medical students
Image Source: Twitter

Following COVID protective measures, the Pakistani government canceled exams. While this was done to stop the coronavirus spread, the FSC graduates are facing a new problem.  The aspiring medical students are finding it hard to enroll with the existing criteria in medical colleges.

The medical students have hence launched the protest at PMDC under Mustafavi Students Movement’s (MSM) support. They are staged outside Pakistan Medical and Dental Council, and they demand that the council should resolve the enrollment issue for the aspiring students.

Understanding the Issue

The backstory here is that the existing criteria have a smaller weightage of ETEA exams. The aspirants are judged based on ETEA exams and the FSC exam results. But considering, FSC exams were canceled, and everyone passed, that component does not help in distinguishing the candidates. The ETEA exams are thus the deciding factor. The MSM and the medical students are demanding that ETEA weightage be increased to at least 70% in the admission criteria making it fair and square.

The protestors’ stance

A student taking part in the protest said, “PMDC must delay ETEA exams, and the criteria of admission for medical students must be revised.”

Another student mentioned:

“Unless the criteria are revised, and test date is not extended, we all will keep protesting at all levels. Our demands must be addressed.”

The protest gained an audience on Twitter as well. The hashtag #StudentsProtestAtPMDC started trending.

Moreover, the MSM has introduced its demands formally too. They uploaded it with the caption, highlighting that these students are an asset to the nation.

The demands on Twitter read:

“Due to the Corona epidemic, fresh students got marks in FSC without any effort. In view of these circumstances, the test weightage should be increased in the admission of medical college.”

People started taking part virtually on Twitter as well. Some even started adding other demands too.

Let’s have a quick look at that, shall we?

1. He has some other suggestions

@AmirAbbasi0 suggested that ETEA should stay at 50% ad FSC to be 40% while matriculation results at 10%.

2. Some backstory to the protest

The twitter user with the handle @Abdulla51494821 highlighted how the students have been protesting for the past two months to no avail. He accused that the PMDC has been ignoring the demands. The tweet goes on to mention students’ worry now that the ETEA exam is almost here.

3. Calling for Reinforcements

Saadzeb7 called for reinforcements. He reminded students all over the country that it is time to stand united because if they get a win, it will affect everybody.

If the authorities determine the demands as just, maybe they will give in. But if the needs negatively impact the system or most of the student body, they might not give in. Regardless, we hope the result of the protest is something that is for everybody’s betterment.

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