The story of corruption and mismanagement in the MDCAT continues, unchanged, even after 24 years.
- Why merit is sold out? Why none is ready to improve the exam system? Why is there so much hype around MDCAT? Why can’t these exams be conducted by relevant educational boards, like the Higher Secondary and Secondary School certifications?
Zaheer Udin Babar Junejo
The story of corruption and mismanagement in the MDCAT continues, unchanged, even after 24 years. Decades ago, my wife attempted her medical entry test. Though selected, she was offered admission to a university far from her hometown. The only doctor in our family advised her father to forgo that seat, hoping for a better opportunity. That moment sealed her fate—she became a housewife, now dedicating herself to our home.
Years later in 2024, our daughter, a bright student who excelled in every academic challenge, chose her path in medicine early. She started preparing for MDCAT the moment she entered 9th grade, opting for biology as her major. Over the next four years, she studied relentlessly, never taking a break. She covered every syllabus available in Pakistan, watched every YouTube lecture, and created and revised notes multiple times. What was once considered a sacred responsibility education has now become a lucrative business. Coaching centers demanded exorbitant fees, which we paid for her MDCAT preparation.
September 22nd, was judgment day. After years of preparation, she faced the test that would decide her future. The university administration forced parents to park at the university gate and walk three kilometers under the morning sun. Though manageable at 7:30 AM, the scorching sun of Jamshoro soon began to take its toll. The massive buildings offered no respite, and students were crammed under poorly ventilated tents to take their three-and-a-half-hour life-altering exam. No waiting areas were provided for parents, no accessible washroom facilities for women, and despite the steep registration fees, there was no concern for the parents and students enduring this heat.
It’s all about corruption. Everyone is trying to take as much as they can, while no one neither the federal nor provincial governments, cares about the well-being of the students or the parents who support them.
We were new to this system, and we also knew we couldn’t afford to buy the MDCAT exam papers in advance, as some wealthier families did. Some of our relatives managed to acquire the test in secret, allowing their children to prepare overnight. I’m certain those children will be selected, while students like my daughter, who sacrificed sleep, time, emotions, and energy for four years, may see their dreams shattered.
Read – MDCAT: A False Hope on the Horizon
As I lay in a park, under the shade of a single tree hosting more than 40 people from multiple backgrounds, with mosquitoes and flies buzzing around and beggars and street vendors leaving no room for thought, I am left with questions for which I have found no answers. Why merit is sold out? Why none is ready to improve the exam system? Why is there so much hype around MDCAT? Why can’t these exams be conducted by relevant educational boards, like the Higher Secondary and Secondary School certifications? It would make it easier for both parents and administrators. Why is a university, notorious for leaking exam papers, entrusted with this responsibility year after year? Why are these exams held in the peak of summer? Why can’t they be scheduled for winter?
Read: Massive Corruption Detected in Board of Intermediate Education Karachi
It’s all about corruption. Everyone is trying to take as much as they can, while no one neither the federal nor provincial governments, cares about the well-being of the students or the parents who support them.
Read: History of Judicial Corruption
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Zaheer Udin Babar Junejo, based in Hyderabad, is a specialist in Institutional Development, MEAL, and Fundraising. linkedin.com/in/zaheer-udin-babar-junejo-0a30a9152
