The National Universities Commission (NUC) has reacted to reports making the rounds that medical students in Nigerian universities would henceforth study for 11 years before obtaining an MBBS degree.
The NUC Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie, who cleared the air in Abuja, the new Benchmark Minimum Academic Standard (BMAS) for Medicine and Dentistry, which had since been made public by commission, only provides for a seven-year training, leading to the award of MBBS/MDS.
“A seven year MBBS programme that encompass a seamless four- year acquision of the B.SC. Basic Medical Science with interest in either Anatomy/Physiology/Biochemistry.
“At the end of seven years, students would have acquired the Bachelor of Medical Science, Bachelorof Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees. In case of dental programmes, students would have acquired a degree in Basic Dental Sciences and Bachelor of Dental Surgery.
Meanwhile Commonwealth Medical Association had called for caution over the alleged plans by the National Universities Commission (NUC) has come to introduce a new eleven (11) undergraduate training curriculum for medicine and dentistry in Nigeria.
