Medical Fellowship not equivalent to PhD, Ministry of Education clarifies FEC approval
The federal government has clarified that a medical fellowship is not equivalent to a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), following widespread misinterpretation of a recent decision by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The clarification was issued on Thursday via a statement by the Federal Ministry of Education director media, Boriowo Folasade, after reports suggested that the FEC had approved the equivalence of medical fellowship and PhD qualifications.
According to the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, the council’s approval only allows the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College to seek accreditation from the National Universities Commission to award PhD degrees in relevant medical and research disciplines.
He said the approval, granted by the FEC under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been widely misinterpreted as implying that a PhD would replace or be considered equivalent to medical fellowship.
Alausa stressed that this interpretation is incorrect.
He explained that a medical fellowship remains a distinct and higher professional qualification in clinical practice, awarded to physicians who complete rigorous residency training and other postgraduate medical education requirements needed for specialist practice.
The minister noted that the FEC decision simply expands the academic mandate of the Nigerian Postgraduate Medical College.
With the proposed amendment to the College’s Act, the institution will continue to award professional fellowships while also being able—subject to accreditation by the National Universities Commission—to offer PhD programmes.
