Minister defends medical internship

KIGALI - A group of over 100 students from the National University of Rwanda (NUR) are complaining about the extended internship period for medical undergraduates The students should have completed in 2009. “We did exams and passed, and although there are changes in the education system, these should be imposed on students who will be graduating after us,” a student who preferred anonymity told The Sunday Times. “Reforms cannot be taken and immediately implemented on students who were already acquainted with a particular system. There should be a transition process”.But the Minister of Health, Dr. Richard Sezibera, dismissed the students’ grievances arguing that every decision that has been made aims at sharpening skills in the medical profession. “They claim that they should be enrolled, but even as interns, we are paying for their services. It is in fact very good that internship has been separated from their education system,” he explained. Initially students practiced as interns for one year. However, with the new changes, they are bound to practice for an extra six months. Ends