University Ghana Medical School period for completing MB CHB Programme.
6.1 The minimum period for completing the Clinical MB ChB programme shall be 6 semesters or three academic years.
6.2 The maximum period for completing the Clinical MB ChB programme shall be 12 semesters or 6 academic years.
6.3 A candidate who is unable to complete his/her programme within the maximum period allowed shall lose all credits accumulated. Such a candidate shall not be allowed to re-apply for admission into the BSc (Med. Sci.) and MB ChB degree programmes.
6.4 Subject to the provision under Regulation 6.5, candidates are required to take the first examination immediately following the completion of the relevant subjects and may not postpone their entry without special written permission of the Board of the Medical School.
6.5 The candidate who has not complied with the prescribed requirement for any subject or who has not performed satisfactorily in other duties prescribed or associated with a course of instruction may, on the recommendations of the relevant department, be refused admission to the examination of the year concerned and be required to repeat part or the whole of the course of instruction leading to the particular examination.
6.6 A candidate who fails in only one subject of an examination at the first examination shall be referred in that course/subject and shall be required to take the examination in the referred course/subject at the supplementary examination following the main examination.
(See Regulation 11.0).
6.7 A candidate who fails in more than one subject at the first examination shall be deemed to have failed the whole examination and may on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners be required to:
- repeat the whole of the examination at the supplementary examination immediately following the main examination, or
- repeat only those subjects in which he/she failed, provided that he/she obtains at least 55% in the subject(s) in which he/she passed and not less than 45% in the subject(s) in which he/she failed (pass mark is 50%), or
- repeat the year without the option of the supplementary examination.
6.8 A candidate who fails to complete an examination at the Supplementary Examination may, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners, be required to withdraw from the Medical School or to repeat the whole or part of the course of instruction leading to that examination, before presenting him/herself for re-examination.
6.9 Notwithstanding the provisions of Regulation 6.2 above, a candidate shall not present himself/ herself for the whole or any part of the same examination on more than three occasions.
6.10 A candidate who passes an examination as a whole at the first attempt and reaches the requisite high standard in a subject(s) may, on the recommendation of the Board of Examiners be awarded Honours:
(a) Distinction, or (b) credit in such subject(s), in accordance with such rules as may be approved by the Academic Board.
6.11 Criteria for such Honours are:
Distinction – 75 – 100%
Credit – 65 – 74%
6.12. Further to Regulation 1.2 above, the Board of the Medical School is empowered to determine whether a course of study pursued in the examinations passed in other recognized institutions by any candidate wishing to enter the professional courses at the Medical School may be accepted for the purpose of exemption from part or all of the Basic and Para-Clinical Sciences.
6.13 No exemption shall be granted from any part of the MB ChB subjects and examination.
7.0 Interruption of Study Programme
7.1 A student may break his/her study programme but may not break for more than 4 continuous semesters, so however that the maximum period allowable for the completion of the programme is not exceeded. Such a student shall be allowed to continue the programme from where he/she had left off.
7.2 A student who wishes to interrupt his/her course of study shall apply in advance to the Dean of the Medical School, stating reasons why he/she wants to interrupt his/her study pro-gramme, and permission duly granted before he/she leaves the University. The decision of the Dean shall be communicated to the applicant by the Executive Secretary before he/she leaves the University.
7.3 A student who breaks his/her studies for more than 4 continuous semesters shall be deemed to have lost any accumulated credits. Such a student may be allowed to re-apply for admission to Medical School.
7.4 Where the ground for interruption of studies is medical, the Head of the Medical School Clinic shall be required to advise the Dean on the propriety and length of period of interruption. The Dean shall cause the Head of the Medical School Clinic to investigate any medical report reaching his office from any health delivery facility outside the Medical School Clinic and advise accordingly.
8.0 Scheme of Examinations for Clinical Subjects
8.1 The clinical part of the MB ChB degree programme shall be examined as indicated in Sections 8.2 to 8.5 below.
8.2 First Clinical Year – Semesters 7 & 8
In semesters 7 & 8, candidates shall be assessed entirely by continuous assessment and end-of-rotation tests.
Candidate must have performed satisfactorily in the continuous assessment and end-of-rotation tests in order to proceed to the Second Clinical Year.
8.3 Second Clinical Year – Semesters 9 & 10 (MB ChB Final Part I)
At the end of the Second Clinical Year, candidates shall be required to take the MB ChB Final Part I Examinations in Child Health and Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
8.4 Third Clinical Year – Semesters 11 & 12 (MB ChB Final Part II,)
At the end of the Third Clinical Year, candidates shall be required to take the MB ChB Final Part II Examinations in Medicine & Therapeutics, Psychiatry, Surgery and Anaesthesia and Community Health.
8.5 The methods of examination shall be:
8.5.1 Written – MCQ, short essays
8.5.2 Clinical – one long case and two short cases
8.5.3 Orals
8.5.4 Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in Anaesthesia and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
8.6 A candidate shall not proceed to the Third Clinical Year (i.e. MB ChB Final Part II) until he or she has completed the course and passed each subject in the MB ChB Final Part I Examinations.
8.7 The pass mark for all subjects at the MB ChB Final Parts I & II Examinations shall be 50%.
9.0 Eligibility for Examinations
9.1 A student shall attend all such lectures, tutorials, seminars, ward rounds and clerkships and undertake all other assignments as approved by the University.
9.2 Each Department shall, with the approval of the Academic Board, determine the requirements for the subjects they offer.
9.3 A student who does not fulfill the requirements for any subject shall not be allowed to take the examination for that subject.
9.4 In any case, a student who is absent for a cumulative period of 21 days from all lectures, tutorials, ward rounds, clerkships and other activities prescribed for any subject in any semester shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the course/subject. Such a student shall not be permitted to sit for the semester examination.
10.0 Registration for Examinations
10.1 Registration for a Medical School Examination shall require endorsement of the Registration Form by the Head of Department to the effect that the candidate has pursued satisfactorily the approved course(s) of study being offered over the prescribed period, and has attended at least 85% of lectures, tutorials, ward rounds, clerkships and other activities prescribed for the subjects. A candidate’s registration shall not be valid unless it is so endorsed.
10.2 Endorsement as in (10.1) above shall be withheld if a candidate is not deemed to have followed satisfactorily the approved course of study (as in Section 9).
10.3 In any event of the withholding of an endorsement, the Head of Department shall request the confirmation by the Board of the Medical School.
11.0 Supplementary Examinations
11.1 Supplementary examinations for Final Part I shall be held in six (6) weeks after the main examinations.
11.2 Supplementary examinations for Final Part II shall be held in three (3) months after the main examinations.
11.3 The provisions of Regulation 6.8 above shall apply to all supplementary examinations.
12.0 External Examiners
12.1 External examiners shall be required for both the main and supplementary examinations for the MB ChB Final Parts I & II Examinations.
12.2 All External Examiners shall be required to submit a written report on all aspects of the examination in which they took part.
13.0 Deferment of Examination
13.1 On Grounds of Ill-Health: A student who has satisfied all the requirements as specified in Section 8, but is unable to take the main (end of semester) examination on grounds of ill health, shall, on application to the Executive Secretary, and on provision of a Medical Certificate issued or endorsed by the Head of the Medical School Clinic be allowed to take supplementary examination as his/her main examination. He/she shall be credited with the grade obtained in the supplementary examination.
13.2 Subsequent application for deferment, on grounds of ill-health, shall be subject to a Medical Certificate issued by a properly constituted Medical Board.
13.3 On Grounds other than Ill-Health: In cases of deferment on grounds other than ill-health, the Dean of the Medical School shall invite the applicant for interview. It shall be the student’s responsibility to satisfy the Medical School beyond reasonable doubt why he/ she wishes to defer the examinations.
13.4 In all cases of deferment of examinations, the applicant(s) shall obtain written responses from the Executive Secretary before leaving the Medical School.
14.0 Examiners’ Board
14.1 There shall be Examiners’ Board for the main and supplementary examinations in respect of:
- MB ChB Final Part I
- MB ChB Final Part II
14.2 The Examiners’ Board for MB ChB Final Part I shall comprise the following:-
Dean – Chairman
Vice Dean
Heads of Departments of Child Health, and Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Internal Examiners
External Examiners (optional)
Executive Secretary
Senior Assistant Registrar (AA) – Secretary
14.3 The Examiners’ Board for MB ChB Final Part II shall comprise the following:-
Dean – Chairman
Vice Dean
Heads of Departments of:
Medicine & Therapeutics
Surgery
Community Health
Anaesthesia
Pathology
Psychiatry
Radiology
Internal Examiners
External Examiners (optional)
Executive Secretary
Senior Assistant Registrar (AA) – Secretary
14.4 Examiners’ Board(s) shall receive, consider and determine the results of the respective examinations.
14.5 Each Board shall be required to make appropriate recommendations on any candidate based on his/her performance and also on any aspect of the examination as it deems fit.
15.0 Declaration of Results
15.1 Results of end of rotation examinations shall normally be published on the department notice boards with copies to the Executive Secretary.
15.2. Results of the MB ChB Final Part I and II Examinations shall normally be published by the Executive Secretary on the School Notice Board after the Examiners’ Board has determined the results.
15.3 The results as published shall be subject to the approval of the Board of the Medical School and the Academic Board.
15.4 A results slip indicating the student’s performance shall be made available to him/her.
16.0 Eligibility for the MB ChB Degree
16.1 The MB ChB degree shall be awarded to a candidate who has been properly admitted to the University, has followed the approved courses of study over the prescribed period and has satisfied the conditions as stated in Regulations 16.2 and 16.3 below.
16.2 University Requirements
- evidence of regular enrolment in the degree programme
- discharge of all obligations owed to the University
- a pass in all University required courses
- satisfactory performance in the appropriate University Examinations.
16.3 Faculty/Departmental Requirements
Satisfactory discharge of such requirements as may be prescribed for the degree.
17.0 Requirements for Graduation
17.1 A candidate shall be deemed to have:
i) satisfied all General University and Faculty requirements;
ii) obtained at least 50% in each subject featured in the MBChB Final Part I and II examinations;
17.2 In addition to the above, all candidates are required to attend the Swearing-in-Ceremony and take the Hippocratic Oath.
18.0 Confirmation of Award of Degree
18.1 A list of candidates who are deemed eligible as in Regulations 16 and 17 shall be laid before the Academic Board of the University for approval as soon as practicable.
18.2 No award shall be confirmed unless the Academic Board of the University is satisfied that
the candidate has satisfied all the conditions for the award of a degree.
19.0 Cancellation of Award
19.1 Notwithstanding previous confirmation of an award of a degree as in Regulation 18 the Academic Board of the University may at any time cancel an award even with retrospective effect if it becomes known that:
(i) a candidate has entered the University with false qualifications
(ii) a candidate has impersonated someone else
(iii) a candidate has been guilty of examination malpractice for which a grade Z would have been awarded
(iv) there are other reasons that would have led to the withholding of confirmation of the award in the first place.
19.2 In any such event, the decision of the Academic Board of the University shall be published on the University Notice Boards and the candidate notified. Such cancellation and the reasons for it shall be entered on the candidate’s transcript.
20.0 Transcript of Academic Record
At the end of a student’s programme, the University shall, on the payment of an appropriate fee, issue to the particular student a complete transcript of his/her academic record. This transcript shall be marked Student’s Copy and shall record all courses attempted and all results obtained.
21.0 Classification of Degree
MB ChB degree shall not be classified.
Above is the University Ghana Medical School period for completing MB CHB Programme and other information.