433 of the 836 foreign-trained medical graduates who took the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria’s qualifying exams failed.
The qualifying test was held on November 22 and 23, 2023, at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.
The foreign-trained medical graduates were assessed using a computer-based test format, with the graduates taking the examination at four different Kano State locations: BMG Institute of Information Technology, JAMB Professional Test Centre, Kano Cooperative CBT Centre, and Treztech.
A computer-based test, a picture-based test, and an objective structural clinical assessment are all part of the examination.
The findings revealed that the majority of medical and dentistry graduates did poorly in the CBT.
In the list of shortlisted candidates, it was noted that a total of 836 candidates with medical degrees from foreign universities were shortlisted for the examination at the first instance.
The result of the examination revealed that only 403 passed.
The Punch reports that every year, thousands of Nigerians aspiring to become medical doctors and dentists enroll in foreign universities, spend a fortune on tuition and accommodation fees, and dedicate between four and seven years to pursuing the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery courses.
Among the favourite destinations for Nigerians studying medicine are Ukraine, Sudan, Cyprus, Egypt, The Caribbean, Russia, Belarus, India, Hungary, Guyana, the Niger Republic, and the Benin Republic. But on completion of their studies abroad, to get a licence to practice in Nigeria, they are required to pass the MDCN assessment.
The MDCN is the body that regulates the practice of Medicine, Dentistry, and alternative Medicine in the country to safeguard the nation’s health care system.
The MDCN conducts the assessment twice a year. The examination tests the candidates’ ability to apply their basic medical sciences and clinical skills in a health care setting.
In a recent interview with The Punch, the MDCN Registrar, Dr Tajudeen Sanusi, said the assessment examination was a global practice