TY - JOUR
T1 - Predictors of performance of foreign-trained medical doctors in the registration examination of the Ghana medical and dental council
T2 - A 5-year analysis
AU - Lawson, Henry Jeremy Odartei
AU - Seneadza, Nana Ayegua Hagan
PY - 2022/7/1
Y1 - 2022/7/1
N2 - Introduction: Although the influx of foreign-trained medical doctors (FTMDs) can improve the doctor-to-patient ratio in Ghana, there is the need to ensure that the quality of training is maintained. We assessed the performance of FTMDs in registration examinations over a 5-year period. Methodology: Data were extracted from Ghana Medical and Dental Council (GMDC) records from 2015 to 2019. Chi-squared tests assessed the association between the selected characteristics and the final grades. A multivariate logistic regression analysis determined significant predictors of the failure. The data were analysed using the statistical software IBM SPSS (version 26). The significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results: Of the 1356 doctors, majority (63.1%) were male, 64.3% were aged 21-30 years and 95.5% were Ghanaian. In all, there were 41 countries of training with majority training in China (35.4%) and Ukraine (31.9%). More than half (58.5%) failed the examination. Country of training, number of years from qualification to time of registration examination and number of previous attempts were statistically significantly associated with success at the examination. The logistic regression analysis showed that those who failed were more likely to have trained in Belarus (odds ratio [OR] = 3.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.50-6.82), Ukraine (OR = 2.47, 95% CI; 1.55-3.92), China OR = 2.06, 95% CI; 1.30-3.26) and Russia (OR = 1.98, 95% CI; 1.21-3.23) and were 0.58 times likely to have trained in Cuba. Conclusion: The performance at the examination is low. The significant predictor of performance is country of training. The authors recommend that the GMDC provides counselling services for students who leave for medical training abroad.
AB - Introduction: Although the influx of foreign-trained medical doctors (FTMDs) can improve the doctor-to-patient ratio in Ghana, there is the need to ensure that the quality of training is maintained. We assessed the performance of FTMDs in registration examinations over a 5-year period. Methodology: Data were extracted from Ghana Medical and Dental Council (GMDC) records from 2015 to 2019. Chi-squared tests assessed the association between the selected characteristics and the final grades. A multivariate logistic regression analysis determined significant predictors of the failure. The data were analysed using the statistical software IBM SPSS (version 26). The significance level was set at P < 0.05. Results: Of the 1356 doctors, majority (63.1%) were male, 64.3% were aged 21-30 years and 95.5% were Ghanaian. In all, there were 41 countries of training with majority training in China (35.4%) and Ukraine (31.9%). More than half (58.5%) failed the examination. Country of training, number of years from qualification to time of registration examination and number of previous attempts were statistically significantly associated with success at the examination. The logistic regression analysis showed that those who failed were more likely to have trained in Belarus (odds ratio [OR] = 3.20, 95% confidence interval [CI]; 1.50-6.82), Ukraine (OR = 2.47, 95% CI; 1.55-3.92), China OR = 2.06, 95% CI; 1.30-3.26) and Russia (OR = 1.98, 95% CI; 1.21-3.23) and were 0.58 times likely to have trained in Cuba. Conclusion: The performance at the examination is low. The significant predictor of performance is country of training. The authors recommend that the GMDC provides counselling services for students who leave for medical training abroad.
KW - Foreign-trained medical doctor
KW - Ghana
KW - medical and dental council
KW - performance
KW - predictors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85135203020&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4103/npmj.npmj_128_22
DO - 10.4103/npmj.npmj_128_22
M3 - Article
C2 - 35900462
AN - SCOPUS:85135203020
SN - 1117-1936
VL - 29
SP - 249
EP - 255
JO - The Nigerian postgraduate medical journal
JF - The Nigerian postgraduate medical journal
IS - 3
ER -