PESHAWAR: The number of applicants in the Medical and Dental College Admission Test in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has dipped from 46,232 in 2022 to 38,000 in 2026 owing to rising financial cost of medical education, extended duration of undergraduate and postgraduate training and growing market demand for disciplines such as artificial intelligence, data science, biotechnology and allied health sciences.

Talking to Dawn, Khyber Medical University Vice-Chancellor Prof Ziaul Haq said that the latest data on candidates appearing in MDCAT represent a shift in how students perceive careers in healthcare and should be viewed as an opportunity to strengthen quality rather than simply increase numbers.

“The downtrend in MDCAT’s admission doesn’t signal a decline in interest in healthcare but showcases more informed career planning, greater awareness of diverse professional opportunities and changing socioeconomic realities,” he said.

“Today’s students evaluate career options more comprehensively than ever before, and alongside traditional medical and dental education, they tend to explore expanding fields such as artificial intelligence, data science, biotechnology, genomics, public health, etc., as these disciplines offer promising career pathways,” Mr Haq said.

“Multiple factors have shaped students’ decision-making, including the steep rise in financial cost of MBBS and BDS, extended duration of undergraduate and postgraduate training, evolving licensing and specialisation requirements, changing employment markets and growing global demand for professionals with interdisciplinary skills,” he elaborated.

Data on MDCAT students show the changing aspirations of young people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as the tally rose from 13,464 in 2010 to 46,232 in 2022, reflecting the increasing demand for medical education, but applications declined to 38,000 in 2026, he said.

The KMU vice-chancellor said that presently healthcare extends far beyond the conventional roles of physicians and dentists, and modern health systems require multidisciplinary teams comprising nurses, public health experts, medical laboratory scientists, physiotherapists, pharmacists, nutritionists, psychologists, health informatics specialists, and biomedical researchers, and these professions play vital roles in delivering safe, effective, and patient-centred healthcare, he opined.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2026