Islamabad: Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), Islamabad successfully held annual medical entry test MDCAT-2024 on 22-09-2024 simultaneously at various centers in ICT, Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit- Baltistan (GB) as well as international centers in UAE and Saudi Arabia. A spokesperson of the university stated that passing the MDCAT is a mandatory prerequisite qualification for those students who aspire to get admissions in medical & dental colleges.
In pursuance of Federal Government’s directions, the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU), Islamabad being the sole public-sector federally- chartered medical university was tasked by the PMDC to hold MDCAT 2024 entry test at federal level. Accordingly, SZABMU made all necessary arrangements to ensure smooth and transparent conduct of this test under the policy guidelines & auspice of PMDC. SZABMU employed ample number of invigilation staff and other logistical & technological support to supervise the exam and to effectively prevent any breach of sanctity of exam process particularly paper-leakage and use of unfair means during the exam.
More than 22,000/- students submitted applications for appearing in the MDCAT-
2024.Necessary process of scrutiny and verification of applications was conducted by SZABMU in collaboration with PMDC under the prescribed & notified eligibility criteria. Subsequently, more than 21 thousand students appeared in the MDCAT- 2024. The exam commenced and ended smoothly on the scheduled date & tirne at all venues simultaneously. The students took the exam in an enabling but albeit a strict, transparent and fair environment supervised by the vigilant invigilation staff. Generally, no voice of concern or reservations was raised by any student at all centers.
With regard to some media reports of agitation and protest held by certain students, the university’s spokesperson explained that SZABMU had received prior reports from premier national intelligence agency regarding pre-planned activities of certain nefarious groups & individuals to operate and use unfair means including micro listening devices/Bluetooth /electronic devices during the paper. Therefore, SZABMU deployed sufficient invigilation staff supported by technological gadgets to effectively to strict monitoring and invigilation by SZABMU staff, multiple hidden sophisticated devices including micro listening devices/Bluetooth /electronic devices and mobile
ward off any chances of paper-leakage or use of unfair means during the exam. Due
phones were detected and recovered from several students. FIRs were got
registered with Police against such students and their handlers. Since SZABMU
effectively thwarted certain mafia’s planned nefarious designs, therefore such dirty
elements tried to tarnish image of SZABMU through staging false protest outside university premises and malicious campaign on media/social media and other pressure tactics. But the management of SZABMU remained undeterred and steadfast in the face of mala-fide role of certain individuals and the private teaching academies in creating a false situation to provoke and instigate the students for an ill-founded protest. However, the management of SZABMU handled the situation effectively.
Immediately after the test, the SZABMU Management on special instructions of Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Tariq Iqbal had established institutional mechanism including a dedicated Complaint Portal and the Experts’ Committees for genuine redressal of MDCAT-related post-exam complaints submitted by the respective students. The Vice Chancellor had directed the Committees to resolve all the complaints before announcement of the result. The university received total 209 Complaints. Most of the complaints were essentially the requests by students to the university for uploading of the Question Paper and the Answer Key. A few students contended that some questions were out-of-syllabus. After due process, all these complaints were disposed of with appropriate, expeditious and fair redressal in accordance with the laid down policy, rules & regulations of PMDC & SZABMU.
Final result of MDCAT-2024 has been announced and uploaded on website of the University.
Management of SZAMBU expressed their appreciation for Ministry of Health, PMDC, Police, District administration and other governmental institutions who provided necessary support, cooperation and security to SZABMU for successfully holding MDCAT-2024.
