Not Selected in the First Merit List: What Happens Next
Upgradation lists, how far merit fell in 2025, and your options this year
✓ Official sourcesUpdated AA Checked by Ali Ahmad
If your name is not in the first UHS selection list, later upgradation lists (23 November and 1 December 2026 for MBBS, more if needed) fill the seats of students who moved up or did not join. In 2025 public MBBS closing merits fell only by fractions of a point between the 1st and the 13th list, so your chance depends on how close you already are; private colleges, NUMS and next year remain open. Official source
Why the first list is not the end
UHS fills public MBBS and BDS seats in rounds. The first college-wise selection list (17 November 2026 for MBBS) places students on all open and reserved seats by merit and preference. Then students who got a lower-preference college are upgraded as higher ones free up, students who do not pay or join lose their seat, and the vacancies go to the next applicants in merit. The policy says admissions close only after three or more lists; in 2025 the public MBBS cycle ran to a 13th list.
How far the merit fell in 2025, college by college
In 2025 the open-merit closing aggregate of Punjab's public medical colleges fell by 0.04 to 0.13 points between the 1st and the 13th (last) UHS selection list. If your aggregate is below a college's 1st-list closing merit by more than that, later lists of the same year are unlikely to reach you there; within it, wait for the upgradation lists.
The pattern is the same every year: the closing merit of a public college moves by a fraction of a point between the first and the last list, because almost every selected student joins. Private colleges move much more; in 2025 some private MBBS colleges closed 10 to 15 points lower in the final list than in the first.
What to do while you wait
| Your aggregate is … | What usually happens | Do this |
|---|---|---|
| Within about 0.15 points of a college's first-list closing merit | Later upgradation lists often reach you | Keep checking uhs.edu.pk on 23 November, 1 December and the later list dates; keep your documents and fee arrangement ready. |
| 0.15 to 0.5 points below the lowest public college | A public MBBS seat this year is unlikely, though not impossible | Apply for private colleges and NUMS as well, and consider BDS if it suits you. |
| More than 0.5 points below the lowest public college | Public MBBS this year is out of reach | Private MBBS/BDS (separate UHS preference list), NUMS, or improve and reapply: MDCAT scores stay valid for three years. |
Use the merit predictor with your aggregate: it marks each college Strong, Borderline or Unlikely against the newest final-list closing merit and shows your gap in points.
If you were selected but want a better college
In public colleges upgradation is automatic and mandatory: pay the fee and join the allotted college within the deadline, and if a higher-preference college opens up in a later list you are moved there and must report to the new college in time, or the admission is cancelled. You cannot opt out or pick a college you left off your preference list. In private colleges a student may, at joining, choose to forgo upgradation; that choice is final.
Other routes this year
- Private MBBS/BDS in Punjab: same UHS portal, separate preference list with no limit on colleges; Rs 600,000 deposit within three working days of selection, the rest paid to the college. In the final 2025 list private MBBS closed between 61.00% and 90.84% on open merit (full table).
- NUMS: Army Medical College and affiliated colleges admit through their own process; see the NUMS merit list.
- BDS: the public BDS portal opens 15 to 30 December 2026 with its own lists from 11 January 2027; in 2025 public BDS closed between 93.42% and 93.46%.
- Next year: MDCAT 2026 remains valid for 2027-28 and 2028-29 admissions, so a better FSc result or a new MDCAT attempt both help.
Frequently asked questions
When is the second UHS merit list 2026?
The second selection/upgradation list for public MBBS is due on 23 November 2026 and the third on 1 December 2026; UHS says more lists follow until seats are filled (13 in 2025).
How much does the closing merit drop after the first list?
For Punjab public MBBS in 2025 the drop from the 1st to the 13th list was between 0.04 and 0.13 points per college; King Edward went from 94.92% to 94.87% and Narowal from 93.63% to 93.51%. Private colleges dropped far more.
Is upgradation compulsory in UHS admissions?
In public colleges yes: if a higher-preference college opens up you are moved there and must report in time or lose the admission. In private colleges a student may forgo upgradation at joining, and that choice is final.
Can I get a college that was not in my preference list?
No. The admission policy says a college not included in the preference list is not considered for admission or upgradation.
What are my options if public MBBS is out of reach?
Private MBBS/BDS through the separate UHS private preference list (Rs 600,000 deposit within three working days of selection), NUMS colleges through their own process, public BDS (portal 15 to 30 December 2026), or reapplying next year since MDCAT scores are valid for three years.
Pehli merit list mein naam nahi aaya to kya karein?
Agli upgradation lists (23 November, 1 December aur mazeed) dekhein. 2025 mein government MBBS ka merit pehli se aakhri list tak sirf 0.04 se 0.13 points gira, is liye agar aap kisi college ke qareeb hain to intezar karein, warna private, NUMS ya BDS ka option dekhein.
Upgradation list mein naam aane ka kitna chance hai?
Jitna aap ka aggregate college ke pehli list ke closing merit ke qareeb hai utna zyada. Government colleges mein merit har list mein bohat thora girta hai; private colleges mein 10 se 15 points tak gir jata hai.
Pehli merit list mein naam nahi aaya to kya karein?
Pehli selection list aakhri nahi hoti. Jo students upar ke college mein upgrade hote hain ya fee jama nahi karte, un ki seats agli lists mein agle students ko milti hain. MBBS ki doosri list 23 November aur teesri 1 December 2026 ko hai; 2025 mein 13 lists aayi thin.
Lekin government colleges ka merit har list mein bohat thora girta hai (2025 mein 0.04 se 0.13 points). Apna aggregate predictor mein daal kar dekhein ke aap kis college ke kitne qareeb hain, aur saath private MBBS, NUMS aur BDS ke option bhi dekhein.
Sources
- UHS 1st selection list, public MBBS 2025-26 (open merit) (checked 2026-10-31)
- UHS 13th and final selection list, public MBBS 2025-26 (open merit) (checked 2026-10-31)
- UHS 5th and final selection list, private MBBS 2025-26 (open merit) (checked 2026-10-31)
- UHS 13th selection list, public BDS 2025-26 (open merit) (checked 2026-10-31)
- Punjab Admission Policy MBBS/BDS session 2026-27 (S&ME Department, 14 October 2026) (checked 2026-11-01)
- UHS admission notice: MBBS & BDS, public-sector colleges of Punjab, session 2026-2027 (schedule, eligibility, procedure) (checked 2026-11-01)