Early career doctors in Nigeria may face challenges migrating, securing jobs, or getting promotions due to a 204% increase in the cost of obtaining a certificate of good standing from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
The fee has risen from N115,000 to N350,000, with an additional cost of at least N40,000, depending on the country the doctor is applying to move to.
News of this sudden increase started circulating among medical professionals and micro-influencers on X on Sunday. FIJ has now confirmed the increase in the cost of obtaining the certificate.
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Many doctors have described the situation as rash, sudden and unfair. They claimed that the MDCN did not inform them beforehand and made the decision abruptly.
Kunle @soulmedika on X
A doctor, @thatpoetclem on X, described the fee increase as diabolical on Sunday. He stated, “Only a few senior doctors earn this much, but you want to charge them 390K to show they are of good standing, from 115K just last week, no prior notice as usual. Sheer wickedness.”
Another user, @Ijebu_Doctor, blamed the price hike on the current administration, stating that it even affected individuals who had applied for the certificate before the MDCN announced the increase.
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@Nigerian_Doctor said that the fee increase was not surprising. She suggested the increase was part of the council’s plan to discourage Nigerian doctors from emigrating.
A certificate of good standing certifies the holder is currently in good standing with the MDCN and has no pending disciplinary actions or misconduct allegations against them.
This certificate is often required for employment, registration, and professional examinations with medical bodies, in Nigeria and internationally, to prove that the practitioner is of reputable professional standing.
FIJ found that the new cost of this certificate is significantly higher than the monthly income of most early and mid-career medical practitioners in the country, particularly those in the civil service.
According to the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure approved in 2009, only doctors above Level 5 can comfortably earn more than N390,000 monthly.
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Entry-level medical practitioners, including doctors and dentists, are paid about N1.6 million per year, which is roughly N138,000 per month. At Level 4, medical practitioners earn between N3.3 million and N4.2 million per year; between N276,000 and N350,000 per month.
On Monday, FIJ contacted the MDCN information desk. The representative directed FIJ to another office. He said that the answers to questions of the fee were outside of his jurisdiction.
However, when FIJ called the provided line, there was no answer. FIJ sent a text to the same phone number on Monday. There was no response at press time.
The post Early Career Doctors Face Tougher Barriers as Certificate Fees Rise by 200% Without Warning appeared first on Foundation For Investigative Journalism.