The Federation of Ghana Medical Students’ Associations (FGMSA) has filed a lawsuit at the High Court’s Human Rights Division in Accra seeking to block the Medical and Dental Council (MDC) from conducting the new Common Registration Examination (CRE). The case was lodged on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, by graduating medical and dental students affected by the examination.
The applicants are asking the court for an injunction to restrain the MDC from proceeding with the CRE until the substantive legal issues raised in the suit are resolved. The federation said it took legal action after attempts to settle concerns through direct engagement with the MDC and other authorities failed.
“FGMSA remains committed to protecting the interests of medical and dental students and will pursue the legal process to its conclusion,” the federation’s National Executive Council said in a statement.
The CRE is a licensing exam recently introduced by the MDC for all graduating medical and dental students. The council designed the test to unify the registration process for new medical professionals across Ghana. However, the exam has met opposition from some students who question its fairness and the potential impact on their professional futures.
The federation did not specify the precise legal arguments or remedies sought beyond the injunction in its statement. It also did not provide details on the timing of the court hearing or whether the injunction request would be granted.
The case remains pending at the court. Its outcome will determine if the MDC can go ahead with the CRE while the legal challenge is considered.
The legal action follows a period of dialogue between FGMSA and the MDC, which did not lead to an agreement. The federation’s statement suggested that the students’ concerns were not addressed to their satisfaction, prompting the move to seek judicial intervention.
The introduction of the CRE has stirred debate among medical students and professional bodies. Some students argue that the new exam adds an extra hurdle to their qualification process without clear benefits, while the MDC maintains it is necessary to maintain professional standards.
The lawsuit marks a significant development in the ongoing dispute over the CRE’s implementation. The court’s decision will have immediate implications for the graduation and registration of medical and dental students in Ghana this year.
The FGMSA’s statement did not name individual plaintiffs or their legal representatives, nor did it disclose any responses from the MDC as of Tuesday.
The dispute over the CRE comes as Ghana’s healthcare system faces pressure to increase the number of licensed medical professionals. The MDC’s introduction of the exam was intended to standardise registration but has faced resistance from the very students it affects.
Whether the High Court grants the injunction will be closely watched by medical students, regulatory bodies, and healthcare institutions across Ghana. The decision could halt the exam’s rollout or allow it to proceed while the legal questions are resolved.
According to Joy Online.
