The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) on Tuesday inducted 349 foreign-trained medical and dental doctors, formally integrating them into the country’s healthcare workforce after they passed the Council’s assessment examinations.
The newly inducted professionals, including 340 medical doctors and nine dentists, received certificates authorising them to practise in Nigeria, a move the Council says will strengthen the country’s overstretched healthcare system.
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The induction of foreign-trained doctors by the MDCN aligns with its mission to regulate the practice of medicine, dentistry, and alternative medicine efficiently, ensuring that healthcare delivery in Nigeria meets the highest standards.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Registrar of the MDCN, Fatima Kyari, urged the doctors to uphold the highest ethical standards and take their housemanship year seriously, describing it as the critical foundation of their medical careers.
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Ms Kyari appealed to parents to allow their children to complete the mandatory one-year training, noting that house officers serve as the first line of care under consultant supervision.
“Parents, please allow your children to complete their housemanship. This one year is a very important foundational aspect of their training. As we often say, they are house doctors,” she said.
“They will be the first line of care, but under the supervision of consultants, and they will learn a lot. Housemanship training remains a foundation they continue to build on, even several years later,” she said.
Responsibility
Ms Kyari encouraged the new doctors to embrace the responsibility of their profession, serve patients with dignity, and contribute positively to their communities.
She also acknowledged the high global demand for Nigerian doctors, saying many foreign institutions immediately begin recruiting after induction ceremonies. Still, she emphasised the need to retain skilled professionals in Nigeria.
“I know whenever we do an induction, there are institutions outside the country that are ready to recruit you,” she said.
“Nigerian doctors are sought all over the world because our doctors are well-trained, have resilience, and can adapt to any situation. But we also want to keep our doctors at home.”
She also warned of strict disciplinary measures for professional or ethical breaches, ranging from warnings to suspension or erasure of practising certificates.
“If you run into problems and a doctor is reported for a professional breach, or even a character breach, the doctor is duly investigated. We have the Medical and Dental Practitioners Investigating Panel, where the doctor will be brought,” she said.
“If the doctor is found wanting, the case is transferred to the Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal, which has the same status as a Federal High Court. If the doctor is found to be in breach, sanctions could include a warning, suspension, or even total erasure and revocation of their practising certificates.
She said that although the study and practice of medicine are very demanding and carry great responsibility, they are also achievable and enjoyable.
The President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Bala Audu, also addressed the inductees, reminding them that the profession carries significant responsibility and requires consistent adherence to ethical standards both in patient care and personal conduct.
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Mr Audu, a professor, highlighted the need for doctors to balance leadership and trainee roles, work effectively in teams, recognise their limitations, seek help when necessary, and meet society’s high expectations, given the trust and training they have received.
“I’m sure you know right from your undergraduate training that the practice of medicine is regulated by high ethical standards. These standards apply to everything that you do, both in patient care and in your personal lifestyle choices. There are great expectations from you, both within and outside of the profession, by society, both locally and internationally,” he said.
