In Pakistan, a medical school is more often referred to as a medical college. A medical college is affiliated with a university as a department which usually has a separate campus. As of January 2019, there are a total of 114 medical colleges in Pakistan, 44 of which are public and 70 private.[1] All but two colleges are listed in International Medical Education Directory. As per Pakistan Medical Commission 2021 database, there are 176 medical colleges in Pakistan (Medical and Dental Colleges). About 45 medical colleges are public sector medical colleges, and 72 are private sector medical colleges. In addition, there are 17 Public Dental Colleges and 42 Private Dental Colleges. [2]
All medical colleges and universities are regulated by the respective provincial department of health. They however have to be recognized after meeting a set criteria by a central regulatory authority called Pakistan Medical Commission and by Higher Education Commission (Pakistan). Entrance into the medical colleges is based on merit under the guidelines of PMC. Both the academic performance at the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) (grades 11–12) and an entrance test like NMDCAT determine eligibility to enter most of the medical colleges.