Medical aspirants across Punjab have protested the government’s new admission policy that allows 2023 and 2024 candidates to reapply for 2025 medical college seats using old MDCAT scores, calling it “unfair” and discriminatory toward current-year applicants.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) announced the policy, which students say has no precedent nationally or internationally. They pointed out that leading institutions like NUST, AKU, UET, PU, and GCU only accept scores from the current year’s entry tests.
“This policy creates a backdoor entry for students who failed in previous years and undermines the rights of 2025 aspirants,” students said at a press conference. They added that the 2025 MDCAT was much tougher, with only 817 students scoring between 170–180, compared to 2,750 students who scored 190–200 in 2024.
Students also warned that re-admitting past candidates could trigger “seat chaos,” as already enrolled students may try to switch institutions, wasting time and resources.
Protesters have urged the Punjab government and PMDC to withdraw the decision and ensure admissions are based solely on the 2025 MDCAT to protect merit and maintain transparency in the medical education system.
