PMDC issues advisory for Afghan medical students

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has issued an advisory for Pakistani students pursuing or planning

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has issued an advisory for Pakistani students pursuing or planning to pursue medical and dental education in Afghanistan, warning that graduates from Afghan institutions will not be eligible to practise medicine in Pakistan.

According to the advisory, medical and dental graduates from Afghanistan will not be able to obtain registration with the PMDC, making them ineligible to work as licensed healthcare professionals in the country.

The council stated that medical institutions in Afghanistan are not included in the recognised list of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). As a result, graduates from these institutions will also be barred from appearing in Pakistan’s National Registration Examination (NRE), a mandatory requirement for obtaining a medical licence.

PMDC advised Pakistani students to carefully verify whether a foreign medical institution is recognised by the ECFMG before seeking admission. The council stressed that enrolling in an unrecognised institution could prevent graduates from securing professional registration and practising medicine in Pakistan.

The advisory aims to help students make informed decisions about pursuing medical education abroad and to avoid academic and professional complications after graduation. PMDC urged aspiring medical students to ensure that any foreign institution they choose meets internationally recognised accreditation standards before finalising their admissions.