The guidelines are intended to ensure professionalism of medical practitioners as well as safeguarding the patients.
Before being issued with the practicing license, the foreign medics have to sit and pass two exams which include oral and clinical sections.
“We do two sets of exams: the first one is the written exam. When you pass it, then we allow you to go to the clinicals (praticals). We cannot allow you to go to the clinical part directly, because patients are involved and if you are quack, you can be a danger to the public. If you pass the theory, then you can have that confidence that we can attach you to somebody,” the Council registrar, Dr. Katumba Ssentongo.
According to, Dr. Ssentongo, many foreign graduates fail the exam even when they have 4 chances of retaking the paper. In 2017/2018 24 students registered for the pre-test but only half past.(Sunday Vision)
The medics had requested the council to provide an orientation to local practice and medical system before the exam which was rejected by the council.
“However, candidates are free on their own to request for attachments from any hospitals,” Dr. Ssentongo stated in the May 27, 2019 letter to the foreign-trained doctors.
The doctors claimed, however that the examiners failed them on purpose. The council came up with solutions to the issue.
“The graduates will no longer be asked names and where they trained. Only index numbers will be used,
“The council has guided that photographic recording is not permitted..” it added in response to allegations by medics that consultants were laughing at candidates, taking pictures during the exams” the letter reads.
Dr. Ssentongo also asserted that, coming from financially stable families, foreign medics always to have it their way.
“The people who train children abroad are mainly powerful families. Some say needless things. They think the exam is targeting them. Yet this is the standard practice world over,” he added.
“When you pass the theory, we take you to the practical exam. One must pass each subject individually. If you pass, we still first give you an attachment at a hospital so you can know the conditions and drugs used. We realise that some universities have not been fair to our students. They do not allow them to touch their patients in their country. After the attachments, you then start an internship,” he explained.
