Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria- History, exams and registration

Image of a doctor smiling near the MDCN logo

Almost all medical professionals in Nigeria know about the MDCN. It is the body saddled with the responsibility of licensing and regulating medical practice in Nigeria.

One of the ways this is done is by conducting exams for trained doctors who intend to practice in Nigeria.

In this article, I will explore facts about MDCN such as their roles, licensing requirements, and other details.

Brief History of MDCN

The Nigerian Medical Council was established in 1963 to regulate the practice of medicine and dentistry in the country. The Nigerian Medical Council was succeeded by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) in 1988 by military decree No 23 of 1988.

The current registrar of the MDCN is Dr Tajudeen Sanusi.

Roles of MDCN in Nigeria

The MDCN is saddled with various responsibilities which include;

  • Determining and constantly reviewing the standards of knowledge and skill to be attained by prospective doctors and dentists in Nigeria. 
  • Securing and maintaining a record of persons qualified to practice as members of the medical or dental profession and publishing a list of those persons from time to time.
  • Reviewing and preparing from time to time, a desirable Code of Conduct for the practice of medicine and dentistry in Nigeria.
  • Performing the other functions conferred on the Council by the Act.

MDCN Exams- Eligibility and what to expect

The MDCN conducts exams for the following groups of people;

  • All doctors trained outside Nigeria at institutions currently listed in the World Directory of Medical Schools (www.wdoms.org)
  • Doctors trained in Nigeria who failed to complete their internship within 24 months of graduation.
  • Doctors trained in Nigeria whose training institutions have lost their accreditation

The MDCN exams consist of multiple choice questions (MCQ), short answer questions, and long essay questions.

 The MCQ section covers all aspects of basic and clinical sciences in medicine and dentistry. Only medical candidates must answer short answer and long essay questions. 

To participate in these exams, you have to pay a non-refundable examination fee. 

Successful candidates would receive their licence to practice medicine and dentistry.

How to register with MDCN

To register with MDCN, you would need the following;

:

  • Your degree certificate or result
  • Your O’ level certificate
  • Your Birth certificate or declaration of age
  • A copy of the provisional registration certificate and practicing license
  • Internship assessment forms (Forms E, F, and B)
  • Payment of the necessary fee.

You can register on the MDCN portal by following the steps below;

image showing how to select New doctor account- How to register with MDCN

How to pay the MDCN annual license

The Licensing fee for those with up to 10 years standing is N20,000 while for those with less than 10 years standing is N10,000.

First, you have to visit remita to generate your RRR number. Take the following steps;

  • Visit the MDCN remita page here. (You can get here by visiting www.remita.net, choosing federal government TSA, and selecting MDCN as your MDA)
  • Select “practicing fee”
  • Fill out the blank form

Your RRR number would be generated. You can proceed with the payment using your card or go to the bank to pay.

If you are successful in your exams you would have to renew your license annually using the following steps;

  • Visit the MDCN portal and login. 
  •  After signing in to your account, click  “My license” 
  •  Follow the links until you see the gap for your RRR code. Fill it out and, submit it. 

How to Verify a medical doctor in Nigeria

The easiest way to verify a doctor is to ask them for their license. However, since this method is not fool proof, you can verify their status on the MDCN website using the following steps;

  • Visit the verification page on the website here
  • You would be asked to pay a verification fee. The amount is N20,000
  • Make the payment and proceed to the next page.
  • Input the doctors details which include the doctor’s practice type, folio prefix and folio number.
  • After filling all the required sections, you would receive a response regarding the doctor’s status.

How to contact MDCN

You can contact MDCN using the following details;

Address: Plot 1102, Cadastral Zone B11, Off Oladipo Diya Road, Behind Prince and Princess Estate, Kaura District Abuja Nigeria

The MDCN also has zonal offices. These are the addessses below;

Kaduna Zonal Office: Plot 3, Unguwan Gwari Crescent (Zaria Road),Kaduna North Local Government Area , Kaduna

Lagos Zonal Office: No. 25, Ahmed Onibudo Street, Victoria Island,P.M.B. 12611, Lagos

Ilorin Zonal Office: No. 13, Peter Tokula Street.Opp. Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, GRA, Ilorin, Kwara State .

Enugu Zonal Office: No 2, Ridgeway Road, Off Okpara Avenue, G.R.A. Enugu

Phone Number: 09130519156, 09077062051

Email: info@mdcn.gov.ng

Conclusion

MDCN is an important professional body that determines standards in the practice of medicine and dentistry in the country. I hope this article has revealed helpful facts about their examinations, licensing and role as an organization.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like