Ultimate Guide to MBBS Admissions 2024-25: Key Dates, Required Documents, High Merit Predictions, and Application Process Explained!

MDCAT: The MDCAT test is the gateway to medical college admissions in Pakistan, expected to start in December 2024, with merit rising to 94%. Admissions require documents submitted digitally via the online portal. Merit lists determine selection.

Spend just 10 minutes reading this to learn all about MDCAT and what's ahead. Don't miss the FAQs at the end!

MDCAT, the Medical and Dental College Admission Test, is a major step for students aiming to join medical colleges in Pakistan. It’s conducted once a year, and with the re-conduct of the test now done, it’s time to focus on the next stage—applying to medical colleges. So in this article, we are going to provide you a complete roadmap to apply in medical colleges whether public or private. 

Process

Start by checking if you meet the eligibility criteria, like having the required MDCAT score and a solid academic record in FSc (Pre-Medical) or equivalent. Once you’re sure, decide which colleges you want to apply to. Look into their locations, fees, and facilities—it’s a big decision, so take your time.

Selection Diversity

The University of Health Sciences (UHS), Lahore, offers admissions to public-sector medical and dental colleges in Punjab under the following categories:

1. Open Merit
2. Disabled Students
3. Under-Developed Districts
4. Cholistan
5. Children of Overseas Pakistanis/Dual Nationals
6. Reciprocal Seats (Punjab-domiciled candidates)

You may find more information about this from PMDC's official website as this diversity has been there for years. You may also navigate through UHS website in this regard.

Aggregate Formula with Example

The aggregate percentage for medical college admissions is calculated as follows:

1. 10% of your Matric score
2. 40% of your FSc score
3. 50% of your MDCAT score

Add these percentages to get your total aggregate. The calculation should be done up to four decimal places.

You may use an online calculator to check your merit as per your credentials. To find out your aggregate, here's the online aggregate calculator: click here.

Now understand this from an example; if a student has 1126/1200 in Matric, 1113/1200 in FSc, and 192/200 in MDCAT, their aggregate would be 94.4833%.

Knowing your aggregate helps you understand where you stand in the merit list and assess your chances of admission.

Expected Merit

According to many experts, teachers, analysts, and merit predictors, it is believed that the closing merit in Punjab will break all the previous records and may attain a high number of ~94% this year as of December 2024. Keep in mind that the merit stopped at ~91.13% last year i.e. 2023.

While for private medical colleges, it wouldn't be the same. But one should still have a high academic achievement to get into these colleges.

Required Documents

Following is a list of all the documents you should have for your admission. We will also guide you thoroughly on how to use your documents to apply to your desired institutes.

1. NADRA issued CNIC 
2. MDCAT Result Card in printed form
3. Domicile
4. Matric and Intermediate Result Cards attested from IBCC
5. Passport Size Photograph with white background
6. Thumb Impression

All the required sections must be filled and it's upon the student to mark the checklist of his/her documents. 

Admission Procedure

Students should have a soft copy of all their documents in digital form by scanning all their papers. Each document will be collected via an online portal and the admission process will be carried on. 

For thumb impression, it is advised to stamp the impression on a plain white paper that shows all the lines of your thumb clearly, and then take a picture of the thumb impression you have on the plain paper. 

Similarly, save all your documents in a digital form in JPG/JPEG/PDF or PNG format; whatever is required to put forward on the portal of PMDC/UHS. The process is simple if you know what to do. We are going you to the depth and provide a nuance of knowledge on how to get admission and stand out to start your journey of becoming a doctor. All the required information should be logged carefully and correctly in each section, so you may not face any hindrance in your admission process.

You will also be required to make a preference list of the different medical colleges. A preference list simply means that you select the different medical colleges in order, so if your name appears in the merit list, you can get admission to the medical college at the top; if not there, then you will be redirected to the college at the number two in your preference list, and so on.

Careful consideration is required while making your preference list of medical colleges, regardless of the public or private institutions. After everything is done, you should double-check every piece of information you have entered. Failure to complete all the sections may create problems during the admission process.

Merit Lists

After all the data is collected by PMDC, you will have to wait for a few days until the merit lists start displaying. First, public college lists will be declared followed by the private medical colleges. These lists will keep on displaying until all the seats are filled for the applicants.

If you don't see your name on the first merit list, no need to despair, you may have your name appear in the second, third, or maybe fourth merit list. It is expected that the commencement of the classes of MBBS will take place in the month of February 2025. So the whole process will be in a rush so the colleges may start classes as per their schedule.

Admission to Private Colleges

Everything related to documentation is the same for public and private medical colleges in Pakistan. PMDC has given out a centralized admission policy due to which, admissions in any medical college in Pakistan are in their control.

Besides the publicly funded colleges, there's also a large number of medical colleges in Pakistan that are self-funded i.e. Private Medical Colleges where a student bears all the expenses by himself, unlike Public Colleges. This year, all admissions will be granted via PMDC to the different medical institutions offering MBBS whether Public or Private. Due to this centralized policy, a student who is aiming to get into a private college will get admitted using the directions given by PMDC, as they will regulate the admissions all over the medical colleges for MBBS courses.

That's all. If you have questions, feel free to ask us in the comments below. Though we have answered some frequently asked questions (FAQs) below:

To know why the High Court gave Orders to RECONDUCT MDCAT, click here.

   FAQs   

Q. When will MBBS admissions 2024 start?

A. Admissions are expected to start very soon, hopefully in December 2024, as the retake has already been conducted.

Q. What is the MBBS fee structure in Pakistan?

A. For public colleges, the fee is less than 5 lac PKR, while private colleges charge between 80 lac and 1.5 Crore PKR.

Q. How much does MBBS in China cost?

A. MBBS in China costs between 60 Lacs and 1 Crore PKR, depending on the college. It’s a good option but has its pros and cons. Proper research is essential before making a decision.

Q. When will the MBBS 2024-25 merit list be announced?

A. The merit list will be published after data collection by PMDC/UHS is completed. They will announce about every move they make.

Q. How is the MDCAT/MBBS aggregate calculated?

A. The aggregate is calculated as 10% of Matric marks, 40% of FSc marks, and 50% of MDCAT marks.

Q. Are there MBBS scholarships for Pakistani students?

A. Yes, various scholarships are available. Updates will be shared whenever new opportunities arise.

Q. What is the full form of MBBS?

A. Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery.

Q. When will MBBS admissions start?

A. Admissions will start as soon as the data is gathered by PMDC. Hopefully in December 2024.

Q. Can Punjab students apply to other provinces for MBBS?

A. Yes, Punjab students can apply for private colleges across Pakistan. However, for public colleges, they can only apply in the province they belong to, based on their domicile.

Q. What are the best YouTube channels for educational updates?

A. PakEduCareer offers authentic guidance, along with Dr. Hamza Ashraf and others.

Q. Is IBCC verification necessary for MBBS admissions?

A. Yes, both IBCC attestation and a domicile certificate are necessary. Without these, one may face issues in getting admission.

Q. What is the expected closing merit for MBBS 2024-25?

A. The closing merit is expected to be around 94%. This will be the record-breaking.

Q. Which college is best for MBBS, public or private?

A. Both options are good. The main difference is the fee structure; success depends on how well you study.

Q. What is the closing merit of King Edward Medical College?

A. King Edward always has the highest merit, and it is expected to rise to another level this year.

Q. Which college has the lowest merit for MBBS?

A. Dera Ghazi Khan Medical College typically has the lowest merit.

Q. How many seats are available for MBBS in Pakistan?

A. There are 15,800 seats in total:

1. 7,800 in public colleges.
2. In Punjab, there are 3,376 seats in total, with 3,047 on open merit.

Q. How many medical colleges are there in Pakistan?

A. There are 45 public medical colleges and a total of 117 colleges across Pakistan. Punjab has 16 public colleges.

Q. How many seats are there in private medical colleges in Punjab?

A. Pakistan has 73 private medical colleges, and Punjab has approximately 3,600–4,000 seats in private colleges. 

Q. What documents are required for MBBS admission?

A. The required documents are explained in detail in this article.

Q. What is the MBBS admission process?

A. Submit your documents, check the merit list, pay the fee, and you’re done!

Q. Which are the best websites for MDCAT statistics and data?

A. Many websites are working on this. Some of these include the following sites: Pakeducareers, Pak Learning Spot, Result Pedia, MDCAT Mentor, etc.

Share this post with everyone, so they may also be informed about the admission procedure and documents required for MBBS admission in medical colleges in Pakistan.