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MDCN Exam practice questions

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Question 1Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

Under the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria Act, which body is empowered to make regulations on the standards of knowledge and skill required of persons seeking registration as medical practitioners?

  1. The National Universities Commission
  2. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria Correct answer.
  3. The Nigeria Medical Association
  4. The Federal Ministry of Health

Explanation

The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria is the statutory regulator established by the MDCN Act and is empowered to make regulations governing the standards of knowledge and skill for registration. Professional associations and other agencies may advise or accredit programmes, but they do not exercise this statutory registration power.

Question 2Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor trained abroad applies for registration in Nigeria. Which document issued by the foreign institution is central to establishing that the applicant holds a recognised primary medical qualification?

  1. A certificate of completion of national service
  2. A letter of recommendation from a hospital consultant
  3. A certificate of good standing from the foreign regulator
  4. The primary medical degree certificate and academic transcript Correct answer.

Explanation

The primary qualification certificate and transcript evidence that the applicant has completed a recognised medical course of study, which is the foundation for registration. Good standing and service records address conduct and internship matters rather than the underlying academic award.

Question 3Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

Which of the following best describes the purpose of the provisional licence granted to a newly qualified medical graduate in Nigeria?

  1. It replaces the need for full registration permanently
  2. It permits unrestricted independent private practice
  3. It allows supervised practice, typically during housemanship Correct answer.
  4. It authorises the holder to train and register other doctors

Explanation

Provisional registration permits the graduate to practise under supervision, ordinarily during the mandatory housemanship year, before full registration is granted. It is time-limited and does not confer the rights of independent practice or of training others.

Question 4Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A registered doctor wishes to change the address and practice location recorded with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. What is the appropriate action?

  1. Inform only the Nigeria Medical Association branch
  2. Wait until the next annual retention cycle regardless of delay
  3. Take no action because the register is updated automatically
  4. Notify the Council and update the register particulars promptly Correct answer.

Explanation

Registered practitioners are expected to keep the Council informed of changes to their registered particulars, including practice address, so that the register remains accurate and communications reach them. The register is not self-updating, and informing only a professional association does not discharge the duty to the regulator.

Question 5Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

Which of the following is the principal statutory consequence for a practitioner who continues to practise after failing to renew annual registration?

  1. Exposure to disciplinary action for practising without valid registration Correct answer.
  2. Transfer of the practice to the Council
  3. Exemption from future retention fees
  4. Automatic promotion to a higher registration category

Explanation

Practising while unregistered, including after lapsing on retention, is an offence and exposes the doctor to disciplinary proceedings before the Council. There is no mechanism by which lapse confers benefit or transfers the practice.

Question 6Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria derives its authority to register medical practitioners primarily from which source?

  1. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria Act Correct answer.
  2. A resolution of the Nigeria Medical Association
  3. A directive of the National Health Insurance Authority
  4. A circular of the Federal Ministry of Health

Explanation

The Council's registration and disciplinary powers are conferred by its establishing statute, the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria Act. Association resolutions, ministerial circulars and agency directives cannot create or replace statutory registration authority.

Question 7Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

Which register does the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria maintain specifically for practitioners who have met the requirements for independent practice?

  1. The register of provisional trainees
  2. The register of hospital administrators
  3. The full registration register Correct answer.
  4. The register of ancillary health workers

Explanation

The full registration register records practitioners who have satisfied the requirements for independent practice after provisional training. Provisional trainees appear on a separate provisional listing, while ancillary workers and administrators fall outside the Council's medical registration registers.

Question 8Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to describe the composition of the disciplinary tribunal of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. Which feature is characteristic of the Council's disciplinary process?

  1. Determination of guilt solely by the complainant
  2. Delegation of all disciplinary matters to the police
  3. Hearing of allegations by a panel constituted under the Act Correct answer.
  4. Automatic erasure of the practitioner upon any complaint

Explanation

Allegations of professional misconduct are heard by a disciplinary panel or tribunal constituted under the Act, which receives evidence and determines the matter. Complaints alone do not decide guilt, and ordinary erasure does not follow automatically from the mere filing of a complaint.

Question 9Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A patient alleges that a doctor disclosed confidential information without consent. Which forum is primarily responsible for determining whether this constitutes professional misconduct under the Council's framework?

  1. The National Health Insurance Authority
  2. The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria disciplinary process Correct answer.
  3. The hospital's public relations department
  4. The Nigeria Medical Association ethics committee as final arbiter

Explanation

Allegations of professional misconduct, including improper disclosure of confidential information, are primarily determined through the Council's disciplinary process. Association committees may advise, and hospital departments or insurance bodies lack jurisdiction to make a final finding of misconduct.

Question 10Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor employed in a public hospital is accused of negligence during surgery. Which statement correctly reflects the relationship between civil litigation and Council discipline?

  1. A Council finding automatically bars any civil claim
  2. A civil judgment always determines the outcome of Council proceedings
  3. Council proceedings cannot occur until the civil suit is concluded
  4. Civil litigation and Council discipline are separate processes that may proceed independently Correct answer.

Explanation

Civil claims for compensation and Council disciplinary proceedings serve different purposes and may proceed independently; neither is automatically bound by the other's outcome. A Council finding does not extinguish a patient's civil claim, and a pending suit does not necessarily suspend the Council's process.

Question 11Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A practitioner receives a complaint notification from the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria. What is the most appropriate professional response?

  1. Discuss the complaint publicly on social media
  2. Ignore the correspondence until a second reminder arrives
  3. Respond within the stated time and cooperate with the process Correct answer.
  4. Ask the complainant to withdraw the complaint privately

Explanation

Responding within the stated time and cooperating with the Council's process is the expected professional response to a complaint notification. Ignoring correspondence, public commentary, or private pressure on the complainant may themselves amount to misconduct.

Question 12Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

Which of the following circumstances most clearly falls within the definition of professional misconduct for which the Council may sanction a doctor?

  1. Attending a continuing professional development workshop
  2. Referring a patient to a specialist appropriately
  3. Certifying a fitness document for a patient without any examination Correct answer.
  4. Declining to prescribe a requested antibiotic when it is not indicated

Explanation

Issuing a certification without examining the patient is dishonest and undermines the integrity of medical documents, which constitutes professional misconduct. Attending development activities, appropriate referrals and clinically justified refusal to prescribe are all proper professional conduct.

Question 13Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor qualified in Nigeria wishes to be registered to practise. Which sequence best reflects the standard pathway to full registration?

  1. Full registration, then provisional registration, then housemanship
  2. Provisional registration, completion of housemanship, then full registration Correct answer.
  3. Full registration immediately upon graduation without further steps
  4. Housemanship, then provisional registration, then full registration

Explanation

The standard pathway is provisional registration after graduation, completion of the supervised housemanship year, and then application for full registration. Full registration is not granted at graduation, and housemanship precedes rather than follows full registration.

Question 14Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor moves to a new state and begins seeing patients there while the register still shows the former practice address. Which principle is most directly engaged?

  1. The duty to obtain a new primary qualification
  2. The duty to repeat housemanship in the new state
  3. The duty to keep registration particulars accurate and current Correct answer.
  4. The duty to join a local professional association

Explanation

Practitioners must ensure the Council's register reflects their actual practice particulars, so relocation should be notified and the record updated. Joining an association, re-qualifying or repeating housemanship are not requirements triggered by a change of location.

Question 15Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

Which statement best captures the Council's role in relation to continuing professional development for registered practitioners?

  1. It delegates all development matters to the Nigeria Medical Association
  2. It promotes and may require evidence of ongoing professional development Correct answer.
  3. It forbids practitioners from attending courses abroad
  4. It replaces clinical experience with written examinations only

Explanation

The Council promotes continuing professional development as part of maintaining competence and may require evidence of it in connection with retention or renewal. It does not prohibit overseas courses or substitute examinations for clinical experience, and it retains its own regulatory role.

Question 16Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is found by the Council's disciplinary panel to have fraudulently altered a patient's records. Which range of sanctions may the Council impose?

  1. Cautions, suspension or erasure from the register Correct answer.
  2. Referral of the matter solely to the Nigeria Medical Association
  3. Transfer of the doctor to another hospital
  4. Only a verbal warning with no record

Explanation

Where misconduct is established, the Council may impose sanctions that include cautions, suspension from practice or erasure from the register, depending on severity. A purely verbal warning without record, administrative transfer, or referral only to an association would not reflect the Council's statutory powers.

Question 17Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A foreign-trained doctor submits a qualification from an institution not recognised by the Council. What is the most likely outcome of the registration application?

  1. Registration is granted with a restriction to private practice
  2. Registration is granted provisionally pending later verification
  3. The applicant is automatically registered as a specialist
  4. The application is refused unless the qualification is recognised or additional requirements are met Correct answer.

Explanation

Registration depends on holding a qualification recognised by the Council; an unrecognised award will ordinarily lead to refusal unless the applicant satisfies additional requirements such as further examination or training. Recognition is not supplied by provisional grant, practice restriction or specialist status.

Question 18Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

Which of the following best explains why the Council may remove a practitioner's name from the register after a disciplinary finding?

  1. To punish the practitioner financially for the hospital
  2. To protect the public by preventing continued practice where fitness is compromised Correct answer.
  3. To create vacancies for new graduates
  4. To satisfy the complainant's demand for compensation

Explanation

Erasure serves the protective purpose of safeguarding patients by removing from practice a practitioner whose conduct or fitness makes continued practice unsafe. It is not a financial penalty for a hospital, a workforce measure, or a mechanism to deliver compensation.

Question 19Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor who is provisionally registered performs a procedure beyond the scope of supervised practice without informing a supervisor. Which concern is most directly raised?

  1. Ineligibility for association membership
  2. Failure to pay annual retention fees
  3. Breach of the conditions attached to provisional registration Correct answer.
  4. Compliance with continuing professional development

Explanation

Provisional registration carries conditions, including supervision, and practising outside those conditions breaches the terms of registration. Development compliance, retention fees and association membership are separate matters not directly engaged by exceeding supervised scope.

Question 20Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

Which statement about the Council's power to make regulations on registration is most accurate?

  1. Regulations may only be made with the consent of every registered doctor
  2. Regulations cannot address foreign qualifications
  3. Regulations may prescribe the evidence and procedures required for registration Correct answer.
  4. Regulations are merely advisory and cannot affect applications

Explanation

The Council's regulation-making power extends to prescribing the evidence, documentation and procedures applicants must satisfy for registration. Such regulations are binding within the statutory framework, do not require universal consent, and may address foreign qualifications.

Question 21Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A practitioner's annual retention is overdue by several months, but the doctor continues to see patients. A colleague raises the matter. Which response best reflects the regulatory position?

  1. The doctor should regularise registration before continuing to practise Correct answer.
  2. Practice may continue because clinical skill is unaffected by retention
  3. The doctor should simply avoid documenting the consultations
  4. The colleague should report the matter only to the hospital's finance office

Explanation

Practising without current registration is an offence regardless of clinical skill, so the doctor should settle outstanding retention and restore valid registration before continuing. Avoiding documentation or notifying only a finance office does not address the regulatory breach.

Question 22Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is accused of misconduct arising from an act performed while registered, but the complaint is filed after the practitioner's name has been voluntarily removed from the register. Which principle best guides the Council's handling?

  1. The complaint must be redirected to the Nigeria Medical Association
  2. The matter can only be pursued as a criminal prosecution
  3. The Council loses all jurisdiction once the name is removed
  4. The Council may still inquire into conduct that occurred during registration Correct answer.

Explanation

Removal from the register does not necessarily extinguish the Council's ability to inquire into conduct that took place while the practitioner was registered, since the disciplinary power attaches to professional conduct during registration. Jurisdiction is not automatically lost, and the matter is not exclusively criminal or for the association.

Question 23Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor wishes to describe accurately the Council's power to restore a name to the register after erasure. Which statement is correct?

  1. Restoration can only be ordered by the Nigeria Medical Association
  2. Restoration requires only payment of the annual retention fee
  3. Restoration is at the discretion of the Council on application and satisfaction of conditions Correct answer.
  4. Restoration is automatic after one year in every case

Explanation

Restoration following erasure is not automatic; it depends on an application to the Council and satisfaction of whatever conditions the Council imposes. Payment of a fee alone, passage of time, or an association's order cannot restore a name to the statutory register.

Question 24Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A hospital administrator asks a doctor to sign a death certificate for a patient the doctor has never seen, to avoid delaying burial. Which analysis is most accurate under the Council's regulatory framework?

  1. Signing is acceptable if the doctor later reviews the file
  2. Signing is acceptable if the administrator takes responsibility
  3. Signing would be improper certification and expose the doctor to disciplinary sanction Correct answer.
  4. Signing is permitted because death certificates are administrative documents

Explanation

Certification must reflect the certifier's own knowledge and clinical assessment; signing for an unseen patient is improper and exposes the doctor to disciplinary sanction for false certification. Administrative convenience, later review, or another person's assurance does not legitimise the act.

Question 25Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor trained abroad is fully licensed in that country but has never completed a housemanship-equivalent rotation. How should the Council's registration requirements be characterised?

  1. Foreign licensure alone guarantees full Nigerian registration
  2. The Council must register the doctor as a specialist immediately
  3. The Council may require additional supervised training or examination before full registration Correct answer.
  4. The Council has no power to assess foreign-trained applicants

Explanation

The Council assesses foreign-trained applicants against its own requirements and may require further supervised training, examination or other conditions before granting full registration. Foreign licensure alone does not guarantee registration, confer specialist status, or remove the Council's power of assessment.

Question 26Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

Under the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) framework, which body is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Council's affairs between its full meetings?

  1. The Registrar, acting under delegated authority from the Council Correct answer.
  2. The Federal Ministry of Health's legal department
  3. The Nigerian Medical Association's executive committee
  4. The full Council in plenary session

Explanation

The Registrar is the chief administrative officer of the MDCN and carries out the Council's decisions and day-to-day administration under delegated authority. The full Council sets policy but does not meet continuously, so routine administration falls to the Registrar. Professional associations such as the NMA have no statutory administrative role over the Council.

Question 27Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A medical practitioner registered in Nigeria wishes to use the title 'Dr' in professional correspondence. What is the basis for this entitlement under MDCN rules?

  1. It is a courtesy title available to any university graduate.
  2. It requires separate application to the Nigerian Medical Association.
  3. It is conferred automatically by the Federal Ministry of Education.
  4. It follows from being duly registered as a medical practitioner with the Council. Correct answer.

Explanation

The use of the title 'Dr' by a medical practitioner is tied to registration with the MDCN, which confers the right to practise and to hold out as a registered medical practitioner. The title is not a generic academic courtesy nor something the NMA can grant. The Ministry of Education has no role in conferring professional titles on doctors.

Question 28Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

Which document primarily sets out the ethical standards and professional conduct expected of a doctor registered with the MDCN?

  1. The MDCN Code of Medical Ethics Correct answer.
  2. The Nigerian Constitution's fundamental rights chapter
  3. The hospital's internal staff handbook
  4. The National Health Insurance Authority guidelines

Explanation

The MDCN Code of Medical Ethics is the principal professional document that defines the ethical standards and conduct expected of registered medical practitioners in Nigeria. The Constitution and hospital handbooks may contain relevant provisions but do not set out the profession's ethical code. NHIA guidelines concern health insurance administration, not professional ethics.

Question 29Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor registered with the MDCN is invited to serve as a medical expert witness in a court case. Which statement best describes the doctor's professional obligation in this role?

  1. The doctor must provide an impartial opinion based on their professional expertise. Correct answer.
  2. The doctor should avoid mentioning any uncertainty in their conclusions.
  3. The doctor may decline to appear because court attendance is outside professional duty.
  4. The doctor must give evidence that supports the party that retained them.

Explanation

A doctor acting as an expert witness owes a duty to the court to provide an impartial, objective opinion based on professional expertise, not to advocate for the retaining party. Declining to assist the court without good reason is inconsistent with professional duty. Acknowledging uncertainty where it exists is part of honest expert testimony.

Question 30Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor in Nigeria is asked to provide a medical report to an employer about a patient's fitness to work. What is the most appropriate action consistent with MDCN ethical guidance?

  1. Provide the report only if the employer agrees to pay an additional fee.
  2. Send the full medical records to the employer without the patient's knowledge.
  3. Refuse to provide any report because medical information is absolutely confidential.
  4. Obtain the patient's consent and disclose only information relevant to fitness for work. Correct answer.

Explanation

Disclosure of medical information to an employer requires the patient's consent and should be limited to what is necessary for the purpose, such as fitness for work. Sending full records without consent breaches confidentiality. Absolute refusal ignores the legitimate purpose of occupational health reporting, and conditioning the report on extra payment is not an ethical basis for disclosure.

Question 31Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A registered doctor wishes to change their specialty from general practice to radiology and begin practising radiology independently. What does MDCN guidance require before independent practice in the new specialty?

  1. Completion of recognised postgraduate training and appropriate specialist recognition. Correct answer.
  2. Only notification to the doctor's current employer.
  3. A letter of support from the Nigerian Medical Association alone.
  4. Nothing, because full registration permits practice in any specialty.

Explanation

Full registration allows general practice, but independent practice in a specialty such as radiology requires recognised postgraduate training and specialist recognition. Notification to an employer does not establish competence in a new specialty. NMA support is not a substitute for recognised training and credentialing.

Question 32Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is employed in a private hospital and is asked to cover a shift in a different hospital owned by the same company. Which statement best reflects the doctor's registration obligations?

  1. The doctor may practise at any facility owned by the same company without notifying the Council.
  2. The doctor should ensure the Council's records reflect the additional practice location where required. Correct answer.
  3. The doctor needs no action because registration is tied only to the individual, not the facility.
  4. The doctor must surrender their registration and reapply for a new licence.

Explanation

Registration is personal, but the Council maintains records of practice locations, and practitioners are expected to keep the Council informed of relevant changes. Practising at an additional facility does not require surrender and reapplication of registration. Assuming no action is needed because the facilities share an owner ignores record-keeping obligations.

Question 33Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is invited to give a public lecture on a new treatment and is offered payment by a pharmaceutical company. Which action is most consistent with MDCN ethical standards?

  1. Accept the payment and promote the company's product during the lecture.
  2. Accept the payment without disclosure because lectures are educational.
  3. Disclose the financial relationship and present balanced, evidence-based information. Correct answer.
  4. Decline all payment and refuse to discuss any treatment.

Explanation

Transparency about financial relationships and maintaining balanced, evidence-based content are central to ethical conduct in medical education and public communication. Promoting a product for payment risks compromising objectivity. Refusing all payment and discussion is unnecessarily restrictive, and non-disclosure of a financial interest is inconsistent with transparency.

Question 34Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked by a patient to provide a copy of the patient's medical records. Under MDCN guidance, what is the appropriate response?

  1. Provide the records or a summary as appropriate, subject to any legal requirements and fees. Correct answer.
  2. Refer the patient to the police to obtain a court order.
  3. Refuse because medical records are the property of the doctor.
  4. Provide the records only if the patient agrees not to share them with anyone.

Explanation

Patients have a right of access to their medical records, and doctors should facilitate this in line with legal requirements and any applicable administrative fees. Refusing on the basis of ownership is inconsistent with patient rights. Imposing a confidentiality condition on the patient's own records or requiring police involvement is not appropriate.

Question 35Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor suspects that a child has been physically abused. What is the most appropriate professional response under MDCN guidance?

  1. Keep the suspicion confidential to protect the family's privacy.
  2. Confront the parents and demand an explanation before any further action.
  3. Report the suspicion to the appropriate authorities while ensuring the child's safety. Correct answer.
  4. Wait until the next scheduled appointment to see whether the injuries recur.

Explanation

Where child abuse is suspected, the doctor's duty to protect the child generally requires reporting to the appropriate authorities, with confidentiality yielding to the child's welfare. Keeping silent to protect family privacy would leave the child at risk. Confronting parents without safeguarding action or delaying to observe recurrence fails to protect the child.

Question 36Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to participate in a research study involving human participants. Which requirement is most consistent with MDCN ethical expectations?

  1. Obtain ethics committee approval and informed consent from participants. Correct answer.
  2. Obtain consent only from the participants' relatives.
  3. Proceed if the research is funded by a reputable organisation.
  4. Proceed without approval if the research is conducted in a public hospital.

Explanation

Ethical research involving human participants requires approval by a recognised ethics committee and informed consent from participants. Funding source or hospital setting does not substitute for ethical review and consent. Consent from relatives is not a substitute for the participant's own informed consent where the participant is competent.

Question 37Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is approached by a patient who requests a referral to a specialist. Which action best reflects MDCN guidance on referrals?

  1. Refer the patient without informing them of the specialist's identity.
  2. Refer the patient and provide relevant clinical information to the specialist with consent. Correct answer.
  3. Ask the patient to arrange the referral themselves without any clinical information.
  4. Refuse the referral to avoid losing the patient from the practice.

Explanation

Doctors should facilitate appropriate referrals in the patient's interest and share relevant clinical information with the specialist, with the patient's consent. Refusing a needed referral to retain the patient is improper. Withholding the specialist's identity or failing to provide clinical information undermines continuity and quality of care.

Question 38Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to sign a prescription for a controlled drug for a patient they have not examined. What is the most appropriate response consistent with MDCN standards?

  1. Sign the prescription because a colleague has requested it.
  2. Sign and note that the assessment was delegated to a nurse.
  3. Sign only if the patient pays in advance.
  4. Decline unless the doctor has personally assessed the patient and the prescription is clinically justified. Correct answer.

Explanation

Prescribing, especially of controlled drugs, requires personal clinical assessment and justification; signing for an unexamined patient is unsafe and unethical. A colleague's request or advance payment does not justify prescribing without assessment. Delegating assessment to a nurse does not remove the prescriber's responsibility.

Question 39Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is considering advertising their private practice. Which approach is most consistent with MDCN ethical guidance?

  1. Offer discounts to patients who refer other patients.
  2. Make claims of superior success rates compared with other doctors.
  3. Use factual, non-misleading information that does not exploit patients' fears. Correct answer.
  4. Advertise through unsolicited home visits to prospective patients.

Explanation

Advertising by doctors should be factual, not misleading, and should avoid exploiting patients' anxieties or making invidious comparisons. Claims of superior success rates and referral-based discounts can be misleading or inducement-like. Unsolicited home visits are intrusive and inconsistent with professional standards.

Question 40Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to provide care to a patient whose religious beliefs conflict with the treatment the doctor believes is necessary. Which response best reflects MDCN ethical guidance?

  1. Abandon the patient's care without further discussion.
  2. Refuse to discuss the conflict and proceed with the treatment.
  3. Respect the patient's informed decision while ensuring they understand the consequences and alternatives. Correct answer.
  4. Report the patient to the Council for refusing treatment.

Explanation

Doctors should respect patients' informed decisions, including those shaped by religious belief, while ensuring the patient understands the consequences and available alternatives. Proceeding without discussion disregards autonomy. Abandoning care or reporting a patient for refusing treatment is not consistent with professional obligations.

Question 41Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to write a prescription for a family member. What is the most appropriate course consistent with MDCN guidance?

  1. Prescribe routinely because family members are entitled to the same care.
  2. Prescribe only if the family member signs a waiver.
  3. Avoid prescribing for family members except in emergencies or where no other doctor is reasonably available. Correct answer.
  4. Prescribe and record the relationship in the notes as sufficient justification.

Explanation

Doctors should generally avoid treating themselves or close family members because of the risk to objective judgement, except in emergencies or when no other doctor is reasonably available. Routine prescribing for family members is discouraged. A waiver or a note recording the relationship does not remove the underlying risk to objectivity.

Question 42Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to participate in a procedure for which they lack the necessary competence. What is the most appropriate action under MDCN standards?

  1. Proceed because the patient has consented to the procedure.
  2. Proceed under supervision without disclosing the lack of competence.
  3. Decline to perform the procedure and arrange for a competent colleague to do so. Correct answer.
  4. Proceed and document the lack of competence afterwards.

Explanation

Doctors must practise within the limits of their competence; where a procedure exceeds those limits, they should decline and arrange for a competent colleague. Patient consent does not create competence. Proceeding under supervision without disclosure, or documenting incompetence after the fact, does not protect the patient.

Question 43Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to provide a second opinion on a patient's diagnosis. Which statement best reflects the professional expectation?

  1. The doctor should support the first doctor's diagnosis to avoid conflict.
  2. The doctor should provide an independent assessment based on the clinical evidence. Correct answer.
  3. The doctor should provide an opinion only if the first doctor agrees.
  4. The doctor should refuse because second opinions undermine colleagues.

Explanation

A second opinion should be an independent assessment based on the clinical evidence, serving the patient's interest rather than collegial harmony. Supporting the first diagnosis to avoid conflict compromises independence. Refusing second opinions or requiring the first doctor's agreement is inconsistent with patient-centred care.

Question 44Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to complete a death certificate for a patient who died under their care. Which statement best reflects MDCN expectations?

  1. The doctor should always attribute death to natural causes to avoid inquiry.
  2. The doctor may delegate completion of the certificate to an administrative officer.
  3. The doctor may complete the certificate based on information from relatives alone.
  4. The doctor should complete the certificate only if they are able to state the cause of death to the best of their knowledge. Correct answer.

Explanation

A doctor completing a death certificate must be able to state the cause of death to the best of their knowledge and should not certify what they cannot reasonably determine. Relying solely on relatives or defaulting to natural causes would be inaccurate. Delegating certification to an administrative officer is not appropriate.

Question 45Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to treat a patient who is a foreign national visiting Nigeria. Which statement best reflects the doctor's professional obligation?

  1. The doctor should charge higher fees because the patient is foreign.
  2. The doctor should provide care consistent with professional standards, subject to emergency and resource considerations. Correct answer.
  3. The doctor should refer the patient to their home country before providing any care.
  4. The doctor may refuse care solely because the patient is not Nigerian.

Explanation

Doctors owe a duty of care to patients regardless of nationality, subject to emergency and resource considerations. Refusing care solely on nationality grounds is discriminatory. Differential charging based on nationality or insisting on repatriation before any care is inconsistent with professional standards.

Question 46Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to provide information to a court about a patient's medical condition. Which statement best reflects the doctor's obligations?

  1. The doctor should disclose all records without any limitation.
  2. The doctor should refuse because confidentiality is absolute in all circumstances.
  3. The doctor should provide information as required by law, disclosing only what is necessary. Correct answer.
  4. The doctor should provide information only if the patient's family agrees.

Explanation

Doctors must comply with legal requirements to provide information to a court while disclosing only what is necessary for the purpose. Confidentiality is not absolute where the law requires disclosure. Disclosing all records without limitation or requiring family agreement is not consistent with the legal and ethical framework.

Question 47Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to provide a medical certificate for a patient they have not examined. What is the most appropriate response?

  1. Provide the certificate if the patient appears trustworthy.
  2. Provide the certificate and note that no examination was performed.
  3. Provide the certificate based on the patient's description of symptoms.
  4. Decline to provide the certificate without an appropriate examination. Correct answer.

Explanation

Medical certificates should be issued only on the basis of an appropriate examination or assessment; issuing them otherwise is misleading. Relying on the patient's description or appearance does not substitute for clinical assessment. Providing a certificate with a note that no examination was performed does not cure the deficiency.

Question 48Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to participate in a teaching session involving patients. Which statement best reflects MDCN expectations?

  1. Patients should be asked for consent only after the teaching session.
  2. Patients' consent is unnecessary because teaching benefits the health system.
  3. Patients' involvement should be decided by the hospital administrator.
  4. Patients should be informed and consent to their involvement in teaching. Correct answer.

Explanation

Involving patients in teaching requires their informed consent and, where appropriate, confidentiality safeguards. The broader benefit of teaching does not remove the need for consent. Seeking consent after the session or leaving the decision to administrators disregards the patient's autonomy.

Question 49Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to provide care to a patient in an emergency situation outside their usual specialty. Which statement best reflects MDCN guidance?

  1. The doctor should provide any care necessary regardless of competence.
  2. The doctor should wait for a specialist even if the delay risks the patient's life.
  3. The doctor should refuse all care because it is outside their specialty.
  4. The doctor should provide immediate care within their competence and arrange appropriate transfer or support. Correct answer.

Explanation

In emergencies, doctors should provide immediate care within their competence and arrange transfer or specialist support as needed. Refusing all care or waiting for a specialist despite risk to life is inconsistent with the duty to act. Providing care beyond one's competence without support can also endanger the patient.

Question 50Regulation of medical practice and registration/licensing with MDCN

A doctor is asked to provide a report on a patient's mental capacity to make decisions about their care. Which statement best reflects the appropriate approach?

  1. The doctor should assess capacity in relation to the specific decision and the patient's ability to understand and communicate. Correct answer.
  2. The doctor should assume incapacity because the patient is in hospital.
  3. The doctor should base the assessment solely on the patient's age.
  4. The doctor should defer entirely to the family's opinion.

Explanation

Capacity is decision-specific and depends on the patient's ability to understand, retain, and communicate information relevant to the decision. Assuming incapacity from hospitalisation or age alone is inappropriate. Deferring entirely to the family disregards the patient's own rights and the clinical assessment.