Medical and Dental Council of Maldives has declared that they will no longer be accepting certifications from Pre-medical course or Pre-medical foundation program certification.

The Council announced today that they are no longer accepting certain courses taken as a pre-requisite to MBBS and BDS. An announcement made by the Ministry of Health stated that 'Pre-Medical' courses are seen as a replacement for taking General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level (A Level ) courses. The Ministry reports that most of these courses last no longer than a year for the most part and said that these courses result in poorly equipped graduates.

The Ministry also noted that a year-long Pre-medical programs are not accepted by most Medical Councils across the world.

The Ministry noted that there are some 'Pre-medicine"Programs that last over a period of six months as well. The statement further reiterated that these programs are conducted by foreign institutions and targeted at Maldivian students. The Ministry noted that they have received concerning complaints that such programs have left students with financial and mental damages.

The statement reiterated that these year-long course certifications will not be accepted as a pre-requisite to Medical or Dental Programs as these programs do not fulfill the requirements for admittance.

The Ministry further added that while this regulation began implementation today, students who have already gotten their acceptance or paid fees to Dental or Medical programs are exempt from this. Current students and graduates from Medical or Dental institutions who had gained entry via such a Pre-medical program is also exempt from this rule according to the statement.