The Secretary General of the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics, Dr. Zakari Suleiman, tellswhy the formation of the association was necessary and what it will offer to medical doctors in academiaThe formation of the association has been on since 2015 because of the peculiar situation of medical lecturers which has not been addressed properly by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
On the condition of service, medical doctors do experience a significant salary drop upon joining universities as lecturers. For example, a house officer is usually on Grade Level 10. If such a house officer finishes and goes for national service, they will still retain that GL 10 after the national service and be employed as a medical officer in a government hospital; such a doctor would be employed on GL 13 by virtue of his qualification.
The other issue is that a doctor who undergoes postgraduate residency training in a teaching hospital or FMC is employed as a consultant in a teaching hospital or FMC on GL 16. When they join a university as a clinical lecturer , they will be downgraded to GL 13. The other issue is about our fellowship qualification.
We looked at all these issues and we felt that despite our membership in ASUU, the union is not disposed to address the peculiarities of medical practitioners in academia. These issues have been on for a long time and it is the desire of every medical lecturer to have another association to address issues that are peculiar to them. Our members cut across various institutions such as universities , federal medical centres, teaching hospitals and research institutions.