Admissions to medical/dental colleges of Punjab: over 21,000 candidates appear in entry test

As many as 21,489 candidates, including 3,108 candidates from Multan, Sunday appeared in the entry test for admissions to 4,029 MBBS/BDS seats in public and private medical/dental colleges of Punjab. The entry test was simultaneously held at 13 centres in 12 cities of the province.
A spokesman of the University of Health Sciences (UHS) said out of total 21,489 candidates, an overwhelming majority of 14,987 (69.75 percent) female candidates appeared in the test.
The figures indicate the trend of female dominance in public and private medical/dental colleges. Last year, out of total 18,263 candidates, 12,282 female candidates appeared in the entry test.
It may be mentioned here that more than 17,000 students will not be able to get opportunity of medical/dental education after the entry test. Medical professionals are of the view that low-merit FSc students, who were made eligible to take entry test, would not be able to get admissions to public or private colleges even if they scored 100 per cent in the test because only top-merit FSc students, who usually scored high in the test as well, had always been able to get admissions to colleges.
"It is useless to give hope to so many students only to dash it afterwards. Presently the weightage given to FSc marks seems to be aiming to generate revenue through selling admission kits to over 21,000 candidates against just over 4,000 seats," a student said.
According to medical professionals, more than 60 per cent seats are eventually grabbed by female candidates, however, a very low percentage of lady doctors ultimately join the profession as a majority of them leave the profession after marriage. The UHS spokesman said the government was working to solve this problem, adding the government should file a review petition in the court to give advantage to male students over females for admissions to medical/dental education.
The court had earlier given its ruling to treat male and female candidates equally in the merit for admissions to medical/dental colleges. He said 20,895 FSc candidates and 594 non-FSc candidates are taking part in test to compete for 2,479 seats, including 2,263 MBBS and 216 BDS seats in 11 medical and three dental colleges in public sector in the province. Besides, there would be 1,150 MBBS seats in 12 medical colleges and 400 BDS seats in eight dental colleges in the private sector, he said, adding that the entry test for FSc and non-FSc candidates was from their respective syllabi and books.
He said there were 220 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), including 70 questions of Biology, 60 of Physics, 60 of Chemistry and 30 questions of English. Each question bear five marks, while one mark was deducted for a wrong answer, he said and added that total marks would be 1100, while a minimum score of 40 per cent was mandatory for admission to all public and private medical/dental colleges. The weightage for admissions comprises 70 per cent of equivalent marks in FSc and 30 per cent entrance test marks.Entry tes was held in peaceful atmosphere in seven centres including two in Lahore at the UHS and BISE Examination halls,Agriculture University, Faisalabad, Govt Boys Degree College, Sahiwal, University of Gujrat, Punjab University, Gujranwala Campus, and University of Sargodha. In Southern Zone, four entrance test centres had been established in the Sheikh Zayed Public School, Rahimyar Khan, BISE Centre, DG Khan, Islamia University, Bahawalpur, and Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, while in Northern Zone, two centres had been established at Siddique Public School, Rawalpindi, and Mashal Degree College, Wah Cantt, he maintained.
He said foolproof security arrangements had been made at all centres, whereas highly scientific and sophisticated methods had been adopted to maintain transparency in the entire process of the test.
The UHS spokesman said Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had enhanced 100 per cent goodwill quota for medical students from Balochistan in public medical/dental colleges in Punjab, therefore, seats had been increased from 10 to 20.
Furthermore, he said, the UHS would display a single merit list of candidates on October 21, 2009, after test of Huffaz-e-Quran to be held from 12th to 15th October, adjustment of re-checking of FSc result and IBCC equivalence.
The submission of formal admission applications by the top 2,700 candidates would be from 22nd to 31st October, holding of medical board for the disabled from 3rd to 4th November, first selection list of MBBS and BDS to be displayed on 7th November and classes would start from 16th November 2009.