Private Medical Colleges Urge PMDC to Lower MDCAT Passing Marks to Fill Vacant Seats

The administration of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU), Larkana, has requested the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to revisit the admission criteria for MBBS and BDS programmes for the 2025–26 academic session.

According to officials familiar with the matter, SMBBMU’s registrar wrote to the PMDC last month, pointing out that many seats in private institutions are remaining unfilled because applicants are unable to meet the current eligibility thresholds.

In the letter, the registrar stated that around 350 MBBS seats have remained vacant after candidates failed to qualify under the existing PMDC criteria. The university has also reportedly received several representations from private medical and dental colleges, expressing concern that repeated admission rounds have still not helped fill the empty seats