The Parliament has supported in the first reading an amendment to the law “On Medical Activity,” which changes the procedure for retaking the state certification exam for doctors. Specifically, once the amendment enters into force, the established legislative restriction that allowed candidates who received a failing grade to take the exam only twice within one year, with a 6-month interval, will be abolished.
Following the enactment of the change, interested individuals will be able to retake the state certification exam in accordance with the established rules and schedule of the exam, even if they receive a failing grade.
“The provision of the law ‘On Medical Activity’ is being abolished, according to which ‘in case of receiving a failing grade on the state certification exam, a person has the right to retake the state certification exam only twice during the following year, with a 6-month interval between the state certification exams,'” notes the information published by the Parliament.
Does the legislative amendment adopted in the first reading mean the simplification of exams, and what practice exists in European countries? Healthcare expert Tengiz Verulava explains:
Tengiz Verulava
“In my opinion, simplifying the procedure for retaking the state certification exam can be assessed positively, because the current regulation—which provides for a 6-month interval between exams and a quantitative restriction on retakes—creates an artificial barrier to entering medical professional practice. If a candidate fails the exam, in some cases the reason may be insufficient preparation, exam stress, or other circumstances. Therefore, the opportunity for a re-examination should be more flexible. However, there is a second, equally important issue: patient safety. The profession of a doctor is directly related to human health and life; therefore, the primary task of the state should not be to limit the number of exam attempts, but to ensure that the doctor receives a certificate within the scope of appropriate knowledge and competence. Therefore, I think it is necessary to ensure the objectivity and transparency of the quality of certification exams. In general, the main purpose of the certification exam is to assess not only theoretical knowledge, but also clinical thinking, decision-making skills, and competencies related to patient safety,” Tengiz Verulava explained.
The healthcare expert explains that to evaluate a doctor’s competence, different but equally difficult exam variants should be used for repeat exams, so that the opportunity to retake multiple times does not turn into a means of mechanically memorizing questions. According to him, the mechanism for passing the state certification exam for doctors is different in every country, but it strictly takes the safety component into account.
“Simplifying access to the exam should not mean simplifying the exam itself or reducing professional requirements. We must also necessarily talk about the quality of medical education—if a significant portion of candidates fail the exam, the state must study the causes. European legislation promotes flexibility and the reduction of administrative barriers, but it takes into account the issue of patient safety and the quality of medical education,” Tengiz Verulava explained.
It is worth noting that the amendment to the law “On Medical Activity” will enter into force after the Parliament of Georgia supports it in the third reading.
