About medical training

I am writing to you regarding the article ?Sanctions: des pouvoir accrus au Medical Council? published in l?express of 5th March.It is mostly regarding the amendments of year 2000 where a postgraduation course in any speciality of Medicine should be at least of a duration of three years plus successfully passing the final exams inorder to meet the criteria for specilist registration in Mauritius. However despite completing a four years postgraduation training post (from August 1997 to August 2001) in Psychiatry in the UK as part of a full time rotational training scheme approved by the educational services department of the Royal College of Psychiatrist in London and passing the membership examination (MRCPsych) in June2001, the Medical Council of Mauritius refused to approve my application as Specialist in Psychiatry in January 2005 while I was working as a locum Consultant (Chef du Service) in the UK. Following successful completion of the membership exam in the UK a doctor can work as Specialist Registrar (equivalent to a Junior Specialist in Mtius) in his chosen Sub Speciality with a view to obtaining approval to become a Consultant, Examiners and Academicians (Professors)without any further examination. During this period the Specialist Registar undergo further training in management, leadership skills, applied research and teaching skills with a view to obtaining approval for Completion of Certificate of Training which counts towards the requirements to become a substantive Consultant in one of the subspeciality of Pschiatry such as Forensic, Old Age, Child, Psychotherapy, General Adult or Learning Disability contrary to the existing pathways in Mauritius where a junior specialist can become a consultant on a seniority basis based on clinical experience but without any further formal training.

Unfortunately over the last seven years there has been many misleading articles due mostly to false and baseless information from parties who have no clear understanding of the British Postgraduate Medical Training but I am categorically certain that all three years specialist degrees in any speciality of Medicine form India and other European countries that are currently being recognised as specialist in Mtius will not entitle the degree holder to work as Locum Consultant in the country where they obtain their degree.

DR.J.BURRUN MBBS DPM MRCPsych London UK