The Federation of Ghana Medical Students’ Associations (FGMSA) has opposed the implementation of a stand-alone Common Registration Examination (CRE) for locally trained medical and dental graduates, arguing that it could duplicate existing assessment systems.
In a press statement dated October 1, 2026, the Federation, which represents more than 6,000 medical and dental students in Ghana, said it supports efforts by the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) to harmonise and standardise final qualifying examinations across accredited medical and dental schools.
However, it questioned the need for graduates who have successfully completed nationally harmonised and MDC-supervised final qualifying examinations to sit an additional registration examination.
The MDC announced in April 2026 that the CRE would commence in 2026, including provisions on examination periods and eligibility requirements.
FGMSA said it subsequently wrote to the Council seeking stakeholder engagement to present concerns and proposals from students directly affected by the transition, but said its request had not resulted in the audience it sought.
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The Federation maintained that the issue was not opposition to high standards or rigorous assessment, but what it described as a potential duplication of assessments.
According to FGMSA, if there are concerns about variations in the quality or rigour of final examinations among institutions, the appropriate response should include harmonising the examinations, establishing common competency standards and assessment blueprints, standardising Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) structures and scoring, and strengthening external moderation.
It also called for greater MDC participation and oversight of institutional final qualifying examinations and accountability for institutions to meet prescribed national standards.
FGMSA noted that the MDC’s June 1, 2026 communication already requires accredited institutions to align their final qualifying examinations with harmonised national standards, standardise OSCEs and participate in Council-led examiner training, calibration and standardisation.
The Federation therefore questioned what additional competency a separate CRE would establish beyond what could be demonstrated through strengthened and independently assured final qualifying examinations.
Legal and welfare concerns
FGMSA also called for legal and regulatory clarification regarding the CRE 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 the prescribed conditions for registration”, as well as Section 30, which provides for passing or exemption from a prescribed examination as a qualification for registration.
The Federation said the interaction of these provisions with the current CRE framework requires proper legal and regulatory clarification.
It further raised concerns about the impact of the examination on students’ physical, mental, academic and financial wellbeing.
According to FGMSA, students would have to bear the cost of another examination and prepare for a high-stakes assessment after completing demanding final qualifying examinations.
It said unsuccessful attempts could also affect graduates’ finances, wellbeing, professional progression and entry into the health workforce.
The MDC’s April communication, according to the statement, provides for a maximum of five attempts within three years after graduation, with the first attempt required within one year.
FGMSA stressed that its objection to duplication was not dependent on the examination fee, arguing that the fundamental question would remain even if the CRE were administered at no cost.
FGMSA outlines alternative
The Federation said it supports stronger MDC oversight of institutional assessments as a means of promoting consistency, fairness, public confidence and patient safety.
However, it does not support an additional stand-alone CRE for every locally trained graduate where the required competencies can, in its view, be rigorously established through nationally harmonised, standardised and MDC-supervised final qualifying examinations.
It instead called for regulatory attention across the entire medical and dental education continuum, from entry into training and the quality of training to exit.
FGMSA said quality assurance should not be disproportionately concentrated at the point of graduation.
The Federation announced that it would formally petition President John Dramani Mahama and the Minister for Health in the coming days.
It also plans to engage the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health and consult other relevant stakeholders on its concerns and proposed alternative to the current CRE framework.
FGMSA said the engagements would be pursued through institutional and policy channels and were intended to facilitate what it described as careful, inclusive and evidence-informed consideration of the policy.
The Federation said it remained open to constructive engagement with the MDC and other stakeholders on the way forward.
