A female candidate from Shikarpur has topped this year’s Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) in Sindh with 179 marks out of 180, while no candidate from Karachi made it into the top 20, according to the results released by Sukkur IBA.
The test was conducted by Sukkur IBA (SIBA) Testing Services on 20 September, Dawn reported. The highest-placed Karachi candidate ranked 21st.
Results at a glance
| Figure | Number |
|---|---|
| Candidates who appeared | 33,336 |
| Overall pass rate | 49.5% |
| Candidates qualifying for MBBS | More than 16,500 |
| Highest score | 179 out of 180 |
| Candidates at the Sukkur centre alone | 5,557 |
The results announced are provisional, and candidates can check them by roll number or national identity card number on the testing service’s website.
Top scorers
The top score of 179 was achieved by a female candidate from Shikarpur. Four candidates shared second place with 178 marks: two from Tharparkar, one from Larkana and one from Qambar-Shahdadkot.
The top 20 positions went to candidates from Badin, Naushahro Feroze, Mirpurkhas, Shaheed Benazirabad, Sukkur, Hyderabad, Shikarpur, Tharparkar, Dadu, Larkana and Khairpur.
Where the test was held
The test was held at nine centres across Sindh and in Islamabad:
- Karachi (two centres)
- Hyderabad
- Jamshoro
- Mirpurkhas
- Shaheed Benazirabad
- Larkana
- Sukkur
- Islamabad
‘Remarkable success’ for girls
Sukkur IBA University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asif Ahmed Shaikh said “female students had achieved remarkable success in the test.”
The top score of 179 was also achieved by a woman. Reports differed on the exact breakdown of successful candidates by gender, so The Indus Compass is not publishing those figures until they are confirmed.
Karachi falls behind
The absence of any Karachi candidate from the top 20 stands out, as the city is Sindh’s largest and has the province’s biggest concentration of schools and colleges. At the top of the list, candidates from smaller cities and rural districts such as Tharparkar, Shikarpur, Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot came out ahead.
Candidates referred to the FIA
The results also turned up some unusual cases. Four candidates submitted blank answer sheets, and 21 scored only 30 marks. These cases have been referred to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for investigation, although the report did not say what the FIA is expected to look into.
What MDCAT is
The MDCAT is the entry test that students must pass to be admitted to medical and dental colleges in Pakistan. Admission to MBBS and BDS programmes depends on a candidate’s MDCAT score along with their academic record.
Medical education in the news
Medical education has been in focus this week. The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council said 15 new medical and dental colleges had been registered over the past five years, while doctors on World Heart Day warned that Pakistani women have the highest heart disease death rate in South Asia.
Why it matters
The MDCAT decides who gets a chance to become a doctor. This year’s results show strong performance by girls and by students from districts outside Sindh’s big cities, while raising questions for Karachi’s education system about why none of its candidates reached the top 20.
This article draws on reporting by Dawn and ARY News.
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