A former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Peter Okebukola, says the commission’s plan to make Medicine and Dentistry post-graduate programmes was long overdue.
He said such initiative would not only put an end to producing “baby doctors,” it would also ensure that graduates emerging from the programmes were psychologically mature to practise, with a high level of competence.
Okebukola said it was standard practice across the world for medical students to have a first degree before proceeding on medical training, noting that the development would facilitate an improved health care system in the country.
He urged those who were not satisfied with the development not to lose sight of the need to train good and quality doctors.
The NUC had said recently that with its new curriculum, a medical student would be expected to have graduated in any of Anatomy, Biochemistry and Physiology before being admitted for the actual clinical training that would take another seven years and lead to the award of Doctor of Medicine and not just MBBS.
Okebukola, who is an educationist, told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Thursday, that the NUC would not just wake up one day and come up with a new education regime, saying before coming up with the decision, the NUC would have subjected the modification plan to rigorous consultations, survey and long approval process. He noted that the process, which started during his tenure, had been on for 12 years.
He said, “In the case of the anticipated change in the training of medical doctors, the process has taken about 12 years. I was executive secretary when we started the national needs assessment and experts’ survey, which revealed deficiencies in our medical education programme.
“Thus, a consensus was reached by medical experts across the country that a key pathway to remediation is to adopt the global best practice in medical education of enrolling students not fresh from secondary schools but those with a first degree in disciplines allied to Medicine. After the first degree, they then proceed to the doctor of medicine degree.”
He advised those who want courses of shorter duration to elect for courses outside Medicine. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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After okebukola's son spent 6 yrs in luth and graduated in 2006, he wants other people's wards to spend 11.......what a sad development. ....meanwhile, if u were to study in america (that we are attempting to be like), is it 11 yrs they spend therein??
ReplyDeleteOkebukola is confused ,what happens in developed countries is 4Yrs of basic medical sciences training and 3 yrs medical school and award of MD or MBCH or MBBS .The Doctor or medicine degree is a PHD degree equivalent .where does this outdated man get his fact from ,easy clique on Internet will give you answer ,Europian countries spend less time .This plan is not peculiar to medicine ,in Us and uk Optometry,vet medicine go through the same pathway that's why the have OD ,Doctor of Optometry.The question is if Nigerai cannot manage to train doctors in the existing plan ,is it extension of years of training that will solve the problem. Just like the 6-3-3-4 system ,has it helped us in any way. Why do Nigerians k
ReplyDeleteLeave substance and pursue shadow .wh can't these old men retire and allow fresh intelligent young men to drive our system .God help us
After spending 11years to become a doctor, you spend the remaining years in the profession going on strike for non-payment of salary or poor working condition. People would leave the country or do other professions
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