Merit abolished at medical and dental colleges across Pakistan

FAISALABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has abolished merit-based admission policy. The decision has been made for medical colleges, and there will now be reserved 50 per cent seats for boys and the other 50 per cent for girls. A notification has been issued by the PMDC, which has informed the health secretaries of the four provinces and secretary of the National Health Services Regulations and Coordination department of its decision. In the notification it reads that at a meeting on February 4^th, the council discussed the growing trend among girls of acquiring medical education, coupled with their tendency to leave the profession after having done so. It has been decided to set aside half the seats for boys and the other half for girls. The notification says that the decision will be implemented in undergraduate public and private sector medical/dental colleges from the new admission year 2014-2015.