CCommitments include, among other things, the new exam schedule for medical students, clarification of the status of external, internal and resident students, as well as new systems for theses and medical internships.
At the end of the Council of Ministers, which saw the participation of the Minister of Health, that of Higher Education, the Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with Parliament as well as the deans of the faculties of medicine and student representatives , the government “reiterates its total commitment to guarantee the quality of medical training in Morocco, and the need for all stakeholders to fully take their responsibilities in relation to this matter”, according to Baitas, in particular the students and their parents, ordered to “not leaving the educational and pedagogical framework”.
Baitas also warned against what he called “paralogisms which surround this issue and which are widely promoted, putting forward conclusions tinged with negativity which do not serve the objective of reaching serious and responsible solutions”.
Exam Schedule
Regarding the exam schedule, “the government announces the opening of the spring session on June 26, 2024, of which the make-up session will be held before the end of August. As for catch-ups for the first semester, they will be held in September 2024”, according to the government spokesperson.
Furthermore, students who have previously been sanctioned for having boycotted the first semester exams will have their “0” removed from their transcripts. They will, according to Baitas, be replaced by the grades obtained during the remedial session which will be held in September. This step backwards also concerns residencies and internships which were boycotted by students. They will in fact have the opportunity to do them from the next school year.
Educational reform of the health system
The government council also implemented four main measures in order to “advance the medical profession and improve medical provision in order to guarantee equal access to health services for all citizens”.
The first concerns the overhaul of the medical training system from the next academic year, “which concerns the new promotion of students entering the faculties of medicine and pharmacy from September, thanks to the adoption of national educational specifications for the doctor of medicine diploma and its publication by ministerial decree”, announced Baitas. The duration of the diploma in question was set at six years.
This new training system includes “the introduction of modules for students to acquire skills and abilities in the areas of digitalization, artificial intelligence, telemedicine, family medicine training, simulation, life skills and personal, as well as foreign languages, in order to follow developments in medical practice on a global scale”.
As for students currently enrolled in the faculties of medicine and pharmacy, from the first to the fifth year, they will be subject to the current educational structure of medical training.
“Sixth year students can benefit from clinical internships in hospital services approved for training and supervision by regional commissions before defending their thesis. These internships last at least three months and at most one year. Those concerned receive compensation similar to that enjoyed by sixth-year students and obtain a certificate for each internship period.“, I explained Baitas.
In addition, a reference framework for digital and simulation learning will be adopted, benefiting all faculties of medicine, pharmacy and dentistry, “with the continued strengthening of the necessary equipment in the faculties” at national scale.
Allowances and theses
Allowances for medical, pharmacy and dentistry students for compulsory hospital internships will be increased. This measure concerns external students enrolled in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth years. The objective is to better recognize the efforts and commitment of students during their periods of practical training, by offering them increased financial support for their hospital internships, essential to their learning and their future professional career.
The number of theses that can be supervised simultaneously by each teacher-researcher will be increased “due to the increase in the number of students in medical faculties”, according to Baitas. This will make it possible to better support the growing number of students in the writing and defense of their theses phase. In addition, the time for registration and defense of theses will also be increased to a maximum of three months. In addition, a digital platform will be adopted for the management of theses in all faculties of medicine and pharmacy.
Postgraduate specialist training
“As part of the third cycle of medical specialization, national expert committees were created for each medical and pharmaceutical specialty. These committees have started working on recommendations and measures to reform the third cycle”, Baitas said.
These committees will be responsible for reviewing and proposing improvements concerning the conditions of access, the content of the training, as well as the evaluation methods. This initiative aims to guarantee high quality training, aligned with the requirements and developments in medical and pharmaceutical practices.
National scientific standards and descriptive files will be adopted to structure specialized training, “with periodic evaluation and implementation of the educational reform of the training cycle for specialist diplomas in medicine, pharmacy and dentistry from January 2025”.
At the same time, the statuses of residents will be harmonized in order to “preserve the achievements and reduce the duration of engagement from eight to three years from the class of 2025. Residents will benefit from a monthly salary equivalent to the 509 reference index, as well as other compensation defined by the legislation on the public health service”.
In addition, the number of positions available for the internship competition will be increased from January 2025. This increase will help meet growing demand and train a greater number of specialists, thus meeting public health needs.
“The tenure of residents in the public health service will be immediate from the start of their mission, with the preservation of all acquired skills, including promotions and retirement. Specialist doctors will have the right to resign at the end of their three-year contract without any conditions, and will be able to continue working in the public health service after the end of their contract without obligation. A clear procedure for change of specialty and transfer during the residency period will be implemented by the Joint Regional Committee for Coordination of Training in Health Professions, taking into account regional needs”, elaborated Baitas.
Hospital internship areas and infrastructure
Hospital internship areas will be expanded to accommodate the growing number of students, including not only university hospitals, but also other healthcare institutions. This expansion aims to “provide more hands-on training opportunities for medical and pharmacy students”, thus guaranteeing “a diverse and complete experience”.
Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy will publish the new hospital rotation areas at the start of each academic year, allowing students to plan their rotations more efficiently. Furthermore, the supervision of hospital internships will be strengthened to ensure that students receive high-quality training and are well supervised throughout their practical internships.
Three new faculties will also be created in Guelmim, Errachidia and Beni Mellal. In addition, the capacity of existing faculties will be increased to accommodate more students. A budget has been allocated “to equip all faculties with simulation and telemedicine centers, essential for modern and practical training”.
Status of external, internal and resident students
External, internal and resident students will have their status defined by a new decree. “This decree specifies the situation of students of the faculties of medicine, pharmacy and dentistry within public health institutions reporting to territorial health groups.”, Baitas said, without giving further details regarding the decree in question.
Finally, “for the sake of responsibility and to establish relationships of trust”, according to Baitas, “the government hopes that all parties will cooperate with commitment and sincerity to guarantee the achievement of the desired objectives of development of the health training system and to overcome this situation which has persisted for too long”.
