The Federation of Ghana Medical Students’ Associations (FGMSA) has raised concerns over the implementation of the Common Registration Examination (CRE) by the Medical and Dental Council (MDC), arguing that the additional examination could duplicate assessments already conducted by accredited medical and dental schools.
In a statement, FGMSA, which represents more than 6,000 medical and dental students in Ghana, said it supports the MDC’s objective of ensuring that graduates meet consistent national standards but questioned whether a separate examination is necessary if final qualifying examinations are properly harmonised and supervised.
The MDC announced on April 18, 2026, through Ref. MDC/20/V1/165, that the CRE would commence in 2026, setting out examination periods, eligibility requirements and other implementation arrangements.
FGMSA said it subsequently wrote to the Council seeking an opportunity to engage with officials and present concerns and proposals from students affected by the policy, but said the request had not resulted in the meeting it sought.
The federation said it agreed with the need for Ghana to have a medical and dental education system in which the competence of graduates can be trusted regardless of their institution.
It also acknowledged measures outlined by the MDC in a June 1, 2026 communication to harmonise final qualifying examinations, including requirements for institutions to align examinations with national standards, standardise and strengthen Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), train and calibrate examiners, and participate in the development of national assessment tools.
However, FGMSA argued that these measures should form the principal basis of quality assurance rather than being supplemented by a separate examination for all locally trained graduates.
“If there are legitimate concerns about variations in the quality, scope or rigour of final examinations across institutions, then those variations must be addressed,” the federation said, proposing common competency standards and assessment blueprints, standardised OSCE structures and scoring, external moderation, examiner training and stronger MDC oversight.
The federation questioned what additional competency the CRE would establish if final qualifying examinations were nationally harmonised, benchmarked and effectively supervised by the regulator.
FGMSA also raised legal questions about the examination framework under the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857).
It cited Section 27(f), which empowers the MDC to conduct registration examinations for locally trained practitioners who do not meet prescribed conditions for registration, and Section 30, which provides for passing or exemption from a prescribed examination as a qualification for registration.
The federation said the interaction and application of those provisions to the current CRE framework require legal and regulatory clarification.
Beyond the examination itself, FGMSA expressed concern about the process through which the policy is being implemented, arguing that students directly affected by the decision should have an opportunity to contribute to discussions.
It said students would bear the academic, financial and psychological consequences of the examination, including possible delays in progression to housemanship following unsuccessful attempts.
Under the MDC’s April communication, candidates are allowed a maximum of five attempts within three years after graduation, with the first attempt required within one year.
FGMSA said the examination should therefore be considered within the broader physical, mental, academic and financial wellbeing of medical and dental students.
The federation stressed, however, that its objection was not primarily about the cost of the examination.
It said even if the CRE were administered free of charge, its fundamental concern would remain whether a separate examination provides additional regulatory value beyond what could be achieved through harmonised and independently supervised final qualifying examinations.
FGMSA said it welcomes stronger MDC oversight of institutional assessments but does not support an additional stand-alone CRE for every locally trained graduate where the required competencies can be rigorously and validly established through nationally harmonised examinations.
The federation further called for regulatory attention to be spread across the entire medical and dental education continuum, from admission and training through to final assessment.
It said quality assurance should not be concentrated disproportionately at the point of graduation.
Petition to government
FGMSA said it would pursue the matter through institutional and policy channels after its earlier attempt to engage the MDC.
The federation plans to petition the President of Ghana and the Minister for Health, engage Parliament’s Select Committee on Health and consult other relevant stakeholders on its concerns and proposed alternative to the current CRE framework.
It said the engagements were intended to promote what it described as careful, inclusive and evidence-informed consideration of the policy rather than confrontation.
“FGMSA remains open to constructive engagement with all relevant stakeholders and prepared to contribute meaningfully towards a considered way forward,” the statement said.
The federation said its position was intended to balance the MDC’s responsibility to protect the public, medical and dental schools’ responsibility to train competent professionals, and students’ responsibility to meet rigorous professional standards.
It maintained that where differences exist in institutional standards, they should be harmonised, while examinations and regulatory oversight should be strengthened where necessary.
The federation concluded that where the same competencies can be rigorously established through nationally harmonised, standardised and independently supervised final qualifying examinations, policymakers should examine whether an additional examination provides sufficient regulatory benefit to justify its introduction.
The statement was signed by Samuel A. Issifu, President of FGMSA, and John Bannie Gyasi, General Secretary of FGMSA.
