simulation technologies, to complement the traditional ways of teaching Medicine. He shared the resolutions of the meeting of s t a k e h o l d e r s i n M e d i c a l Education in Nigeria comprising the NMA, Provosts of Medical S c h o o l s a n d C o l l e g e s o f Medicine as well as the MDCN at which it was agreed that Medical Education in Nigeria could indeed attain global standards with appropriate reviews to the t e a c h i n g a n d l e a r n i n g methodologies.

 

In an interactive session, the executive secretary also addressed the nagging issue of the teaching qualification required of academics in Medicine, stating that the Commission was in discussions with stakeholders to address the need for the harmonisation of medical fellowships and qualifications vis-a-vis the doctorate degree in Medicine.

 

He further cleared the air on the recent uproar in the Nigerian University System (NUS) concerning the perceived increase in the duration of Medical training in the country. Professor Okojie stated that the NUC had simply advocated a return to the OAU Ife model of medical training in which medical students had the option of earning degrees in Anatomy, Physiology or Biochemistry after Four years of training and the opportunity to spend additional three years to earn their medical degrees. He stated that this model had been very useful in the past, particularly in situations where students had decided against continuing with their medical degrees and instead channelled their course credits to the acquisition of a degree in A n a t o m y, P h y s i o l o g y o r Biochemistry, rather than outright waste of the education they had so far acquired. He urged the association to engage with the NUC and bring their experiences abroad to bear on the training of the next generations of doctors in the country. He noted the similarities between this training model and the U.S. Model in which the medical degree is classified as Second Entry Degrees. He called attention to the fact that applicants to medical school were required to complete three years of pre-med courses at the university level and then five years of progressive study divided into two equal components pre- clinical didactic courses and clinical studies which are primarily rotations in teaching hospitals. He called on the Association to be change agents in their various capacities and areas of expertise, adding that their input in patient care in Nigeria would be invaluable.

 

The Conference featured very accomplished Nigerian Doctors in the Diaspora, including a special lecture delivered by Dr. Bennett Omalu, a Forensic Pathologist and Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, who first discovered Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), following his examination of American football players and was the subject of the 2015 movie 'Concussion'.

The various papers explored issues relating to Healthcare in Nigeria, leadership in Healthcare Management, private practice of Medicine as well as Healthcare teams and their collaborative and interactive associations with each other and with governments and management teams. Participants decried the volume of funding expended on medical tourism by the Nigerian middle class, asserting their willingness to stem the tide through capacity building and skills transmission as well as through medical missions which they continue to embark on to Nigeria.

 

The conference also featured a presentation on the strides being made by NUC in enhancing Medical Education through Telemedicine.

There are over 4, 000 Physicians and healthcare practitioners of Nigerian descent in the Americas