Changes affect number of foreign universities recognized by PM&DC, decide who can receive provisional license
The new rule change issued by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) has created a storm of confusion among Pakistanis graduating from foreign medical universities. The changes affect the number of foreign universities recognized by the PMDC, deciding who can receive a provisional license needed to continue working from home or who must pass the National Matriculation Examination (NRE) to obtain a provisional license.
What are the changes?
Only graduates of foreign medical universities recognized by PM&DC will be eligible for:
• Provisional registration
• Housekeeping Jobs in Pakistan
In case the student graduated from an unrecognized foreign medical university, such student will have to report to the NRE to receive the provisional license.
This policy mainly affects students studying in the following countries:
• China
• Russia
• Kyrgyzstan
• Kazakhstan
• Azerbaijan
According to the statement shared by the PM&DC, most of the affected students are those who started their studies in foreign universities during the time when the PM&DC Ordinance, 1962 and the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) Act, 2020 were in force. “The majority of affected students received degrees from institutions mainly from Afghanistan, Central Asian republics like Kyrgyzstan, Iran, etc.”
However, a new council was constituted in April 2023 and the concerned council implemented several reforms “to promote medical education”. PM&DC states that these new rules are being introduced with the aim of “ensuring patient safety and strengthening the national healthcare system”. According to the notification shared by the PM&DC, the institution is increasing the processing fee “for inclusion in the list of institutions recognized by the PM&DC” from $5,000 to $10,000.
Confusion over the new policies began when this year’s summer graduates returned home.
The representative of the Foreign Medical Graduates (GMF), Dr Rafey Sher, detailed the confusion reigning on the ground. “When we graduated and returned to Pakistan, our university was recognized in the new list and the batch students who had graduated just six months before us were able to get their provisional licenses (necessary for your work from home). However, on our return, we found our portals closed. The PM&DC told us that this was due to an IT glitch, which persisted for two months, after which they announced a change in policy. “
Dr. Rafey Sher graduated from the International University of Kyrgyzstan (IUK), a university that is on the recognized list of PM&DC, but he is still unable to obtain a provisional license.
After much backlash and public criticism, the PM&DC issued a press release addressing the students’ woes, detailing why the policy had changed and how the department would behave in the future.
Read: MDCAT 2026: Higher eligibility criteria, revised exam structure
PM&DC claims that only 700 students fail to obtain their license, FMG claims that the figure is closer to 3000. When The Express PK Press Club asked Dr Rafey to justify this number, he said that 700 students were those who were able to access their portals and whose applications were rejected. The 3,000 figure includes students who graduated and returned to find their portals inaccessible.
The statement said that after deliberating on the complaints expressed by the students, “accordingly, it has been decided that only graduates of foreign institutions duly recognized by PM&DC are eligible for issuance of provisional registration with the NRE.”
According to Dr. Rafey, this statement had no effect on the ground: “After announcing the new policy, I personally visited their office and they denied their own press release. » Dr Rafey also visited Parliament, garnering support from many members of the Pakistan People’s Party, and also had the opportunity to meet Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal.
“I explained to him how, even though my university was on the list of recognized institutions, I failed to obtain my provisional license. I have already lost 4-5 months and now all the slots for home work are filled. We wasted a year of our time, even though according to their press release we should have been able to start our home work without taking the NRE.”
Dr Fatima Abid, director of admissions at Jinnah Sindh Medical University, told The Express PK Press Club that many graduates of universities in Sindh face a similar situation. “Several universities in Sindh are on the approved list (including DUHS, JSMS, LUMHS, Isra University), many graduates have reported delays in receiving their provisional licenses.”
She then urged the PM&DC to provide clarification to students on delays which she said arise from inspection reports or procedural delays, stressing that timely issuance of licenses is vital for home placements in public hospitals.
The Express PK Press Club contacted the PM&DC for a comment on their new policies and the accusations leveled against them by the FMG, but they did not respond.
