The Inter-University Committee of Medical Students (CIUM) has criticised Belgium’s medical and dental entry exam, calling it an “unjust barrier to accessing healthcare studies.”
In a statement, CIUM highlighted that results for the exam, which took place on 28 August and attracted thousands of candidates, will be released this Saturday. However, they estimate that two-thirds of medical hopefuls and over five-sixths of dental applicants will be denied access to their chosen fields despite significant effort and financial investment.
The committee also pointed to studies revealing biases in the exam’s scoring system, including evidence of gender discrimination. They further condemned the restrictive numerus clausus policy, which caps the number of practising physicians, even as Belgium faces a healthcare worker shortage.
The CIUM reiterated its demand for the abolition of the entry exam and the numerus clausus, describing the current system as a disservice both to aspiring students and to the future health of the Belgian population.
Of the 6,674 individuals registered for the exam, slightly over 5,200 candidates attended. Just 1,648 candidates will qualify for admission—1,462 in medical sciences and a mere 186 in dental sciences.
The results will be made publicly available this Monday.
