Islamabad, Pakistan — On September 22, 2024, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) conducted the highly anticipated Medical and Dental College Aptitude Test (MDCAT) across 30 cities, with a staggering 167,000 medical aspirants participating.
Concerns Over Answer Key Accuracy
After the exam, universities released answer keys within hours, but many students quickly raised alarms about their accuracy. Aspirants from Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) and Baluchistan University of Medical and Health Sciences (BUMHS) reported discrepancies, claiming several questions were marked incorrectly.
Student Protests Demand Transparency
A day-long protest organized by SZABMU students highlighted their dissatisfaction with the answer key and the grace marks policy. Protestors, including Batool Kazmi, asserted that around 25 questions on the test did not align with the PMDC syllabus, fueling their frustrations.
Voices from the Protest
Adeel Khan, a protestor, emphasized the severity of the situation, stating, “Any mistakes made by the university could jeopardize our futures.” Muhammad Rehan, an SZABMU aspirant from Quetta, echoed these sentiments: “We will not rest until our concerns are addressed.”
SZABMU’s Response to the Protest
In light of the protests, SZABMU authorities have called for calm, urging students to submit their complaints through the university’s official complaint cell. They assured that all grievances would be thoroughly reviewed to find a suitable resolution for the students’ futures.
Call for Public Release of the MDCAT Booklet
As tensions rise, many aspirants are demanding the public release of the MDCAT 2024 question booklet. This would allow them to compare their answers with the official key and identify any errors systematically.
The outcome of these protests could have significant implications for thousands of aspiring medical students in Pakistan. As the situation continues to unfold, stakeholders are urged to prioritize transparency and fairness in the MDCAT evaluation process.
