The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has removed the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) as a mandatory requirement for Pakistani students who want to study medicine or dentistry at institutions outside the country. The decision was approved at a PMDC council meeting held on September 14, 2026, and the council followed up with a formal public notification on October 5. Under the new policy, students applying to foreign medical and dental colleges will not need an MDCAT pass to proceed with their admission, though the test continues to be compulsory for anyone seeking a seat at a medical or dental college inside Pakistan. PMDC President Dr Rizwan Taj told Dawn that the change followed a recommendation from a parliamentary committee, which had argued that students heading abroad for their medical education should not be bound by the same entry test used for domestic admissions. The matter was also taken up by the Senate Standing Committee on National Health Services, which had raised concerns about the council's earlier rule requiring MDCAT clearance even for students bound for foreign institutions. A PMDC spokesperson said dropping the requirement would make it easier for Pakistani students to pursue medical and dental studies abroad by removing what had become an extra hurdle in the admission process. The update affects only applicants to foreign institutions; MDCAT remains the standard entry test for medical and dental college admissions within Pakistan.