PMDC meeting secures reforms for foreign medical graduates

An important meeting with senior Pakistan Medical and Dental Council officials and Registrar Brigadier (R) Dr. Syed Rehan Asghar Naqvi addressed core concerns of Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) and produced concrete commitments on contracts, examinations, licensing and verification.

The Registrar confirmed that PMDC will contact ProMetric to resolve outstanding contract issues, aiming to restore smooth exam arrangements for candidates. It was clarified that the passing percentage for local graduates is 50 percent and PMDC intends to standardize the same 50 percent passing threshold for Foreign Medical Graduates to ensure a single uniform system that protects students’ futures.

Doctors who enrolled and graduated before the ECFMG criteria came into effect will be eligible to sit examinations provided their universities are recognized by WHO, WWCAN and the World Health School Directory; official enrolment and graduation data will be submitted to PMDC to verify eligibility.

PMDC will issue directives to universities and hospitals to ensure paid house jobs and to allocate specific seats for FMGs, with examples discussed such as setting aside 50 seats per hospital across the four provinces to improve placement opportunities for returning graduates.

The PRMP matter will be taken to the council level to ensure facilitation and fairness, with an assurance that no law will be applied retrospectively and that PRMP requirements and the full license process will proceed without undue delay and will apply equally to all.

PMDC agreed to publish an annual examination schedule and to hold exams four times a year, working with the National University of Medical Sciences for implementation without discrimination. Exam keys will be uploaded publicly and a request was made to include sample or poll questions for NUMS exams to improve preparation and transparency.

To align with international practice, mandatory stations will be removed and the cap on the number of attempts will be lifted, providing fairer access and clearer pathways for candidates preparing for licensure.

Regarding NRE-2 permanent licenses, out of 1,500 students who cleared NRE-2 only 450 applied for permanent licenses. All remaining successful candidates are urged to apply and PMDC will verify passing data with the Registrar; assistance will be available for applicants who require it. Students who passed NRE-1 but were prevented from appearing in NRE-2 due to retrospective policy changes will now be permitted to sit NRE-2.

PMDC has agreed to establish a Special Facilitation Center dedicated to Foreign Medical Graduates and foreign-qualified doctors to handle degree verification, house job verification and university qualification checks in a single one-time process rather than multiple verifications, a move the Registrar emphasized as bringing PMDC procedures in line with international standards.

FMGs were asked to remain in contact and continue follow up while PMDC’s Examination, Licensing and Legal departments act on commitments. The Registrar’s statement, “Our mission is to facilitate students, not to discriminate against them,” was noted as a guiding principle for the agreed reforms. Foreign Medical Graduates and their representatives expressed appreciation to the PMDC leadership for the constructive engagement and prompt action.