Veto of move to lower medical exams assured

President, Nito Cortizo assured on Tuesday, March 9  that a controversial resolution of the National Assembly lowering the score required for the certification of medical graduates as a requirement to enter internship will be repealed.

The president maintained his opinion that the score must be “raised”. When asked if he was going to repeal it, he said: “of course.” reports La Prensa

In the midst of the harsh questioning of citizens and  41 medical unions due to the alleged pressure from the Ministry of Health (Minsa) towards the Inter-institutional Council for Basic Certification of Medicine to lower the certification score, Health  Minister Luis Francisco Sucre, washed his hands of the issue and said that the decision was made by the Council unanimously.

On Monday, Minister Sucre met with the members of the council, with the rector of the University of Panama (UP), Eduardo Flores, and with the dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Enrique Mendoza, and was agreed to analyze the elimination of the resolution.

Mendoza said that the position of the President was reaffirmed, that “the certification process continues, that the score will be respected, that undergraduate medical education will be strengthened and postgraduate education will be strengthened.

Mendoza, who last Friday revealed – in  an audio released on social networks – that in recent weeks there had been “pressure” from senior officials of the Minsa, yesterday defended himself against accusations made by some deputies against him.

He indicated that the origin of the problem was not the Minsa, but legislative initiative 525, which seeks to modify Law 43 of 2004, on the certification and recertification regime for health professionals and technical specialists. The proposal seeks to “defer” the application of the basic certification test for doctors, nurses, dentists and veterinarians to enter the internship so that they can comply as soon as possible with the obligation imposed by the State for two years. The proposal came from  PRD deputies Crispiano Adames and Mariano López.

Adames railed in the Assembly [on Monday that some medical students received the exam papers in advance. 

Mendoza denied that there is an advantage in the certification exam for UP medical students.

The examinations in completely sealed boxes; that at the time of reviewing the boxes, the representatives, even from private universities, are observing that they are sealed.

“The exam cards are opened the same day as the exam. Each exam is sealed, when the student receives it, he breaks a seal in order to open the question book. They have four hours to answer 160 questions, “he explained.

Jaime Sánchez, president of the Panamanian Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology, said that a group of doctors was invited by the Medical College to participate in the evaluation process of the exam on March 5″It is not possible to cheat, as they allege,”