How To: Full Registration for MDCN Post-housemanship Doctors

The Medical and Dental council of Nigeria (MDCN) is the governing body for medical practice and its regulation in Nigeria.

A medical doctor can either have a provisional licence or a full licence.

A provisional licence is issued to a doctor who has just graduated from medical school.

To become a fully registered member with a permanent licence to practice medicine in Nigeria, you are expected to have completed a one-year period of supervised medical practice (internship) also known as housemanship.

Housemanship should be in a health institution approved by the council to conduct such in Nigeria.
See the list of approved health facilities here.

Housemanship placement is now conducted by the council. See website for more details.

During the program, a doctor is expected to rotate through four major departments – Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics and Obstetrics and Gyneacology. The duration of each departmental rotation is three months.

Completion of the compulsory one-year program enables doctors to receive a permanent practice license.

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How To Register

You are expected to have the complete list of required documents available, make the necessary payments and upload specific documents to your profile on the MDCN website. You are also expected to submit hard copies of the required documents at the head office in Abuja.

These may seem overwhelming to you at first, but try to read carefully as I explain further by listing out the steps involved.

If you did your housemanship in Nigeria, I assume you already have a doctor’s profile on the portal.  If you do not, I suggest you begin by creating one here.

I will begin with the list of required documents.

 

Required Documents 

2022 update

There is a detailed explanation for these requirements, but first here is a list:

• Form F (council’s copy)
• Form B (council’s copy)
• Form E (council’s copy)
• Letter of introduction/cover letter (addressed to the MDCN Registrar)
• Copy of birth certificate/age declaration
• Copy of Provisional certificate
• Copy of annual practising licence
• Copy of MBBS certificate or other accepted equivalents
• Copy of WAEC/SSCE/NECO certificate
• Payment receipt for NMA building levy**
• Evidence of payment for indemnity insurance***
• Evidence of payment for full registration (61,000 NGN)
• Evidence of payment for annual licence

 

**20,000 NGN one-time payment (if you paid during your provisional licence registration, use that receipt)

***7,500 NGN

It’s advised to scan your documents before submission.

Further details on documents:

• Form F (House Officer’s Performance Report): an assessment form where your performance is graded by a supervising consultant. You should have one set for each department. A set includes council, hospital and doctor’s copies. Each copy has three leaves. You should have a total of twelve copies.

• Form E (Certificate of Pre-registration Experience): States the position (satisfactory/unsatisfactory) of your hospital regarding your experience at the hospital. It is usually attached as the fourth page on forms F.

You should submit all copies tagged “hospital’s copy” at your hospital, but those tagged “doctor’s copy” are yours to keep.

• Form B (Full registration application form): This contains both your information and that of the CMAC of your hospital, so remember to submit it at the appropriate office for completion.
• Letter of Introduction: A letter from your hospital to the council confirming completion of your housemanship program.

 

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Steps for Registration

• Get your documents ready.
• Apply for full registration online from your dashboard on the website.

• Pay for registration online.
• Pay for insurance indemnity (check dashboard)

• Upload your documents (copies of Forms F, B, E and introductory letter).

 

NOTE:

1. Forms F (council copies) should be scanned and saved as one file. Copies should be arranged in order of rotation i.e, if paediatrics was the first department you rotated through, then the form F for paediatrics should come first (top).
2. Avoid mistakes or cancellation on your forms (council copies especially).

 

• Take original copies of all forms, letter of introduction, and copies of other documents on the list to the head office of the MDCN in Abuja. These can also be mailed to their office.

Should you need help with submitting your documents in Abuja? Click here

An email is sent to you once your license is ready. It is uploaded to your account on the portal. This usually takes about seven working days (all things being equal) .

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Now you have your licence! What next?
NYSC/Residency, postgraduate studies or japa?

I hope you found this article helpful?

Leave a comment and let me know.

In the meantime, do take care of yourself and learn to live your dream, one day at a time.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

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Yours Cherrily,

Debbie.