A total of 416 seats in the country’s public and private medical colleges are still vacant, prompting the Directorate General of Medical Education (DGME) to reconsider its admission protocols.
With the formal admission process officially closed, the DGME is now planning to offer a unique opportunity for aspiring medical students to secure a spot in those vacant seats.
Professor Dr Mohiuddin Matubbar, director (health education) of DGME, stated that classes typically begin in June, following the completion of the fourth migration for government medical colleges and the second migration for private medical colleges.
“We will provide another opportunity for admission to the vacant seats, with special consideration from the health adviser,” he said.
According to health ministry sources, admission seekers can apply for the vacant seats until September 13 for government medical colleges, and the health ministry will publish the final list on September 18. The admission process will commence on September 19 and continue until September 25.
Aspirants for private medical colleges can apply from September 18 to September 25. The final admission list will be published on September 30, with the admission process commencing on October 1 and concluding on October 9.
Health ministry sources further stated that there are a total of 5,380 seats at 37 public medical colleges in Bangladesh and an additional 6,295 seats at 67 private medical colleges.
However, of these, six private medical colleges will not participate in the entrance exams this year. Four of these institutions will be unable to admit new students, while the registrations for the other two have been cancelled.
Admissions to Aichi Medical College in Uttara, Northern Medical College in Dhanmondi, Northern Medical College in Rangpur, and Shah Mokhdum Medical College in Rajshahi have been suspended due to their failure to meet required conditions.
The Directorate General of Health Services suspended the registrations of Care Medical College in Dhaka and Nightingale Medical College in Ashulia.
Vacant seats at different medical colleges
As many as 76 seats remain vacant for the 2023-24 academic session at government medical colleges, with an additional 340 vacancies at private medical colleges.
In government medical colleges, the vacant seats are as follows: 21 at Sheikh Hasina Medical College in Habiganj, 9 at Bangabandhu Medical College in Sunamganj, 2 at Chandpur Medical College, 1 at Colonel Malek Medical College, 1 at Cox’s Bazar Medical College, 13 at Magura Medical College, 1 at Naogaon Medical College, 12 at Netrokona Medical College, 15 at Nilphamari Medical College, and 1 at Rangamati Medical College.
BPMCA blames automation system
The leaders of the Bangladesh Private Medical College Association (BPMCA) blamed the automation system behind the low enrollment of private medical colleges.
The automation system was introduced in 2023 amid strong opposition from the stakeholders. There was no piloting before introducing the system, BPMCA President MA Mubin Khan said.
“Last year, approximately 1,200 seats remained vacant, and the 2021-22 academic session was marked by empty seats. Many parents prefer to keep their children in their respective divisions or districts and wish to enrol them in local medical colleges.
“However, due to the automation process, they are unable to make those choices. As a result, many have decided not to admit their children to medical colleges,” he said.
Logic for automation from government
In the most recent MBBS admission test held on 10 March, over 1,35,000 students took part to secure entry into government and private medical colleges in Bangladesh.
Only a handful of the aspirants who secure higher test scores get the chance to be admitted to public colleges. Of all the aspirants, approximately 49,000 students achieved the minimum eligibility score of 40.
Previously, students with the lowest score could secure admission to prestigious private medical colleges by paying exorbitant fees ranging from Tk 20 lakh to Tk 50 lakh. However, students with higher scores, who could not get a chance in public colleges, often missed out on opportunities due to financial restrictions.
The new policy aims to rectify this imbalance by placing greater emphasis on merit and academic performance during the admissions process.
Professor Dr Titu Miah, former director general of the DGME, said that the new system was introduced to ensure that private medical colleges admit students based on merit. “It is not fair for an aspirant ranked 7,000 based on test scores to be denied admission while someone ranked 70,000 gains entry simply due to financial means,” he said.
