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    Britain 'needs national medical exam'

    Posted on 18/02/2008

    There are 'substantial differences' between the graduates of different UK medical schools, a study has found.

    And a single, national examination would help to reveal the extent of the disparity and the causes for it.

    The study, lead by Professor Chris McManus of University College London (UCL), found that graduates of Oxford, Cambridge and Newcastle universities' medical schools performed above the average in postgraduate tests.

    It looked at the performance of first-time candidates taking the MRCP (UK) examination, typically taken 18 months after graduation by around one-third of medical graduates. It found that 91% of doctors graduating from Oxford University passed on their first attempt, compared to 83% from Cambridge. Some 62% of Newcastle graduates also passed first time.

    However, graduates from other universities performed less well, with just 32% from Liverpool passing on their first attempt.

    Professor McManus explained: 'Our study provides a strong argument for introducing [a national medical licensing exam], as we have shown that graduates from different medical schools perform markedly differently in terms of their knowledge, clinical and communication skills.'

    'Although the MRCP (UK) is a widely regarded exam that is carefully designed to assess a wide range of knowledge and skills required by a physician, it is possible that some medical schools teach other important skills that this examination does not assess,' he added.



    Category: Healthcare


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