PUNCH HealthWise had reported that the MDCN says all medical graduates who schooled abroad and seek to take its council’s assessment examination would undergo a six-month mandatory attachment programme.
Applicants, who are Nigerian citizens, are required to pay a non-refundable fee of N900,000, while non-citizens are to pay N1.4m for the programme.
The council also added dental candidates will have to pay additional charges of N200,000 for training materials.
It, however, said accommodation will be provided by the Training Institution, for rental and payments for the programme and the additional cost of accommodation will be made to the training institution.
According to a statement posted on the council’s website, the first attachment programme will start in January and end in June 2022 while subsequent ones will be fixed accordingly.
Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, Ishaya said the newly introduced attachment programme is a welcome development considering the high rate of failure of the graduates in their assessment exams.
“Concerning the new mandatory attachment programme introduced by the MDCN for foreign-trained medical and dental graduates, we see it as a welcome development considering the high rate of failure of these graduates in their assessment exams.
“Also due to the variation in the curricula of medical training across the country, it is good that doctors trained abroad undergo some form of re-training to make them familiar with our style and approach to medicine, and to get acquainted with the treatment of tropical diseases.
“This will also ensure quality assurance of the medical personnel imports into the country so that Nigeria doesn’t become a dumping ground for poorly trained medical and dental graduates. So, it’s a good step,” he said.
The NARD president, however, urged the council to reconsider the charges attached to the programme because of the economic situation.
“The cost is a bit on the high side. This cost is besides accommodation and feeding. The MDCN should consider the cost, especially as times are very hard so that these graduates will not be discouraged from returning home to practice medicine,” Ishaya said.
Source: HealthWise
