List of medical schools in Pakistan

In Pakistan, medical schools are commonly referred to as medical colleges. These colleges are affiliated with universities and typically operate as separate departments within distinct campuses. As of January 2019, there were a total of 114 medical colleges in Pakistan, comprising 44 public and 70 private institutions. Most of these colleges, except for two, are recognized in the International Medical Education Directory. According to the Pakistan Medical Commission's 2021 database, the number of medical colleges has increased to 176, which includes 45 public sector and 72 private sector medical colleges, along with 17 public sector and 42 private sector dental colleges.

All medical colleges and universities in Pakistan are regulated by their respective provincial health departments. However, they must also gain recognition from central regulatory authorities, specifically the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) and the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan. Admission to medical colleges is merit-based, following the guidelines set by the PMC. Eligibility for admission is determined by both academic performance in the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) (grades 11–12) and an entrance examination, typically the National Medical and Dental College Admission Test (NMDCAT).

Admission Process

For admission into government medical colleges, the weightage criteria are established by the provincial or federal government, with a minimum of 50% weightage assigned to the NMDCAT score. The weightage for admission into private medical colleges is distributed as follows:

• 50% of the score is derived from the NMDCAT, broken down as:
  • Biology: 32%
  • Chemistry: 26.5%
  • Physics: 26.5%
  • English: 10%
  • Logical Reasoning: 5%

• 40% is allocated to marks obtained in the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) Pre-Medical stream.
• 10% is based on marks from the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Science.

Minimum Requirements

To qualify for admission, students must meet the following criteria:

• Achieve 65% or above in F-SC / HSSC or an equivalent A-Levels certificate recognized by the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC).
• Obtain at least 55% in the NMDCAT for medical college admission and 45% for dental college admission.

The Pakistani government maintains strict control over the number of available medical school seats in both public and private colleges. Regulations prohibit any college from admitting students beyond its allocated maximum capacity under any circumstances.

Medical seats

Number of registered MBBS and BDS Seats Allocation (PK)

Province	Public		Private		Total
	MBBS	BDS	MBBS	BDS	All
PIOJK	330	0	100	0	430
Balochistan	470	54	150	0	674
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	1,435	319	1,200	325	3,279
Punjab and Islamabad	4,200	344	6,100	1,625	12,269
Sindh	2,800	450	1,750	590	5,590
Total	9,235	1,167	9,300	2,540	22,242