The Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme of Osun State University has witnessed a substantial increase in its admission quota from one hundred (100) to two hundred (200), as approved by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
This information was obtained in a statement released by the University’s Public Relations’ Officer, Ademola Adesoji, on Monday, 12th February, 2024.
Adesoji revealed that this information reached the Vice-Chancellor, Professor ‘Ayo Clement Adebooye, through a letter addressed to the Secretary-General of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, dated Monday, 22nd January, 2024 and signed by the Registrar of the Council, Dr. Tajudeen Sanusi.
The letter partly read “I wish to inform you of the Presidential directive through the Minister of State for Health of the approval for the increment of the quota of admission into the Medical Schools in Nigeria by 100%.” The increment was borne out of a growing worry over the reduction in the number of Medical Doctors in the country, which led to the Federal directive.
Recall that the Council had previously increased the admission quota for the prorgramme barely a year ago from fifty (50) to one hundred (100) after granting approval for its full accreditation.
In response to this quota increment, the Vice-Chancellor commended the MDCN for its transparency in the evaluation process during the accreditation of medical programmes. He also lauded the Federal government for what he described as a well-conceived policy to address the shortage of doctors in the country.
Expressing his appreciation, the Vice-Chancellor congratulated the University's stakeholders on this unprecedented growth. He emphasized the institution's commitment to providing high-quality medical education and contributing significantly to the development of the nation’s healthcare sector.