01/05/2026
Medical students across Punjab need to confront reality: this system is deeply broken, and it will not change unless we force it to.
Many professors, principals, vice chancellors, and key administrative figures hold their positions through political connections rather than merit. When appointments are political, accountability disappears. Institutions stop serving students and start serving power.
University of Health Sciences has consistently failed to address the real concerns of medical students. Instead of reforming an outdated examination system, it continues to protect it.
Even YDA that claim to represent doctors have largely failed. Political involvement has consumed their purpose. Internal rivalries, factionalism, and personal agendas dominate their activities. Rather than safeguarding doctors' rights, they often seem more interested in attacking fellow doctors and non-political groups. An organization busy fighting itself cannot effectively fight for anyone else.
Student organizations are no exception. Most focus solely on academics, study sessions, and career guidance. Useful, yes—but completely inadequate when student rights are under attack. Leadership means standing up when it matters most.
The viva examination system is perhaps the clearest example of institutional injustice. A student may score distinction in written papers, perform exceptionally well in OSCE, and still fail the entire subject because a single examiner decides to award one mark below passing. That is not evaluation. That is unchecked, absolute authority.
Failing one component should never force a student to repeat the entire examination. It is irrational, punitive, and educationally indefensible.
There is another uncomfortable truth: not every examiner is fit to assess students. Clinical competence alone does not guarantee fairness, temperament, or emotional stability. Psychological assessment and examiner training should be mandatory before anyone is entrusted with viva responsibilities. A student's future should not depend on an examiner's mood, bias, or ego.
This issue extends beyond one university or one batch. It affects every medical student in Punjab—public and private, junior and senior, passed and failed. Anyone who thinks they are safe today may face the same injustice tomorrow.
A united movement is essential. Medical students across Punjab must stand together and launch a strong, coordinated social media campaign. Policymakers, including Maryam Nawaz, must hear these concerns directly.
Silence guarantees continuation. Division guarantees defeat.
Merit must replace political patronage. Transparency must replace arbitrariness. And students must never again have their futures decided by politics, favoritism, or the whim of a single examiner.