Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University (SZABMU) in Islamabad is the federal capital's public medical university. Established in 2013, it runs the MBBS and BDS programmes at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) — Islamabad's largest public hospital — and affiliates medical and dental colleges in the Islamabad Capital Territory and beyond. For students in Islamabad, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, SZABMU is the main route into public-sector medical education.
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | G-8/3, Islamabad (PIMS campus) |
| Type | Public sector medical university |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Teaching hospital | Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) |
| Website | szabmu.edu.pk |
Programmes
SZABMU offers MBBS and BDS at PIMS and its affiliated colleges, plus postgraduate programmes (MD, MS, MPhil, PhD, FCPS training) and allied-health degrees in nursing, physiotherapy, medical laboratory technology and public health. Its affiliated institutions include the Federal Medical and Dental College (FMDC) Islamabad and several private medical colleges in the capital territory. The university also runs the School of Dentistry at PIMS.
Admissions and merit
Admission to MBBS/BDS at SZABMU is through the MDCAT, under the PMDC admission regulations. The merit formula used for the federal capital territory follows the standard 50/40/10 split — 50% MDCAT, 40% FSc Pre-Medical/HSSC, 10% Matric/SSC — with a minimum MDCAT score of 55% for MBBS and 50% for BDS, and at least 60% in HSSC Pre-Medical. The 2026-27 admission cycle ran in the autumn of 2026; exact dates, seat numbers and fees for the 2027-28 cycle are to be confirmed in the SZABMU admission advertisement, usually published in the autumn. UHS Lahore's quota seats for Islamabad, AJK, Gilgit-Baltistan and former FATA (last date 9 November 2026) are a separate route — check whether your domicile falls under the SZABMU or the UHS quota system before applying.
Why students choose SZABMU
PIMS is one of Pakistan's largest and busiest public hospitals, giving SZABMU students exceptional clinical exposure from the early years of the degree. The university's location in Islamabad — close to the federal health ministry, the PMDC and international health organisations — also opens doors for research, internships and public-health work. Its fees, as a public-sector university, are far below private medical colleges, and its MBBS degree is recognised by the PMDC and the HEC.
Frequently asked questions
Is SZABMU the same as PIMS? No. PIMS is the teaching hospital; SZABMU is the university that awards the degrees and conducts the admissions. The MBBS programme is taught at PIMS under SZABMU.
Which MDCAT counts for SZABMU? The national PMDC MDCAT, under the PMDC admission regulations. The NUMS MDCAT is a separate test for NUMS-affiliated colleges and does not substitute.
What are the fees? To be confirmed — SZABMU publishes its fee structure in the annual admission advertisement. Public-sector medical tuition is modest; confirm the exact figure before applying.
When will the 2027-28 admissions open? To be confirmed — usually in the autumn. Check szabmu.edu.pk from September 2027.
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Sources and verification: SZABMU history (established 2013; PIMS as teaching hospital) and programme list, as published on szabmu.edu.pk; merit formula 50/40/10 and MDCAT pass 55% MBBS / 50% BDS per PMDC admission regulations. Admission dates, seat numbers and fees for 2027-28 are to be confirmed on the official admission advertisement.