LAHORE – The University of Health Sciences (UHS) has approved the schedule for annual professional examinations of medical and dental colleges across Punjab, with MBBS first professional examinations set to begin in the first week of January 2027.
The decisions were taken at the 44th meeting of the UHS Academic Council, jointly attended by members of the Boards of Studies in Medicine and Dentistry, and chaired by Vice Chancellor Maj Gen (retd) Prof Sohail Sabir on Wednesday.
Heads and senior faculty of affiliated and constituent colleges attended the meeting.
According to the approved examination calendar, MBBS second professional examinations will be held in the first week of April 2027, while third professional examinations are scheduled for the first week of February and fourth professional examinations for the third week of March. The final professional MBBS examinations will take place in the third week of February 2027.
For BDS students, first professional examinations are scheduled for the second week of February, second professional examinations for the second week of April, third professional examinations for the fourth week of March, and final professional examinations for the third week of April 2027.
The council also approved revised curricula for four postgraduate dental specialties and 10 undergraduate Allied Health Sciences programmes, as part of efforts to update academic programmes in line with evolving educational and professional requirements.
The revised postgraduate dental curricula cover Operative Dentistry, Prosthodontics, Orthodontics, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. The Allied Health Sciences curricula cover programmes including 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.
In another key decision, the council approved the establishment of a Department of Regenerative Medicine at UHS. The proposed department will offer MPhil and PhD programmes, subject to approval by the relevant statutory and regulatory authorities. The initiative is aimed at strengthening research capacity in areas such as stem cell biology, tissue regeneration and advanced therapeutic approaches.
The council also approved proposed amendments to eligibility criteria for MPhil, master’s and PhD programmes. These include allowing candidates holding BS, MSc and Pharm-D qualifications to apply for relevant postgraduate programmes in basic medical sciences, alongside MBBS and BDS graduates, with preference proposed for medical and dental graduates.
The proposed amendments also seek to revise minimum admission-test scores from 75 per cent to 60 per cent for PhD programmes and 55 per cent for MPhil and master’s programmes as per HEC policy guidelines.