What do after MDCAT - Guide to Medical University Admissions
With the PMDC MDCAT 2024 results out now for KMU, UHS and BUMHS students, medical university applicants have enter a new phase in their academic journey. Many MDCAT candidates are currently faced with choices and decisions that will affect the rest of their career.
With the university admission process being so confusing, especially for public medical and dental universities in Pakistan, it is important that students stay on top of all information and updates out there, and be prepared for MBBS admissions in Pakistan.
This article will provide you with all the details you need to know for medical university admissions in Pakistan.
Medical University Admissions - What you need to know!
While aspiring doctors are waiting for medical universities to call for admissions, it is the best time to do your research and gather information about your medical career. Here are somethings you should look into before medical university admissions.
Best Medical Universities in Pakistan
One of the most important decisions of medical students’ career is which university to opt for. Applicants want to start their career at the best medical or dental universities of Pakistan, and aim for the best test score and highest aggregate to be able to do so. Some of the highest ranked medical and dental colleges in different cities are listed below.
- Top Medical Universities in Karachi
- Top Medical Universities in Islamabad
- Top Medical Universities in Lahore
Fees and Finances
Another important aspect to consider is finances. Medical degrees tend to be expensive, especially if you opt for private universities. But even for government colleges and universities, the fees can be a lot. As a medical university applicant, you should have a clear idea of the finances available to you and your affordability before you start applying for medical university admissions. Have conversations with your parents and guardian regarding the resources available to you, and the expected university fees over the next five years.
MDCAT Aggregate and Closing Merits
Students from UHS, KMU, and Bolan University can calculate their MDCAT aggregate and compare it to the expected closing merits of their admitting university. This will give you a realistic idea of your chances of making it to your dream university. You can also use this admission predictor tool that will give you a sense of what your options are based on your scores.
To get an idea of the closing merits for 2024 for your provinces, see the following articles.
Looking at these lists can also help you answer questions like if you should repeat the MDCAT or look into alternate career options.
Sindh province students and SZABMU test takers will be giving an MDCAT reconduct exam expected end November (for Sindh) and 1 December 2024 (for SZABMU). They will have to wait for these results to be able to calculate their MDCAT aggregate.
Careers in Medicine
Premedical students are usually very focused on giving and passing the MDCAT and other medical university tests, and do not often think of their career beyond that. But a medical career has a lot of choices to offer, and students will have to opt for what kind of doctor they want to be.
In addition to this, now is a good time to research on the variety of careers available to premedical students in both medical and engineering fields.
How to Apply for MBBS Admissions
This section will talk about the MBBS university application process. Before university admissions even open, it is important that you make sure you have your important documents in order, as many of these documents can take anywhere from a few days to a few months to process.
Important Documents for Medical University Admissions
Given below is a list of some basic documents that all universities require for their admission process. Specific universities may require additional documents.
In general, you should make sure you have all your ID and educational documents in order. All students must have their original marksheets, and O and A level students should have their equivalence certificates from IBCC. You should have attested photocopies of the following documents:
- Candidate’s CNIC or B-form
- Father’s CNIC or B-form
- Candidate Domcile and PRC
- Father’s Domicilie and PRC
- Matric Marksheet or O level Equivalence
- School Provisional Certificate
- Intermediate Marksheet or A level Equivalence
- College provisional certificate
- Recent passport size photos
You can also watch Sir Akbar's counselling video on the same topic here!
Process to Apply for MBBS Admissions
Each province has a central admitting university for public medical and dental university admissions.
For Sindh, DOW University of Health Sciences (DUHS) is the public central admitting university. For Punjab, it is University of Health Sciences (UHS), for KPK it is Khyber Medical University (KMU), for Baluchistan it is Bolan University of Medical and Health Science, and SZABMU is the central admitting university for Islamabad and Federal territories.
Students wishing to applying to public medical universities in Sindh must keep an eye out for admission news and updates for their province. We also have updates regarding the same on our MDCAT blog.
The general admission process for public medical university admissions is given below.
Step 1:
Whenever your concerned admitting university calls for admission, you will to fill out a detailed application form. For some universities, this admission form is online, while for other you will have to physically submit your form.
Step 2:
You will have to enter your personal and education information in the form, along with your top university preferences, and the category you are applying from (open merit, self finance etc).
Step 3:
With the admission form, you will also have to submit attested photocopies of the required documents. (You will have to submit some original documents at the time of admission)
Step 4:
There is usually an application fee that you have to pay when submitting your application form. Make sure all your documents, application form and application fees is submitted before the assigned deadline.
Step 5:
After submitting your application, you have to wait for universities to release the first merit list. If your name is on the merit list, you have to submit the admission fees and your original documents within the given deadline.
If you name is not on the first list. do not lose hope. Universities generally release multiple merit lists before seats are finalized.
Timeline - Dates and Deadlines
Universities have yet to announce the dates and deadlines for their admission cycle for 2024, but a general timeline to keep in mind is given below.
Call for Admission: November 2024
Application Deadline: December 2024
Display of Merit List: December 2024
Start of Classes: January 2025
Private Medical University Admissions
While it is also required to give and clear the PMDC MDCAT for private university admissions, many private universities follow their own admission schedule and issue a separate set of rules and criteria for admission. Some even take another admission test in addition to the PMDC MDCAT.
Conclusion
Applying to private and public medical universities in Pakistan can be a stressful process. We hope that this article will make your life a little easier and will help you navigate through MBBS admissions.
