ISLAMABAD:Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) on Thursday announced to launch the PMC National Medical Scholarship Fund for deserving students of medical and dental colleges.
According to PMC, this step will create avenues for high merit students who cannot afford medical or dental education and open a path towards a medical or dental degree without any financial constraints.
PMC had earlier announced the PMC National Medical Scholarship Fund with an initial commitment of Rs 250 million by the healthcare regulator.
The grant has grown from admission fees and other licensing fees to more than
Rs 361 million. The grant is expected to increase even further with the added influx of grants from both public and private sector institutions.
On the launch of the PMC National Medical Scholarship Fund, Dr. Arshad Taqi, President, Medical and Dental Council said, “Since the inception of Pakistan Medical Commission, our priority has been merit, transparency, and raising the standards of healthcare education in Pakistan. This is only possible if students are admitted into medical and dental colleges based on merit, not on the basis of their financial standing.”
He said that the PMC National Medical Scholarship Fund is the culmination of our vision to promote meritocracy and support applicants who are qualified for admission into a medical or dental program.
He said that President Dr Arif Alvi will be the Patron of the PMC National Medical Scholarship Fund. The grant of the scholarships and loans will be undertaken by four members of the Medical and Dental Council along with two external co-opted members for session 2022.
The decision of the scholarship committee will be considered final. A trust with an independent board will be set up by January 2022 to manage the PMC National Scholarship Fund on a permanent basis.
The National Medical Scholarship Fund Regulations were uploaded on the PMC website on November 9, 2021 outlining the structure and disbursement of the fund. The application form for the PMC National Medical Scholarship Fund is now available on the PMC website.
The scholarship fund offers both scholarships and interest-free loans depending on the need of the candidate. The last date for the submission of the form is
December 4, 2021.
The selected candidates will be issued a scholarship or loan confirmation certificate which they can present to the medical or dental college where they obtain admission, and the scholarship will be paid directly to the college by PMC on tendering of the confirmation of admission by the college.
The launch of the PMC National Medical Scholarship Fund is in keeping with the regulator’s objective to ensure the entry of students to medical or dental colleges on the basis of merit regardless of financial constraints.