authority if not admitted by or before the applicable final date.
(10) No public college shall admit any student beyond the total seats allocated by the Commission:
Provided that any students admitted on a special category seat pre-defined exclusively for a Federal Government program for foreign students under bilateral agreements with other countries who have not taken the MDCAT exam may be admitted over and above the allocated seats subject to such over and above admissions not being more than five percent of the total allocated seats of the college.
(11) Any allocated seat of a college which may remain vacant after the completion of admissions shall remain vacant. There will be no transfer in 1st Year MBBS/BDS.
(12)The admissions in public-sector medical and dental institutions shall be completed by displaying at least three consecutive merit lists by the concerned Admitting University. Institution-wise list of all the successful candidates shall be displayed on the website of the concerned Admitting University. In case of failure to deposit the prescribed admission fee within three working days of display of merit list on the website or notice board of the Admitting University and such candidates shall have no vested right of admission in that year. The vacant seats occurring on account of non-deposit of prescribed admission fee within the stipulated period by selected candidates in first or second merit list shall be allocated to candidates who are next in merit, by displaying the third merit list. The candidates may be upgraded to another institution in the subsequent merit list based on merit and preference and the fee deposited by upgraded candidates in the previous institution shall be transferred to new institution without any deduction.
5. Admissions Process for Private Colleges.-(1) Admissions to private colleges recognized by the Authority shall be conducted and completed by each of the private college or through the university of which the college is a constituent college, affiliated to or administered, subject to the terms of affiliation mandated by each university in respect of conduct of admissions.
(2) Each of the private college shall publicly issue the criteria and merit formulation as prescribed in the regulations for admissions as under:
MDCAT 50% weightage
F.Sc (Pre-Medical)/HSSC/Equivalent 40% weightage
SSC/Matriculation/Equivalent 10% weightage
(3) All colleges shall publicly prescribe tuition fee and all applicable fee and charges by 1st January of each year and make the same available on their college website and provide a copy to the Authority.
(4) There shall be no admission which violates the fundamental principle of merit and all admissions shall be strictly on merit as per the merit criteria announced by the college and pursuant to the fundamental principle of merit as mandatorily applicable under Article 37(c) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973.
(5) The admission process shall be conducted through an online portal and in a transparent manner. Each college shall publicly open their admissions by 15t July of each year allowing students to submit their applications for admission to their choice of colleges.
(6) Each college shall submit the merit list of all students who have applied for the admissions within 3 days after the closing date of admission.
(7) Admissions to medical and dental programs shall be conducted separately and each student shall be required to apply separately to a medical or dental program. A student having not applied to a given program shall not be entitled to admission to such program.
(8) No college shall charge an application fee of more than Pakistan rupees one thousand (PKR 1000/-) from a student when applying for admission. Prospectus shall be placed on the official website of the college and no fee shall be charged under the head of prospectus charges.
(9) A student may apply to both public sector and private sector colleges.
(10) For admission to a private college no distinction shall be made in terms of merit and criteria between a Pakistani, overseas Pakistani or foreign student. No college shall deny admission to a student on account of them being a Pakistani, overseas Pakistani or foreign student.
(11) Each college shall issue a final merit list of all students on their official website taking into account results of MDCAT and other exam results as prescribed under these regulations.
(12) The final merit list shall represent an offer by the college to the students on the basis of their merit against the allocated seats of each college. Any student not accepting the offer shall enable the next student in the merit list to avail of the offer.
(13) The college shall give to the applicant at least three working days to submit their fee which shall represent the acceptance of the offer by the student.
(14) The admissions to private colleges shall be completed by or before the applicable final date notified by the Authority pursuant to sub-regulation 2 of regulation 3 each year. The final list of admitted students shall be submitted to the Authority in the prescribed manner through PMC Online Portal by each college by or before the applicable final date notified by the Authority pursuant to sub-regulation 2 of regulation 3. Thereafter, upon final verification of student credentials by the relevant universities with whom the college is affiliated the verified list shall be submitted by the university to the Authority in the prescribed manner through PMC Online portal within fifteen days of completion of the admission. No admission shall be entertained and no student registered by the Authority if not admitted by or before the final applicable date notified by the Authority pursuant to sub-regulation 2 of regulation 3.
(15)Any allocated seat of a college which may remain vacant after the completion of admissions shall remain vacant. There will be no transfer in 1st Year MBBS/BDS.
(16) A student when accepting admission to a college shall be under an obligation to disclose to the college if a prior admission has been accepted by them to any other college, and such student shall prior to accepting such latter admission must in writing inform the prior college of cancellation of their acceptance with a copy to the designated email of the Authority. Failure by a student to cancel the prior acceptance of admission shall render all admission offers of the student as void and the student shall be ineligible for admission. All colleges shall ensure that they properly apprise and educate the applicant students of this provision as part of their admissions policy, prospectus and at the time of making an offer of admission.
Provided colleges shall be granted a 3 working day window after the closure of applicable admissions to fill a seat remaining vacant due to a cancellation of the offer by a student through their respective waiting lists.
6. Verification of Credentials by Affiliating University.-(1) The affiliating university shall be responsible for verifying the credentials of a student admitted by a college including the students matriculation, HSSC or equivalent 12th grade qualification.
(2) The affiliating university after having verified the credentials shall register the students in its record and submit the final verified list of admitted students of each of its constituent or affiliated colleges to the Authority through PMC Online Portal in the prescribed format within fifteen days of the prescribed date for completion of admissions.
(3) The affiliating university shall be solely responsible for the verifications undertaken and its submission of the final verified list to the Authority shall represent a certificate of such verification. The university shall cancel any provisional admission where the credentials of a student are not verified.
7. Registration of Admitted Student.-(1) A student admitted to a medical or dental college whose admission is verified by the affiliating. the university shall be registered by the Authority as a medical or dental student.
(2) The CNIC of the student shall represent the students’ registration number and shall continue as the unique identification of the student throughout the period of the educational program and thereafter, for purposes of applying for licensing.
8. Student Fees payable to Authority.–(1) Every student admitted to a medical or dental college and registered with the Authority shall pay to the Authority annually a Student Fee as notified by the Authority, either directly or through its college:
Provided the Authority shall notify each year the Student Fee applicable to the students enrolled in the given year and such notified fee shall be applicable at the same rate to the student throughout their program and enrollment at the college.
(2) A registered student who either elects to leave the medical or dental program or is expelled from the college on account of failing to pass the professional exams or for any other reason shall have their Student Fee paid treated as forfeited and no refund shall be claimed.
9. Payment and Charging of Fee by College.-(1) The college shall prescribe the tuition fee for the entire duration of the program divided on an annual basis, which shall not be enhanced for the student during the entire duration the student remains in the program.
(2)Notwithstanding scholarships granted to a student, the college shall charge the notified fee from all Pakistani Students. The college may charge a higher fee from a Foreign Student.
(3) A college may require a student to obtain health insurance subject to the student having the option to acquire such insurance from its own sources or the insurance provider recommended by the college. No other insurance in terms of payment of fee shall be mandatorily imposed upon the student by a college. A college shall be at liberty to obtain any insurance to cover its risk of future fee/revenues without encumbering the student with the premium payable on any such insurance obtained by the college for its benefit.
(4) No student shall be required to provide any form of security for payment of fee by a college.
(5) A student who defaults in payment of tuition fee shall be liable to be expelled by the college subject to a reasonable period being granted to the student to remedy the defaulted fee. A college who expels a student on account of default in payment of tuition fee shall notify the Authority within one week and the student’s registration with the Authority shall be cancelled permanently. A student expelled shall not be eligible to seek admission to any other medical or dental college for a period of one year.
(6) If a student after having obtained admission seeks to leave the program, the college shall have the right to adjust the tuition fee already paid pro rata to the period
spent by the student in the program along with a penalty not exceeding ten percent of the total annual fee.
(7) A detained student shall be charged tuition fee in proportion to the number of failed subjects of that professional examination.
10. Review of Admissions Process by Authority.-(1) The Authority may either on its own motion or upon a complaint review the admissions process of each college during and on completion of the process where such process shall be completed by the Authority within thirty days of the final date of admissions.
(2) If the Authority finds any irregular admission having been made by the college, the Authority shall have the right to cancel such admission subject to having granted both the college and the affected student a right to be heard.
(3) A student may submit a complaint to the Authority or the Medical Tribunal in respect of any irregular admission made or admission invalidly refused by a college. Such complaint if made to the Authority shall be heard and decided within fifteen days of the same being submitted after hearing both the complainant and the college.
CHAPTER III
CURRICULUM
11. Curriculum of Undergraduate Programs.-Each college and university shall strictly follow the curriculum for MBE1S and BDS programs as formulated by the National Medical and Dental Academic Board and approved by the Medical and Dental Council in pursuance of the respective degree programs.
12. Teaching Methodology.-(1) Each university or college may formulate a syllabus based on the approved curriculum for the relevant MBBS or BDS program for purposes of teaching students at the college.
(2) A college may follow any teaching methodology as may be permissible by its affiliated university and subject to such methodology not being in conflict with any general teaching methodology structures prescribed by the National Medical and Dental Academic Board.
(3) All universities to whom medical or dental colleges are affiliated shall seek to as best as possible harmonize their programs over the duration of the program to ensure that students transferring from one college to another where both colleges are affiliated to different universities, are not at an unreasonable disadvantage in terms of the expected competencies required under the prescribed curriculum.
13. Change in Curriculum.-In the event that the National Medical and Dental Academic Board recommends any major change in the curriculum of a program, upon approval by the Medical and Dental Council, the altered curriculum shall be applicable to the students admitted in the next acade r after the altered curriculum is notified.
All previously admitted students shall follow the earlier curriculum, unless otherwise prescribed by the Board subject to a prescribed methodology to ensure existing students are able to fulfill the altered curriculum requirements if the same are substantially in addition to the previously applicable curriculum.
CHAPTER IV
CONDUCT OF PROGRAM
14. Examinations & Results.-(1) Each professional examination shall be conducted by the affiliating university directly in terms of setting the examination and its checking and marking. No constituent, affiliated or administer college shall be permitted to set the paper or mark the same.
(2) The professional examinations shall be conducted by each university and the results announced by or before 15th January of each year unless for reasons beyond the control of the university the examinations are delayed. Any delay in the examinations shall be informed in advance to the Authority by the university.
(3) The results of each professional exam subject wise shall be provided to the Authority by each university on the PMC online portal within ten days of the result having been announced.
15. Opportunity to Retake Failed Examinations.-(1) Each university shall frame its own regulations for allowing failed students to retake professional examinations and such regulations shall be publicly notified and made available to the students.
(2) A university may allow a student as many retakes as may be determined by the university subject to no student being required to pay to the college tuition fee in addition to the fee paid for the given year. A retake exam fee may be charged as may be determined by the university subject to being a reasonable fee commensurate with the taking of an examination.
(3) A student who fails to qualify a professional exam maybe offered a retake opportunity in accordance with the rules of the affiliating university subject to;
a. The student having qualified the retake and on re-joining their academic class shall be capable of completing the minimum study hours as prescribed under approved PMC curriculum; and
b. If a student fails the retake offered and is detained and permitted by the university to repeat the academic year, the corresponding vacant seat occurring due to the repeating student shall remain vacant and not be filled through transfer of another student or any other means; and
c. At all times the total strength of students in the college shall not exceed the gross total seats allocated for all applicable academic years of the program.
Explanation: a college allocated 100 students per year in the MBBS program shall mean to have a gross of 500 students in the entire MBBS program at any given time.
16. Reporting of Students Leaving Program.-The college shall notify the university and the university shall notify the Authority of any student having left or been removed from a program within fifteen days of such student having been removed from the program. The students registration with the Authority shall stand cancelled on receipt of information from the university.
17. Transfer/Migration to Another Pakistani College.-(1) A student enrolled in any medical or dental college may transfer/migrate to another college in the same program at the same level to a vacant seat available in the college transferring/migrating to subject to any transfer/migration rules prescribed by the affiliating university. Provided that no transfer/migration shall be allowed in the first 2 years of MBBS program and 15T Year of BDS program.
(2) All colleges, public or private, shall at all times publicly display any vacant seats available in each year of the program and shall inform the Authority of such vacancy within fourteen days of such vacancy occurring. No transfer/migration can be accepted by a college to a vacant seat until the vacancy has been publicly displayed for at least fourteen days allowing for students to apply for transfer/migration to such vacancy.
(3) No college or university shall restrict a student’s right to leave a college and transfer/migrate to another college. There shall be no restriction of acquiring of No Objection Certificate from the college, the student is seeking transferring/migrating out.
(4) The terms of transfer/migration shall be determined by the university regulating the college to which the student is seeking a transfer to.
(5) If no transfer rules are prescribed by a university, the college to which a transfer/migration is sought shall ensure that the transfer/migration is based on merit if more than one student applies for such transfer/migration.
(6) Unless restricted by the rules of a university, there shall be no restriction on transfer/migration from a public to a private college or vice versa.
(7) There shall be no restriction of acquiring of No Objection Certificate from the college, the student is seeking transferring/migrating out.
(8) A college to which a student has transferred to and the college from which the student has transferred out shall inform the Authority within fifteen days of such transfer of the occurrence of transfer.
18. Graduation.-The university and the college shall within ten days of the students having completed and qualified their final professional examination provide to the Authority the verified list of students on the PMC Online portal who have qualified to enable the students to be eligible for grant of a Provisional License.
CHAPTER V
HOUSE JOB ADMISSION
19. Eligibility for House Job.-(1) A student having been verified by the university to have qualified his final professional exam and successfully completed the program of study shall be eligible for grant of a Provisional License and shall have the right to be admitted to the house job program offered by teaching hospitals accredited and recognized by the Commission for conduct of house job programs.
(2) A foreign graduate of a medical or dental program recognized by the Commission and subject to any licensing pathways prescribed by the Medical and Dental Council determining eligibility of a foreign graduate to obtain a provisional license and undertake a house job in Pakistan, may apply for a house job to an accredited and recognized by the Commission for conduct of house job programs.
20. Admission to House Job.-(1) Each graduating student eligible for a house job shall have a right to seek and obtain admission to a house job program with the teaching hospital affiliated to the college from which the student has graduated. The affiliated teaching hospital shall not refuse admission to its own graduated student applying for a house job. A graduate of a teaching hospital may apply or notify their college of intention to do their house job in the affiliated teaching hospital at any time up to ten days from the announcement of the final result.
(2) An eligible student may, in addition to the college it graduated from, apply to any teaching hospital accredited and recognized by the Commission for conduct of house job program.
(3) Each teaching hospital accredited and recognized by the Commission for conduct of house job programs shall advertise publicly the opening of admission to its house job program by or before the 1st of January of each year and provide for students to apply through an online portal. The period for applying for a house job to a teaching hospital, other than the teaching hospital from which the student has completed their medical or dental undergraduate program, shall be closed on the date notified by the Commission each year being the date fourteen days after the last professional exam having been completed by all universities.
(4) A teaching hospital shall admit only such number of house officers as seats allocated by the Commission for the house job program.
(5) In the event of a teaching hospital having more applicants than its allocated seats, it shall grant admission to applicants on the basis of merit where such merit shall be based on the students’ cumulative result in the completed program.
21. Registration of House Officers.-(1) Each teaching hospital shall within seven days of completing the admission to its house job program submit to the Authority a verified list of admitted house officers.
(2) If any admitted student has not been issued a provisional license, the Authority shall process a pending application within fourteen days and inform the teaching hospital. If any student’s application for provisional license is denied by the Authority, the teaching hospital shall be informed and the admission of the student shall be cancelled and the next student on the merit list shall be offered admission.
(3) All house officers shall be registered with the Commission as house officers in the admitted teaching hospitals.
(4) A house officer shall not be permitted to transfer to another teaching hospital once the house job program has begun.
22. Registration Fee of House Officers.-Every house officer on registration with the Commission shall pay to the Commission the prescribed registration fee as may be notified by the Medical and Dental Council. The teaching hospital shall not charge any registration fee or any other fee from the house officers.
23. Payment of Stipend to House Officers.-(1) Every public teaching hospital shall pay a stipend to each house officer as prescribed by the Provincial or Federal Government under whose control the public teaching hospital operates.
(2) Each private teaching hospital shall pay a stipend to a house officer being not less than the stipend payable to public teaching hospitals.
(3) No unpaid house jobs shall be offered or obtained.
24. Conduct of House Job.-(1) A house job shall be for a minimum one year period and shall be mandatory for being eligible for grant of a Full License.
(2) A house job shall consist of full time and structured training as specified by the National Medical and Dental Academic Board and approved by the Medical and Dental Council to be conducted by faculty having the minimum qualifications prescribed by the National Medical Dental Academic Board.
25. Reporting of Results and Certification of Completion of House Job.-(1) The teaching hospital shall issue on the successful conclusion of the house job a certificate confirming that the house officer has satisfactorily completed the mandatory house job modules as prescribed and containing confirmation of which modules / rotations were completed by the house officer and grading obtained.
(2) The teaching hospital shall submit the completion certificate to the Authority within ten days of completion of the house job by the house officer.
CHAPTER II
PENALTIES& REPORTING
26. Penalties.-The Authority shall impose a penalty as may be prescribed by the Medical and Dental Council and provided for in Appendix I for any violation of any provisions of these Regulations. In the event a specific penalty is not provided for any violation, the Authority may advise the Medical and Dental Council to prescribe a penalty for such violation and if approved the same would be imposed notwithstanding that such penalty was not provided for in Appendix I.
27. Reporting Format Online.-Every university, college and student shall submit information, certificates, results, verifications, applications and all other communications required under these Regulations to the Authority through PMC Online in the prescribed format. No submission made other than in the prescribed format and through PMC Online shall be entertained and may result in im position of a penalty.
MBBS Admission Policy for the Session 2022-23SAHARA Medical College Narowal:
The Admission Policy is formulated in compliance with the provisions of Section 18(3) of PMC Act 2020 and PMC Medical and Dental Undergraduate Education (Admission, Curriculum, and Conduct) Regulations 2021, for admission of students to SAHARA Medical College Narowal for MBBS course.
Eligibility Criteria:
Applicants should have at least 60% marks in Fsc. / A-Levels or equivalent qualification and at least 55% marks in MDCAT 2022.
Merit Criteria:
When to Apply:
When the admissions for MBBS are opened at SAHARA Medical College Narowal, the candidates can apply online through the website: https://smcn.edu.pk/. The candidates will be able to apply before their results of FSc. / A-Levels and MDCAT. Those who apply before their results on the admissions portal of SAHARA Medical College are eligible to appear in the interview but their final merit and eligibility shall be finalized after the results of FSc. and MDCAT.