The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has ruled that all graduates from foreign medical institutions must pass the National Registration Examination (NRE) before being fully licensed to practice in Pakistan, citing patient safety and standardization concerns.
The PMDC Act 2022 mandates the recognition of foreign medical schools before granting provisional registration. Only institutions approved under that law will have their graduates eligible
A spokesperson said many foreign institutions currently enrolling Pakistani students fail to meet PMDC standards. Such graduates may receive provisional registration, but only if they clear the NRE. Others whose institutions are not yet recognized will need to meet additional criteria.
The council also specified that only foreign graduates from institutions listed by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) may sit for the NRE. Similar regulatory systems operate globally: the spokesperson mentioned USMLE in the US, PLAB in the UK, and MCCQE in Canada.
Medical universities in Punjab have recently voiced concerns about the educational quality of foreign institutions attended by Pakistani students. The PMDC is assessing such institutions under its regulatory framework.
Authorities insist the exam requirement is not a new development. It was maintained under earlier laws and is essential to ensure every practicing doctor, domestic or foreign-trained, has sufficient clinical competence.
