Prof Dr Aamir Bilal, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Medical Education and Patient Care, emphasized the intention to align medical and dental education standards with international benchmarks while considering local needs. He assured that maintaining minimum standards and ensuring quality remains a priority. Dr. Bilal chaired a meeting at the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) headquarters to discuss reforms, highlighting the revision of existing regulations, including the syllabus for the Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test (MDCAT), Curriculum for Undergraduate Medical Dental Education, and accreditation standards for medical and dental institutions, as essential steps toward enhancing medical education and healthcare quality.
The gathering included Health Secretary Iftikhar Ali Shallwani and PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj. Dr. Bilal highlighted the commitment to standardizing the MDCAT and NEB exams with rigorous quality evaluations, updated curricula, and contemporary teaching approaches. The goal is to produce skilled healthcare professionals capable of global competitiveness. The meeting saw the participation of PMDC council members, the federal special secretary for health, CPSP president, task force and subcommittee members, representatives from HEC and provincial health departments, current and former vice-chancellors, deans, field experts, and representatives from the nursing council nationwide.
