By Saheed Ibrahim
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The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, has reiterated that the recently introduced Doctor of Medicine programme was for an entirely different purpose from the original medicine by fellowship programme and “therefore, one can never replace the other”.
The NUC boss stated this at a meeting with the National Postgraduate Medical College leadership led by the President, Professor Akinsunya Osibogun, in his office.
According to a statement published on the website of the NUC, Professor Rasheed explained that based on current trends, there must be a way to encourage research in clinical sciences by professionals like medical scientists, pathologists, non-clinical dermatologists, non-clinical medical laboratory scientists, biochemists, medical microbiologists and professions that go under the cover of health science to be allowed to make publications from their research capable of bringing about solutions to our revolutionary health issues.
Due to the discovery, he said there was a strong relationship between PhD and quality services in every sector.
“The researchers should be awarded doctorate degrees based on quality publications from research in any specific core clinical area”. He said this was more important where a clinical sample could be used to make astounding breakthroughs that would assist in overcoming most of the health challenges in the country.
He assured the team of NUC’s commitment to strengthening their existing relationship.
He noted that the Commission currently does not have any qualified medical personnel in its services but, through a sabbatical scheme, procured three doctors who are helping in matters regarding health.
Rasheed stressed the need to have a comprehensive picture of the status of medical education in the country, which, he said, had triggered the urgent need for an inspection visit to medical universities by the Commission to ascertain their current state.
He indicated that all pending medical universities’ committee reports should be looked at by a committee of medical experts and non-medics while the position on the matters as taken by the Commission would be communicated to the concerned universities.
He said that even though the Commission’s relationship with the association had been very fruitful for a while, various gaps existed due to a lack of adequate information by the NUC and the universities that needed to be bridged.
The NUC, he said, would keep itself abreast with the modus operandi of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, while the most elevated in the medical field should get themselves.
Acquainted with the workings of the Commission’s regulatory role and desist from having a fixed mindset on running their programmes. He said this would go a long way in impacting more positively on medical education in the country.
