The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has clarified that Palestinian medical and dental students are permitted to undertake only undergraduate clinical training in Pakistan under a special humanitarian arrangement.
The council issued the clarification on Friday through a letter addressed to the heads of medical and dental colleges.
PMDC warned institutions that the permission does not cover house jobs, postgraduate training, registration, employment or medical and dental practice in Pakistan.
PMDC Warns Institutions Against Extending Permission
The council directed medical and dental institutions to follow the existing legal and regulatory framework strictly.
Under current rules, foreign nationals are generally not eligible for employment, internship training or medical and dental practice in Pakistan.
However, PMDC said an exemption may apply to foreign nationals who graduated from Pakistan and are permitted under a specific programme, category or bilateral arrangement.
The council specifically warned institutions against making new commitments or providing assurances to Palestinian or other foreign students beyond the permissions formally granted by PMDC.
Any admission, extension of training, house-job placement, award or recognition of a qualification, or other step beyond the approved arrangement could result in regulatory action.
PMDC said such actions could constitute a violation of the PMDC Act, 2022 and regulations and policies issued under the law.
Permission Granted as One-Time Humanitarian Measure
PMDC explained that Palestinian medical and dental students from Gaza were allowed to complete their studies in Pakistan in 2024 because of the humanitarian situation caused by the conflict.
The arrangement was introduced in view of the situation in Gaza and the impact of the conflict on students pursuing medical and dental education.
According to PMDC, the initiative was strictly a one-time humanitarian measure.
Under the arrangement, selected Palestinian students were allowed to complete the mandatory clinical training component of their undergraduate medical or dental education at designated institutions in Pakistan.
The clinical training was intended to help students fulfil the requirements of their respective degree-awarding institutions in Gaza.
PMDC stressed that the arrangement should not be interpreted as a permanent policy, precedent or entitlement.
It does not create an automatic right to further admission, clinical training or placement for subsequent groups of foreign students.
Degrees Will Be Awarded by Parent Institutions
The council further clarified that Pakistani institutions have not been authorised to award, co-award or otherwise confer medical or dental degrees on the Palestinian students covered by the humanitarian arrangement.
After successfully completing the required clinical training, the students’ primary medical or dental qualifications are to be awarded by their own parent institutions.
PMDC said the students were expected to return to Palestine after completing their education and serve their communities, where medical professionals are urgently needed.
The clarification is intended to prevent institutions from extending the humanitarian arrangement beyond its original purpose.
PMDC Clarifies Registration and NRE Rules
The council also reiterated that the special permission for Palestinian students does not automatically provide a pathway to professional registration or medical practice in Pakistan.
PMDC said existing laws and regulations governing foreign nationals remain applicable.
The council further stated that there is no policy under which foreign nationals are permitted to appear in the National Registration Examination (NRE).
PMDC has therefore instructed medical and dental colleges to ensure that their actions remain within the specific limits of the humanitarian clinical-training arrangement.
The warning places responsibility on institutions to avoid making commitments that could conflict with Pakistan’s medical education and professional registration regulations.
