Medical and dental colleges across Punjab will follow a new annual professional examination timetable approved by the University of Health Sciences, starting with MBBS first professional tests in the first week of January 2027.
Vice Chancellor Maj Gen (retd) Prof Sohail Sabir led the 44th meeting of the UHS Academic Council on Wednesday, alongside members from the Boards of Studies in Medicine and Dentistry. Senior faculty members and heads from constituent and affiliated colleges participated in the session.
First professional exams for MBBS students begin in the first week of January 2027, followed by second professional tests in the first week of April 2027. Third professional exams take place in the first week of February, fourth professional exams in the third week of March, and final professional MBBS tests occur in the third week of February 2027.
BDS students face their first professional exams in the second week of February 2027. Second professional exams are set for the second week of April, third professional exams for the fourth week of March, and final professional exams for the third week of April 2027.
To update academic courses based on modern educational standards, the council cleared revised curricula for 10 undergraduate Allied Health Sciences programmes and four postgraduate dental specialties.
Prosthodontics, Operative Dentistry, Orthodontics, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery make up the updated postgraduate dental curricula. Allied Health Sciences updates include Doctor of Physical Therapy, Cardiac Perfusion Technology, Dental Technology, Medical Imaging Technology, Medical Laboratory Technology, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Surgical Technology, Speech and Language Pathology Therapy, and Public Health.
Approval was also granted to set up a Department of Regenerative Medicine at UHS. Pending clearance from relevant statutory and regulatory bodies, the new department will run MPhil and PhD courses to build up research capabilities in tissue regeneration, stem cell biology, and advanced therapies.
Changes to admission criteria for master's, MPhil, and PhD programmes won council approval as well. Candidates with Pharm-D, BS, and MSc degrees can now apply for relevant basic medical sciences postgraduate programmes alongside MBBS and BDS graduates, though preference goes to medical and dental degree holders.
Minimum admission-test scores shift to 60 per cent for PhD programmes and 55 per cent for master's and MPhil programmes, aligning with HEC policy guidelines.
