Doctors, Dentists to spend 7 years in varsity-NUC insists

Prof Julius Okojie NUC

Prof Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC)

Prof Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC)
Prof Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC)
The National Universities Commission (NUC) says Medicine and Dentistry are still seven-year programmes in Nigerian universities and not 11 years as wrongly reported in the media recently.

The commission’s explanation is contained in its weekly bulletinmade available on Thursday in Abuja.

“The new Benchmark Minimum Standard (BMAS) for Medicine and Dentistry, which has since been made public by NUC, provides for seven-year training.

“The seven-year training leads to the award of Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS/MDS) and not 11 years as erroneously circulated in the mass media.

“ The so-called 11 year Medical Programme stories have been credited to NUC’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie’s keynote address delivered at the Matriculation and Inauguration of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, on March 12.

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“In the lecture titled `Development of Medical Education in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges’ nowhere was 11 years mentioned or implied,’’ the bulletin said.

It explained that the new BMAS provided for a seven-year programme in which medical students were expected to graduate in Basic Medical Sciences.

It said that the students were expected to within that period opt for Anatomy, Medical Biochemistry and physiology in the first four years before proceeding for the clinical training that would run for three years.

The publication said that the reviewed BMAS went through a long process, which included wide consultations with the academia, professional associations and the regulatory body.

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