Hello, my friends. I hope you are all doing well. I hope your day is going nicely. Today I am writing about something that matters to many families in Punjab.
If you dream of becoming a doctor, please read this carefully. The Punjab government has made a big change. The fee for MBBS and BDS in public medical and dental colleges has gone up. It has gone up a lot.
Let me explain everything in simple words. I will tell you what changed, who has to pay more, who does not, and what the new rules are.
What happened
The Punjab government has raised the yearly fee for MBBS and BDS in public medical and dental colleges. The fee was Rs 15,000 per year. Now it is Rs 50,000 per year. That is a rise of Rs 35,000. In simple words, the fee has grown by more than 233 percent. That means the new fee is more than three times the old fee.
This news came out with the admission policy for the 2026-27 school year. The University of Health Sciences in Lahore, which is called UHS, issued this policy. UHS runs the central admissions for medical and dental colleges in Punjab.
Who has to pay the new fee
Here is the good news and the hard news. The new fee is only for new students. If you are taking admission this year, you will pay Rs 50,000 per year.
If you are already studying in a public medical or dental college, you do not have to worry. Students who were admitted in earlier years will keep paying the old fee of Rs 15,000 per year. The government has said the new fee will not touch the old students.
So, in short: new students pay Rs 50,000. Old students keep paying Rs 15,000.
Why the fee was raised
The government says public colleges need more money to run well. Prices of everything have gone up. Running a medical college is not cheap. Teachers, labs, and buildings all cost money.
I must be honest with you. This is a big jump for new students. Rs 35,000 more per year is not a small amount for many families. Many parents work very hard to send their children to medical college. A fee rise like this can feel heavy.
But let me also share the other side. Even at Rs 50,000 per year, public medical colleges are still much cheaper than private ones. In private medical colleges, the fee can be as high as Rs 1.8 million to Rs 2.1 million per year. When you see that number, Rs 50,000 looks small. That is why so many students fight for seats in public colleges.
The new admission rules you must know
The fee is not the only new thing. The admission policy for 2026-27 has other rules too. Let me share the main ones with you.
First, the merit formula. Your final merit will be made from three things. The MDCAT test will count for 50 percent. Your FSc marks will count for 40 percent. Your Matric marks will count for 10 percent. This is the same formula used in the past years.
Second, to be eligible, you must have at least 60 percent marks in FSc or an equal qualification. You must also pass the MDCAT test. Biology and Chemistry are must subjects. You must also pass either Physics or Mathematics.
Third, there will be no extra marks for Hafiz-e-Quran this year. In the past, students who had memorized the Holy Quran got extra marks. This time, the policy says no extra marks will be given. This decision follows a Supreme Court judgment from April 2023 and the new PMDC rules.
Fourth, UHS will charge a non-refundable application processing fee of Rs 2,000. If you want to apply for both MBBS and BDS, you must fill two separate applications.
Fifth, students who get a seat must pay their fee within three working days after the merit list is shown. If you do not pay in time, your seat can be given to the next student on the merit list. So please be ready.
Sixth, students applying to public colleges must list all colleges in order of their choice. For private colleges, there is no limit on how many choices you can list.
How tough is the competition
The fight for seats is very tough. In the MDCAT test held this September in Punjab, about 47,475 students took part. Out of them, 37,708 cleared the 55 percent mark needed for MBBS. That is a huge number of students fighting for a limited number of seats.
Overseas Pakistanis who get selected on open merit will pay the same fee as local students. Students selected on special overseas quota seats will pay 10,000 US dollars per year.
What this means for you
If you are a student dreaming of becoming a doctor, here is my simple advice. Work hard for your MDCAT. Every mark counts. Keep your documents ready. And when the merit list comes, pay your fee fast so you do not lose your seat.
If you are a parent, I know this news may worry you. Rs 50,000 is more than Rs 15,000. But remember, a public college seat is still the cheapest way to become a doctor in Pakistan. Your child’s dream is still within reach.
At Pak Unfiltered, we will keep watching this story. If the government gives any relief or makes any change, we will tell you right away.
Sources for this article
This article is based on reports from Startup Pakistan, TechJuice, and Lahore Times. You can also read about how medical admissions work on Wikipedia’s page about medical education in Pakistan.
To understand how prices are rising for families in general, read our article on Pakistan’s weekly inflation.
Take care. If you have any question about admissions or fees, please ask us. You can reach us anytime through our Contact Us page. We love hearing from you.
