The director of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Porto (FMUP), Altamiro Costa Pereira, announced during an interview that one of the primary changes to the controversial regulations for the Special Admissions Exam for the Medicine course is the removal of the knowledge test, an exam that disqualified 30 candidates in the last selection process for not achieving a minimum score of 14.
“The main changes will be the elimination of the knowledge test,” stated Altamiro Costa Pereira at the FMUP Scientific Council meeting, adding that the proposed new regulations will become official only after a “two-month public consultation” and review by the University of Porto’s Rectory.
According to the Directive published in the Diário da República on July 9, 2019, candidates with “a score below 14 in the knowledge test” are excluded from the contest.
In this academic year’s contest, only seven of the 37 candidates achieved the score of 14. However, 30 candidates received an email from FMUP indicating their acceptance into the Integrated Masters in Medicine at U.Porto.
The controversy erupted when the rector of U.Porto, António de Sousa Pereira, revealed on September 5, in a report by Expresso newspaper, that he had faced pressure from various individuals to admit 30 candidates into the Faculty of Medicine who did not meet the minimum exam requirements for the special admissions route.
The FMUP director further noted that candidates will need to present “at least a secondary school average of 14” and achieve a minimum average of 14 in the entrance exams, which include mathematics, biology, or biochemistry. Candidates must take at least two of these three exams.
Another requirement for candidates to be considered in the selection process is having a degree with an “average of more than 14.” The degree can be in any field as long as they have completed two of the three required exams, achieving at least a 14 average, explained the FMUP director.
“Any degree is valid. It could be in nursing, nutrition sciences, management, bioengineering, or bioinformatics. Therefore, any degree, provided that the required exams are completed with an average of at least 14,” he stated.
These changes aim to “strengthen what was established by the decree of 2007.”
The FMUP director added that there will likely not be an interview, unlike some faculties.
“We will consider the candidates’ professional and extracurricular backgrounds, as many aspects can highlight qualities that may be beneficial for studying and practicing medicine,” such as volunteer work, master’s, or doctoral courses, which can provide positive scoring, he explained.
“The Faculty of Medicine at U. Porto aims to select the best-qualified candidates to fill these competitive spots,” he concluded.
On September 23, the FMUP director stated during a hearing at the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Science at the Assembly of the Republic that there was an “error” made by the Executive Council member who used the word “approved” instead of “ratified” regarding the special admissions process for the Medicine course.
On the same day, the rector of U.Porto reported receiving physical threats against himself and his family related to the case of the 30 candidates for the Medicine course.
