1.           THE SPECIALIST REGISTER

1.1      Introduction

Council has been concerned about some practitioners indulging in practices completely outside their areas of competence and others passing themselves off as possessing expertise they do not have leaving patients insufficiently protected.

As part of the Council’s commitment to professional accountability and transparency, this Specialist Register serves to provide information about the qualifications and competencies of the various categories of practitioners as registered with the Council to aid patient decision making about the choice of practitioner.

The Specialist Register consists of a list of doctors and dental surgeons recognised by the Board and eligible to be specialists.

In Ghana, there are two grades of specialists

§  Membership level or equivalent (an exit but non-terminal grade only), and

§  Fellowship level or equivalent (exit and terminal grade)

If a practitioner is on the Specialist Register, this will be shown as part of their status on the General Register for practitioners.   Additional
information on the specialty or sub-specialty areas they are qualified in, and the date they joined the Specialist Register would be required.

Specialists must always practise within the scope of their area of specialisation to the extent appropriate to their grade (Membership or Fellowship level).

1.2      Definitions

a.    The “specialist register” is a register of medical and dental practitioners who are recognised by the Medical and Dental Council, Ghana as Specialists.

b.    A “specialist” means a medical or dental practitioner who has been registered as a specialist in a speciality or related specialities and
sub-specialty (if any) recognised in terms of these regulations and who confines his or her practice to such speciality or related specialities and sub-speciality (if any). 

c.    A “specialty” means one of the disciplines of medicine or dentistry recognised by the Medical and Dental Council as contained in the attached
list which may be amended from time to time by the Council.   

d.    A “sub-specialty” means one of the subdivisions of a specialty recognised by the Medical and Dental Council as contained in the attached list
which may be amended from time to time by the Council.

1.3      Duration of Training  

1.3.1    Locally Trained

1.3.1.1     Basic Specialist Qualification

a.       Basic Medical or Dental Qualification

b.       Certified Housemanship [2 years duration]

c.       Minimum of three (3) years education and training and successful completion of the Membership examination.

1.3.1.2     Higher Specialist Qualification

a.        Minimum of two (2) years additional education and training and successful completion of the Fellowship examination.

1.3.2           Foreign Trained

1.3.2.1      Basic Specialist Qualification

           a.        Basic Medical or Dental Qualification

           b.        Certified Internship/Housemanship [where applicable]

c.        Minimum of three (3) years education and training and successful completion of the Membership or equivalent examination.

d.       This must be fully registered and licenced by, or registrable in, the country of origin as a specialist qualification. 

1.3.2.2     Higher Specialist Qualification

a.       Minimum of two (2) years additional education and training and successful completion of    the Fellowship or equivalent examination.

b.       This must be fully registered and licenced by, or registrable in, the country of origin as a specialist qualification. 

1.4      Content of Training

a.    The content of the training programmes will be guided by the content of programmes of the Ghana College of Physicians and
Surgeons, West Africa Colleges and other Colleges or Organisations recognised by the Medical and Dental Council, Ghana.  

b.    The overall duration of the training programmes will be detailed in each specialty curriculum.

c.    The content will be the basis for the assessment of the training programme outside Ghana and West Africa.

1.5      List of Specialties, Field of Specialty Practice and Related Specialist Titles

This is the list of specialties, fields of specialty practice and related specialist titles as recognised by the Medical
and Dental Council, Ghana.

NB: Please note that certain sub-specialties may appear under different specialties or occur as standalone sub-specialties.