Cap on maximum four attempts to clear MBBS courses lifted.

Byline: Ikram Junaidi

ISLAMABAD -- The Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) has repealed the cap of maximum four attempts to clear theoretical phases of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) and empowered universities to decide about the number of attempts by students to clear their theoretical studies.

But critics believe that it is a step to allow universities to have unlimited number of students without caring about the minimum number of faculty members.

However, PMC President Dr Arshad Taqi claimed that the decision would help the commission keep a check on universities/colleges violating rules.

He said medical and dental colleges would have to retain a minimum number of faculty and cannot exceed the limit of maximum number of students.

According to a letter from the PMC (available with Dawn), Hadiya Tariq, a student, had requested for an additional chance to appear in the first-year BDS examination on humanitarian grounds.

PMC says it is now up to universities to decide about number of attempts a student can make to clear theoretical studies

'The pervious regulations imposing the limit of four attempts stand repealed under the PMC Ordinance 2019. Therefore, it is now the discretion of the relevant college or university to decide the number of attempts as per their policy,' said the letter.

The student was directed to approach the college with a request for any further admission.

A former employee of the dissolved Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) requesting anonymity said in the past there were four availed or unavailed chances for each student to clear first year of BDS and two years of MBBS, which were called basics.

'The idea behind it was that if students failed to clear the basics based on theory, they cannot become doctors and should not be allowed more attempts as it was nothing but wastage of resources. However, in the next phase, which was called clinical, students were allowed to clear in more attempts. A number of students even approached court but their petitions were rejected because courts also believed that they...