Foreign Medical Graduates Urge Parliamentarians, PMDC to Address NRE Crisis
Islamabad: Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) have raised serious concerns over the National Registration Examination (NRE) 2025, urging parliamentarians and the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to intervene and address issues affecting thousands of qualified graduates.
The NRE 2025 was held on December 14, with approximately 7,000 candidates appearing in the examination. However, only 1,473 candidates passed, including 1,467 medical graduates and just six dental graduates. According to the results, the overall pass rate for medical graduates stood at 21.17 percent, while the dental pass rate was only 7.23 percent. FMGs argue that such unusually low success rates indicate flaws in the examination system rather than a lack of competence among candidates.
FMGs have pointed out that the examination heavily relies on a bubble-sheet format, which is unfamiliar to many foreign-trained doctors. Most FMGs complete their medical education through computerized or structured assessment systems and have limited exposure to bubble-sheet–based exams. They maintain that this method increases the risk of human error and consumes valuable time during the test.
Sharing his experience, Dr. Ali said the current NRE format is not facilitative for foreign medical graduates. He explained that with only one minute allocated per multiple-choice question, much of the time is spent filling bubbles instead of focusing on clinical reasoning and problem-solving.
Another FMG, Dr. Ayesha, called on the authorities to allow candidates access to their marks after the examination so they can evaluate their performance and better prepare for future attempts.
FMGs collectively believe that the NRE urgently requires modernization to align with contemporary assessment standards and to accommodate candidates from diverse educational backgrounds.
Representing Foreign Medical Graduates, Dr. Rafey Sher acknowledged the efforts of the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) in conducting the examination but emphasized that the core issue lies in the outdated assessment methodology prescribed by PMDC. He also raised concerns over transparency, particularly the inability of candidates to view detailed results and scores.
Dr. Rafey Sher further highlighted that FMGs face difficulties due to the limited number of NRE examination cycles each year. He confirmed that FMG representatives would engage with parliamentarians to seek an increase in the number of exams annually, calling it a critical issue impacting the future of many qualified doctors.
Foreign Medical Graduates have appealed to PMDC and relevant stakeholders to take immediate steps to reform the NRE system, ensure transparency, modernize assessment methods, and safeguard the professional future of deserving medical professionals.
News Link: https://www.peakpoint.pk/en/2025/12/27/push-for-nre-reform-gains-momentum/
