MDCN qualifying exam results in failure for 433 foreign-trained medical graduates

Of the 836 foreign-trained medical graduates who sat the qualifying exams administered by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, 433 did not pass.

On November 22 and 23, 2023, the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital hosted the qualifying exam.

A computer-based test format was used to evaluate the medical graduates with foreign training. The graduates took the test at four separate venues in Kano State: Treztech, JAMB Professional Test Centre, BMG Institute of Information Technology, and Kano Cooperative CBT Centre.

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The evaluation consists of an objective structural clinical assessment, a picture-based test, and a computer-based test.

The results showed that most graduates in medicine and dentistry performed poorly on the CBT.

A total of 836 individuals with medical degrees from international colleges were first shortlisted for the examination, according to the list of shortlisted candidates.

Of those who took the test, just 403 were able to pass.

According to The Punch, hundreds of Nigerians who want to work as doctors or dentists enlist in international colleges each year, shell out a hefty sum for tuition and housing, and commit to completing their Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programmes over the period of four to seven years.

Ukraine, Sudan, Cyprus, Egypt, the Caribbean, Russia, Belarus, India, Hungary, Guyana, the Niger Republic, and the Benin Republic are among the top study abroad locations for Nigerians pursuing medical degrees. However, after completing their studies overseas, students must pass the MDCN exam in order to be granted a licence to practise in Nigeria.

To protect the country’s healthcare system, the MDCN is the organisation that oversees the practise of medicine, dentistry, and alternative medicine.

Twice a year, the MDCN does the assessment. The test measures how well the applicants can use their clinical knowledge and foundational medical sciences in a medical environment.

The MDCN Registrar, Dr. Tajudeen Sanusi, stated that the evaluation examination was a universal practise in a recent interview with The Punch.