ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Friday warned degree awarding institutions against offering unrecognised postgraduate programmes for students.
PMDC President Professor Dr Shabir Lehri in a statement on Friday said that a number of medical and dental colleges have been offering postgraduate courses despite the fact that they have not been mandated to offer them.
He said that the council has advised doctors in their own interest that before going for admission in postgraduate medical and dental programs they should ascertain that the postgraduate medical and dental courses programs or diplomas offered by the institution are recognized, and are included in the III-schedule of PMDC.
He said that students, before getting admission in a postgraduate course, should confirm that the institutions and courses were recognized as the council would not accept their degrees in a unrecognised programme like FCPS, MS, MD, Mphil, PhD and MPH, or by unrecognised institutions.
Professor Dr Shabir Lehri said that the council had written letters to all the medical and dental degree awarding institution on the direction of the PMDC and advised doctors to refrain admissions in such unrecognised programmes.
He added all the information regarding the institutions and the courses they offer is available on the website of the council.
He said that advertising any unrecognised course is a clear violation of the law and the head of the institution can face imprisonment for one year, up to five years, and a fine which can be from Rs5 million to Rs10 million. He added that those institutions which will offer such courses, can be closed and even their recognised courses can be banned from using them as a cover and offering unrecognised courses.
