…Inducts 178 foreign trained Medical, Dental Graduants
By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
In a bid to discourage incompetence and uphold professionalism in the medical practice , the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN, has called on governments and good spirited individuals to invest more in establishment Medical schools in the country.
Chairman of the MDCN, Professor Abba Waziri Hassan made this call on Tuesday during the induction ceremony of 178 Foreign trained medical and dental graduates held at the MDCN , Auditorium , Kaura, Abuja.
Professor Hassan said, “The MDCN continue to encourage Federal and State Governments and philanthropists to invest more on establishment of medical schools.”
He said this was necessary to discourage parents who send their Wards to travel to overseas countries for training.
He said, “We appreciate that as long as there are inadequate vacancies to absorb qualified Candidates in our Medical and Dental Colleges, some have to go abroad for Medical and Dental training.”
He however disclosed that the MDCN and the NUC is encouraging the opening of more medical schools due to limited capacity in accommodating students in the existing Medical Schools in the country, as
Parents and guardians and State Governments were cautioned on which Countries to send wards for Medical and Dental training.
Meanwhile, the Medical and Dental inducted 178 foreign trained Medical and Deny graduands who had passed the MDCN assessment examination held at University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo state in June 2022.
According to the Chairman of MDCN, a total number of 647 Medical and Dental graduates appeared for the June 2022 examination and out of this number, 172 Medical graduates (26.5%) and 6 (0.93%) Dental graduates passed; giving a total of 178 successful candidates. The overall percentage pass was 27.5%.
While MDCN recorded 27.5% pass at the June 2022 assessment examination, Ghana recorded 20% and South Africa recorded 27% in similar examinations.
The Chairman of MDCN said, ” I once more need to emphasize the necessity of conducting this examination which is to assess the quality of Candidates trained outside the Country.”
Furthermore, MDCN appealed to all State Governments to upgrade at least three Hospitals in their respective states to standards suitable for Housemanship training to create adequate spaces for Housemanship training every year.
The Council lamented that the Regional experience about the African students studying overseas particularly in Eastern Block has shown great deficiency in their training.
The Council urged students attending Medical and Dental Schools in the Eastern Block and some other countries where there is poor or substandard medical education to attend a remediation programme to bring their knowledge at par with the standard of medical education available anywhere in Nigeria.
This is the main essence of the assessment examination itself and this will not only improve their knowledge and be successful in the examination but will equally improve their skills make them become more confident to practice the profession without the fear of putting the lives of members of their families and that of the larger society at a risk or in jeopardy, the Council said.
