ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on Thursday called on provincial health departments to address the growing gap between medical graduates and available postgraduate (PG) training opportunities in the country. In a comprehensive review of postgraduate medical training capacity, the PMDC noted that Pakistan has made significant progress in undergraduate medical education over the past two decades, resulting in adequate – and in some disciplines, surplus – output of medical graduates. However, the Council warned that this expansion has not been matched by a corresponding increase in structured and funded postgraduate training positions. As a result, a large number of qualified doctors compete each year for a limited number of PG residency slots, particularly in the public sector, where most accredited training programs are administered. The Council said the primary bottleneck lies not in the supply of graduates, but in the insufficient availability of training positions and subsequent employment pathways. The PMDC also highlighted that this imbalance is driving the increasing migration of skilled medical graduates abroad in search of better training and career opportunities. While the Council regulates standards, accreditation, and recognition of medical and dental education and training, the establishment, expansion, and funding of postgraduate positions falls under the constitutional and administrative authority of provincial health departments, which oversee public hospitals including tertiary care institutions, district headquarters (DHQ), and tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospitals. PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj said the Council has unanimously recommended expanding PG training capacity in public sector healthcare institutions. He suggested that the number of postgraduate positions could be doubled in a phased, fiscally responsible manner, aligned with the annual output of medical graduates and evolving provincial healthcare needs. Dr Taj said existing public sector hospitals, including DHQs and THQs, should be upgraded as accredited postgraduate training centres in line with PMDC standards. He stressed that postgraduate positions should be linked to transparent, merit-based career progression pathways within the public health system to retain trained specialists and strengthen healthcare delivery at secondary and tertiary levels. The PMDC chief added that expanding postgraduate training would also help address the persistent shortage of qualified faculty in medical institutions, as postgraduate trainees and specialists form the backbone of future teaching and supervisory roles. Dr Taj said the Council’s recommendations aim to correct workforce imbalances, enhance institutional capacity, and reduce the ongoing outflow of trained medical professionals, while fully respecting the statutory roles of both the PMDC and provincial governments. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026