Punjab issues admission policy for medical, dental colleges

LAHORE (Dunya News) - The admission policy for MBBS and BDS has been issued for the academic session 2026-27 in government and private medical and dental colleges of Punjab. The University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore will be responsible for central admissions to government and private medical and dental institutions in the province for the 2026-27 session. According to the issued policy, merit for admissions will be determined on the basis of three components, in which 50 percent weight will be given to MD CAT marks, 40 percent to FSc. Pre-Medical or equivalent qualification, and 10 percent to Matriculation or equivalent qualification. Under the policy, it will be mandatory for candidates seeking admission to MBBS and BDS to pass MD CAT. In addition, the candidate must have a Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC), FSC or equivalent 12th grade qualification recognized in Pakistan, in which at least 60% marks have been obtained. An equivalent certificate from the Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC) will also be mandatory for candidates with foreign or other equivalent educational qualifications. The candidate must have passed the 12th grade examination with Biology and Chemistry as compulsory subjects and Physics or Mathematics as optional subjects. According to the policy, additional marks will not be given to Hafiz-e-Quran for admissions to medical and dental colleges. This decision has been made in light of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Undergraduate Education (Admissions, Curriculum and Conduct) Policy and Regulations 2025 and the decision given by a six-member bench in a suo motu case on April 4, 2023. Candidates applying for admissions will have to provide a preferred list of colleges of their choice online. For private sector medical and dental colleges, there will be no restriction on the number of institutions a candidate can choose, while in the public sector, candidates will have to choose all the relevant colleges in order of preference. Candidates will be able to make changes to their application until the application submission deadline, however, the number or order of college preferences cannot be changed after the online application deadline. The policy clarifies that a college that a candidate does not include in their preferred list will not be considered for admission or upgradation. Candidates seeking admission in private sector institutions will have the option to waive the right to upgradation at the time of joining the college, however, once this option is exercised, the candidate will not be able to change or cancel his decision at any stage. According to the policy, the entire admission process will be completed through the online portal. Candidates will have to submit separate applications for MBBS and BDS programmes. A candidate who does not apply for a specific program will not be eligible for admission to that programme. UHS will prepare college-wise selection lists through a fair digital system, taking into account the merit of the candidates and the preferences of the colleges. Selected candidates will be required to submit the fee prescribed by the respective college within three working days after the release of the merit list. According to the policy, the annual tuition fee for MBBS and BDS programmes in the public sector, excluding admissions under overseas and foreign quotas, has been set at Rs50,000. Additionally, overseas Pakistani candidates who are selected on open merit seats will pay the same fees as Pakistani students. The policy aims to make the admission process in government and private medical and dental colleges in Punjab centralized, transparent, and based on merit and preferences.