Key Takeaways
- The number of MDCAT candidates has sharply decreased from 204,253 in 2022 to around 138,000 in 2026.
- The decline is attributed to rising fees, poor financial prospects, and limited job opportunities.
- Students are increasingly choosing other fields like computer science and biotechnology.
The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has warned of a significant decline in the number of students choosing medicine as a career, with the number of candidates for the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) falling from 204,253 in 2022 to around 138,000 in 2026.
This decline has been consistent, with the number of candidates standing at 194,133 in 2021, 204,253 in 2022, 180,534 in 2023, 182,000 in 2024, 140,071 in 2025, and around 138,000 in 2026.
Despite an extension in the registration period, only 2,063 additional candidates registered after the MDCAT was rescheduled to September 20, 2026, and the PMDC reopened registration from August 17 to 21, 2026.
The PMA attributes the decline to rising private medical college fees, poor financial prospects for young doctors, delayed house-job stipends, and a shortage of paid postgraduate residency positions.
The association also cited violence against healthcare workers and limited legal protection for medical professionals as contributing factors.
In response, students are increasingly choosing fields such as computer science, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and health data analytics, which offer better career prospects, starting salaries, and international opportunities.
PMA Secretary-General Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Shoro urged health authorities and the PMDC to address these issues instead of lowering MDCAT passing standards to fill vacant seats.
The PMA called for private medical college fee caps, timely stipend payments, regular medical officer positions, and legislation to protect healthcare professionals.
