ISLAMABAD: A large number of medical students may end up losing one year of their studies because the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has not yet formulated a policy for medical colleges which follow the semester system.

PMDC President Dr Shabir Lehri said the former management had allowed a semester system without formulating a policy for it.

He said the issue will be addressed in a couple of months and steps will be taken so that students do not have to face having one year of their academic career being wasted.

Dr Lehri said the former council management had in 2014 allowed five colleges to start a modular system but had not made rules in this regard.

`After I came to the council in 2016, my team has started working on the matter and the issue will be addressed in a couple of months. The student`s complaints are also legitimate and I will try my best to give them relief in a few days,` he said.

He explained that there are three systems for medical educationtraditional, hybrid and integrated modular systems and that the council was trying to have one curriculum and system across the country.

A medical student, Waqar Hussein said he was accepted two years ago into the Jinnah Medical and Dental College, which is affiliated with the Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU) which had introduced a biannual semester system.

`Third year students, i.e. those in the 5th semester, who did not clear their second year exams, or those after four semesters, in two attempts were told they cannot sit in 5th semester classes. It is unfair because students in an annual system have two chances and we are given two chances for four semesters,` he said.

Mr Hussein said students were worried that a year of their studies, or at least a semester, will be wasted if the PMDC does not draft a policy soon.

JSMU has meanwhile written a number of letters to the PMDC, requesting the council to formulate a policy.

The letter dated April 26 and available with Dawn says the university has been following a semester modular system of examination and that the council rules regarding promotion and exams are all designed for the annual system of examination.

`The discrepancy that arises is that the students of 3rd and 4th semester who fall to clear after the retake (supplementary) and are not promoted to 5th and 6th semester (3rd year). This is giving them a year back. We and our affiliated colleges which are five in number have approached the PMDC in this matter but we have been informed that this matter will be taken up by the council in their executive committee meeting. As the time is very short and students may lose one year, it is requested to allow the students to be promoted till final decision of council,` letter says.

The vice principal of the Jinnah Medical and Dental College, who requested Dawn to only use her designation and not her name, said a number of letters were sent to the council, which has not addressed the issue yet.

`The council`s website also only provides information on the annual system and not the semester system. The issue should be addressed because the curriculums of both systems are very different,` she said.