The Federation of Ghana Medical Students’ Associations (FGMSA) has expressed concern 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, on Friday, October 2,2026, 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 a letter with 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 stated 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 mentioned 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.
By Benjamin Aidoo
