The deans of the faculties of medicine of French-speaking universities are asking the government of Wallonia-Brussels Federation to organise an entrance exam for students wishing to pursue studies in medicine and dentistry, Belga News Agency reports.
The call came in an open letter the College of Deans sent to La Libre Belgique newspaper, which published it on Saturday.
“Combined with an assessment enabling the best response to the needs on the ground, it [the entry exam] would not create any risk of shortages,” the deans wrote. Otherwise, students would not be sure that they would be able to practice their profession when they graduate, they warned.
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The College of Deans is the first institution to call publicly for an entrance exam since the resumption of a debate on setting contingents for medical studies, sparked by an ad hoc bill submitted by Health Minister Franck Vandenbroucke (Vooruit).
The bill, passed by Parliament’s Health Commission in early December, has created a significant amount of concern, especially among students and rectors.
They are particularly worried by one of its articles linking INAMI numbers - registration indispensable for young doctors to provide care reimbursable by the health care system – to a stricter filter at the start of studies in medicine.
