Islamabad : The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has clarified that postgraduate (PG) medical and dental qualifications obtained from unrecognised training institutions after December 31, 2023 will not be registered, reiterating that both the degree and the training site must be formally recognised under the PMDC Act, 2022 for a qualification to be considered valid.
The clarification comes after complaints from doctors who said there was confusion regarding the regulatory timeframe, the status of training institutions and the limited amnesty previously granted by the Council.
In a detailed explanation issued on Saturday, the Council said it had reviewed cases relating to registration of postgraduate qualifications including MS, MD, MDS, MPhil, PhD, FCPS, MCPS and various diploma programmes awarded by Pakistani universities, institutions and the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP).
Officials said the PMDC’s Postgraduate Medical Education Committee, in its meeting held on January 7, 2026, decided that postgraduate qualifications obtained from training institutions not recognized under Section 25 of the PMDC Act, 2022, and not covered under the earlier amnesty deadline of December 31, 2023, cannot be registered. The Secretariat has been directed to process all pending applications strictly in accordance with the law and Council decisions.
The Council also decided to harmonize the registration process for postgraduate qualifications awarded by universities and CPSP. Under the clarification, the determining factor for registration will be the date of enrolment or induction into the training programme in relation to the promulgation of the PMDC Act, 2022.
According to the Council, the Act does not apply retrospectively. Therefore, candidates who were enrolled or had completed their qualifications before January 16, 2023 will be considered under the previously applicable legal framework. However, those who enrolled after this date must ensure that their degree-awarding institution and training site are recognized by PMDC in accordance with Section 25 of the Act.
The Council reiterated that recognition of both the postgraduate qualification and the training institute is mandatory under the PMDC Act, 2022, and that inspection and formal recognition of training institutes are statutory requirements. Officials added that applications submitted under the now repealed PMC Act, 2020 cannot be processed under the current law and must be resubmitted in accordance with the PMDC Act, 2022.
The regulator further explained that a limited one-time amnesty had earlier been granted to facilitate registration of certain qualifications obtained from previously recognized institutes. However, subsequent Council decisions taken on June 13, 2024 and August 6, 2024 made it clear that this amnesty applies only to candidates whose final examinations were held on or before December 31, 2023. The date mentioned on the degree certificate will serve as the determining criterion for eligibility.
The Council also approved registration of postgraduate basic sciences qualifications obtained from universities recognized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), provided that admission to the programme took place on or before September 27, 2022.
PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj said the Council was committed to ensuring equal treatment for all specialists in accordance with the law while safeguarding merit and maintaining uniform standards in postgraduate medical education.
“These measures are aimed at protecting the quality and integrity of medical education and specialist training across Pakistan,” he said, adding that the Council would continue strengthening regulatory oversight and ensuring transparency in the registration process.
