Karachi: As new members of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) are nominated, health minister Mr Abdul Qadir Patel reveals the new President of PMDC as well as the new MDCAT criteria for MBBS and BDS program aspirants. He mentions that 55% has been set for MBBS students whereas BDS students require 45% in the MDCAT to secure position.
This new decision not only downgrades dentists, demarcating clearly, the lower criteria of admission for a very crucial healthcare sector in Pakistan, it also misrepresents the strife of those that are former graduates of dentistry in Pakistan.
The dental sector is a pivotal part of healthcare in Pakistan. The private, as well as government sectors of dentistry, contribute a large sum to the healthcare delivery of the country. Not only has this, but the completion of the dental degree requires excellent oral anatomy knowledge as well as practical skill unlike other sectors of healthcare. PMDC creates a clear division of both degrees, with their new admission policy.
It is also pertinent to note that the Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC) allows students, who have achieved at least 50 % in their pre-medical intermediate scores, for their four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSc. N) program.
On the basis of admission criteria, the interpretation of these medical degrees clearly depicts dentistry as the lesser equal. PMDC should re-evaluate the occupational outcomes this admission policy would have on dentists and other healthcare graduates in the government sector.