Uganda Medical Practitioners Council Issues Guidelines on Foreign Trained Medics

The Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council has availed foreign- trained doctors who would wish to practice medicine in Uganda with stringent guidelines.

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.