ISLAMABAD: The National Examination Board (NEB) examination for medical students with foreign qualifications was conducted by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Thursday.

The exam was conducted with the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) and was based on multiple choice questions. A total of 1,024 candidates appeared in the step two examination at the Pak-China Friendship Centre.

The NEB exam is conducted by the PMDC for medical graduates who earned their qualifications abroad. Divided into three steps, the test began after complaints that doctors who studied in languages other than English had difficulty treating patients and reservations about the quality of education.

In 2012, an act of parliament made it mandatory for foreign graduates to pass the NEB, while some qualifications such as a an American Board or Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons in the United Kingdom diploma or their equivalent were exempt.

Foreign graduates have protested a number of times over the last four years against the council, alleging that it was involved in corruption and nepotism during the NEB exams.

PMDC registrar Dr Syed Azhar Ali Shah has said that the next exam has been scheduled for July 2017, and candidates who pass the step two exam will be eligible for the step three exam.

He said most of the people sitting the exams were Pakistani nationals who completed medical degrees from China, Russia, Cuba and Central Asian states.

PMDC President Prof Shabbir Lehri said transparency and fairness in the NEB exam is one of the council`s top priorities and would benefit the overall healthcare system in the country. `All possible measures have been taken in consultation with all related stakeholders,` he said. A Reporter