REGISTRAR of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Dr Tajudeen Sanusi, has cautioned online teaching of doctors, saying the council is currently having issues with foreign-trained graduates of medical schools from countries like China and Ukraine because medical training has both clinical and academic components.
Dr Sanusi, who spoke at the induction ceremony of 32 dentists from the Bachelor of Dental Surgery Graduating class of 2023 of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan (UI) into the dental profession, stated that even the Federal Ministry of Education has said no to online teaching of medical students.
He stated that colleges of medicine still teaching medical students online need to be explicit on what they teach online given that training of medical doctors cannot be complete without exposure to clinical training.
On the guidelines on medical and dental education, he said the college of medicine is supposed to have financial autonomy but unfortunately quite a number continue to suffer from poor funding, thereby making students extend their stay on training.
Dr Sanusi told the newly inducted dentists that they were not members of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) and as such should not join the industrial strike as house officers.
The registrar, who declared that all professional misconduct will be investigated by the council and if found culpable sanctioned, said the council is considering making a national licensing examination on ethics mandatory for new doctors to practice medicine in Nigeria.
Earlier, Provost, College of Medicine, Professor Olayinka Omigbodun, in her remarks said dental training is one of the most expensive in the health sector and as such the college is considering a review of the health professional levy students pay.
She urged the College of Medicine Alumni to rise up and be more involved in the running of the college saying that the government cannot meet all of the college’s needs.
Dean of Dentistry, Professor Bamidele Kolude asked that the new dentists should maximise the opportunities available to them, improve themselves by going for postgraduate and specialist training in their profession and remember to give back to their alma mata.
and then