Medical licensing examinations – are they a good idea for medical education in Brazil?

The introduction a medical licensing examination (MLE) for the country’s newly qualified doctors has been the subject of discussion recently in Brazil. To assess the suitability of and real need for this test, this article analyzes whether the MLE provides an effective measure of the aptitude of newly qualified doctors and whether the evaluation system currently in place in medical education already does this. Using a competency-based model, we discuss experiences with MLEs in other countries and the features of the examinations proposed in Brazil to measure the aptitudes of newly qualified doctors. It is concluded that, in isolation, both alternatives are inadequate. We propose the development of a broader assessment program and stress the importance of collaboration between the different actors involved in order to enhance the quality of the examinations proposed to test the aptitude of newly qualified doctors in Brazil.

Medical licensing examination; ANASEM; The CREMESP examination; Medical student assessment