THE MEDICAL AND DENTAL CONSULTANTS’ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA

(MDCAN) PRESS RELEASE ON REQUEST FOR CLINICAL CLERKSHIP FOR

PHARMACY STUDENTS IN CLINICAL DEPARTMENTS OF THE HOSPITAL
26th October 2021

Attention of the National Officers Committee of Medical and Dental Consultants’

Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has been drawn to two internal memorandum
from the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, University of
Ilorin dated 7 July 2021 and directed to Heads of Departments of University of Ilorin
Teaching Hospital and another one Ref. No. OOU/OCL/031 from the Acting Head
of Clinical Pharmacy of Olabisi Onabanjo University dated 5 October 2021 on the
above subject and addressed to the Acting Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Olabisi
Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, Ogun State.
The said memoranda separately requested for the permission of the Heads of
Departments of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and that of Acting CMD
of OOUTH Sagamu, respectively, for a clinical pharmacy clerkship for the
pharmacy students of their respective Universities under the tutelage of Medical and
Dental Consultants and Registrars.
Following a preliminary review of the message conveyed through the said
memoranda and thorough investigation, the leadership of the MDCAN considers the
said correspondence as both irregular and absurd, based on the following grounds.
i. Neither the clinical consultants nor their registrars took any part in the curriculum
development for pharmacy education in Nigerian universities and would therefore
be surprised that roles not hitherto discussed with the various Colleges of Medicine
of those Universities will be assigned to our members in the training of these
students.
ii. It is pertinent to state that full development of academic curricula follows a
continuum in which the design, training, practice, and regulation of the programme
or profession is carried out by a homologous team of professionals. For instance,
while Colleges of Medicine design medical education curricula, the actual medical
training programme is implemented through lectures delivered by medical teachers
in the Colleges, intercalated with hands-on clinical clerkship conducted through the
clinics, wards, and theatres of teaching hospitals by same medical trainer consultants
from the Colleges of Medicine.
 iii. In cases where other professionals would be required in the training of specific
students, such professionals are usually made part of the curriculum development and
not just implementation. This will ensure that there is no duplication of professional
trainings.
iv. It is in that same vein that pharmacy students on clinical rotations have always been
posted to pharmacy units (relevant to the students’ training needs) within the teaching
hospitals where they are taught the principles and practice of pharmacy in line with
their specific roles in patient care.
v. At this point, it should be noted that to “learn more about the different disease states
and corresponding therapies by rotating through: Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
Medicine, Surgery and Paediatrics” is at the core of the globally established course of
training in basic medicine and surgery, and not pharmacy.
vi. The memoranda under reference failed to explain to what specific use the knowledge
and skills acquired through clinical clerkship for pharmacy students will be put.
In the light of the foregoing, MDCAN hereby instruct its members across all teaching
hospitals, federal medical centres, and specialist hospitals across Nigeria, as follows:
a. To ignore the content of those memoranda to the full extent of its request for clinical
clerkship for pharmacy students under clinical consultants.

b. To take specific steps to ensure that consultants do not give effect to clinical clerkship
to pharmacy students in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medicine, Surgery, and
Paediatrics, as requested by Faculties of Pharmacy in any university in Nigeria.

c. To also put on notice that our members should remain vigilant and not give any
cooperation to any group that surreptitiously desires to study medicine through the back
door, as there are laid down training pathways for any individual who is so desirous of
becoming a medical doctor, to follow.

It is our hope that this communication offers adequate guidance on the subject matter
for our members across all public hospitals in Nigeria.
Be assured of our highest considerations, always.

Dr. Victor Makanjuola Dr Yemi R. Raji

President Secretary General