Pakistan has been put on red alert by education experts concerning its new one week policy of MDCAT. Although the rule is supposed to simplify the admissions, critics claim that the rule is a level playing field that may lock out the poor students in the race towards medical seats.
A Major Fairness Issue
The most glaring weakness is the huge disparity in timing of different educational boards. Since boards are not completed simultaneously in Pakistan, some students are facing months of additional study time and others are nearly free of study time.
- There is a staggering 84 day difference between the first and last board exams in the country.
- Students of the Federal Board can have up to 90 additional days in preparation in comparison with their counterparts.
- Students of Balochistan Board complete on May 29.
- The students of Sahiwal Board do not complete till August 21.
- Sindh and Punjab students will be occupied by practical exams during July and August, and will be left with no breathing room before the MDCAT.
Poor Mental Health and Performance
This is a burnout recipe by subjecting students to one of the toughest exams of their lifetime, all within days after the board finals.
- Experts have presented the following information on student well-being:
- Already, 80% of medical aspirants report being under extreme academic pressure and stress.
- 8% anticipated decline in test scores because of mental fatigue and the absence of an adequate revision break.
Doing MDCAT on the heels of the board exams is not a test of intelligence but rather one that tests stamina, what remains of one after months of tough board exams.
Challenges to the Academy Mafia
The idea of strengthening costly coaching centers (also known as the academy mafia) was one of the goals of the policy. Critics however, say this will not work. Rather than becoming extinct, these academies are simply moving their classes earlier in the year, which means that students with money will still spend money to have an advantage, but poor students will lag even more.
The Proposed Solution
Experts are demanding two significant changes to ensure that there is transparency and equal opportunity:
- 4-6 weeks off after completion of board practical exams, until MDCAT date.
- Coordinated calendar in which the day of test is associated with a standardized publication of the board results in the country.
The present policy neglects to address these differences, which puts the medical merit race at the risk of being turned into a zip code lottery in which your board exams are more important than your hard work.
