The dream of becoming a doctor is becoming increasingly difficult for ordinary students in Pakistan, as soaring fees in private medical colleges have made medical education almost inaccessible.
As a result, interest in medical admissions has declined across the country, leaving hundreds of seats vacant.
In view of the situation, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has relaxed the admission merit criteria. The merit for MBBS admissions has been reduced from 55 percent to 52 percent, while students scoring 47 percent marks are now also eligible for admission to BDS programs. Despite these adjustments, a large number of seats remain unfilled.
According to reports, there are 72 private medical colleges across the country with more than 8,000 total seats. However, over 1,100 seats remained vacant this year alone.
Sources indicate that due to the high number of vacant seats, private medical colleges exerted pressure on PMDC to lower the merit requirements. Acting on the situation, the regulator allowed admissions on relaxed criteria specifically to fill vacant seats.
PMDC clarified that this relaxation is temporary and aimed only at filling unused seats. The authority also acknowledged that the primary reason behind the decline in admissions is the extremely high fee structure.
The annual fee of private medical colleges ranges between Rs1.8 million and Rs2.3 million, making the total cost of a five-year MBBS degree exceed Rs11.5 million. Including hostel, transport, and other expenses, the overall cost can rise above Rs15 million.
Experts believe that continuously rising fees have made medical education nearly impossible for students from middle and lower-income families.
PMDC has directed private medical colleges to reduce fees and complete admissions under the relaxed merit criteria by April 15.
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