Fee burden leaves private medical college seats vacant

An unusual drop in admissions to private medical and dental colleges has exposed a growing affordability crisis in the country, prompting the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to allow a one-time relaxation in merit to fill dozens of vacant seats. According to a notification, the minimum merit for MBBS admissions has been reduced from 55 per cent to 52%, while for BDS programmes it has been lowered from 50 to 47%. The decision will apply only to unfilled seats and will not become a permanent policy. The move comes after several private colleges, particularly in Lahore and other major urban centres, failed to fill their allocated seats despite the completion of regular admission rounds. Sources in the education sector revealed that the institutions had been struggling to attract students primarily due to steep tuition fees, which had placed medical education beyond the reach of many middle-income families. An official of the PMDC, requesting anonymity, said the regulator was left with limited options as the situation risked causing financial strain on institutions and reducing opportunities for aspiring doctors. "This is not about lowering standards permanently as it is a targeted one-time adjustment to ensure that available seats do not go to waste while still maintaining a reasonable academic threshold," the official explained. Investigations suggest that the cost of pursuing an MBBS degree in private colleges has surged significantly in recent years. Annual fees running into millions of rupees combined with additional expenses have discouraged even academically eligible candidates from applying. Education analysts argue that the issue is less about merit and more about financial accessibility. A senior official in the Higher Education Department of Punjab said the development reflects a deeper imbalance in the system. "We are seeing a clear mismatch between supply and affordability. Private colleges have capacity but students cannot afford the fees. This forced the regulator to intervene but long-term solutions will require fee rationalisation," the official said. The PMDC has made it clear that the relaxed merit will only be applied after exhausting the existing pool of qualifying candidates. Colleges will not be allowed to bypass standard procedures and all admissions must still be conducted strictly on merit and in a transparent manner. In its directive, the council also advised private medical and dental colleges to review their fee structures and consider reductions to make education more accessible. The regulator has warned that the entire admission process will remain under strict monitoring to prevent misuse of the relaxation. Stakeholders believe the decision highlights growing concerns about the commercialisation of medical education. Over the past few years, rising operational costs and increasing demand for quality facilities have driven up tuition fees but critics argue that the lack of effective regulation has allowed prices to escalate unchecked. Parents and students have expressed mixed reactions. While some see the reduced merit as a welcome opportunity for those who narrowly missed the previous threshold, others fear it could impact the quality of future healthcare professionals if not handled carefully. The Punjab Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department sent a letter to the PMDC president regarding the 3% reduction in MDCAT threshold. The PMDC notification was reviewed by the Provincial Admissions Committee, which expressed reservations over the reduction in merit percentage for admission to MBBS and BDS.