The Minsitry of Health and Family Welfare has set 40 (out of 100 marks) as the pass mark for the written exams of the MBBS and BDS course in the upcoming academic session (2014-2015) of public and private medical and dental college admission tests.
The required total pass mark will remain at 120, as in previous years, out of 200 marks which includes 100 marks from HSC and SSC results.
The decision was taken at a meeting, presided over by Health Minister Muhammad Nasim, regarding the admissions into MBBS/BDS course in the capital yesterday.
At the same time, the meeting also formed a committee, led by Additional Secretary Aiyubur Rahman, to fix an acceptable tuition fee rate for private medical and dental colleges.
Confirming the decision, Health Secretary MM Niazuddin told the Dhaka Tribune: “In order to get admitted in a medical or dental college, a student must obtain 40 marks out of 100 in the written admission test. This way, more meritorious students will get the chance to enroll themselves.”
However, Bangladesh Private Medical College Association (BPMCA) has expressed its discontent with the ministry move saying the decision to keep 120 as the pass mark was correct but the cut-off 40 marks would put the future of the private sector in danger.
BPMCA Secretary General Shah Md Selim, who attended the meeting yesterday, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Most private medical and dental colleges will not get sufficient students to admit in their institutes. Admissions at public and private medical and dental colleges are not same. A student who is meritorious might have not the ability to get admission to a private medical college. ”
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) President Professor Dr Mahmood Hasan, told the Dhaka Tribune: “It is now high time to upgrade the standard of medical education but not the number of it. So, we have unanimously proposed to set the cut-off mark at 40 for the admission test.”
