Plans are underway to abolish the legal restrictions on doctors retaking the state certification exam. The government has submitted a corresponding initiative to Parliament.

Under the current Law on Medical Practice, individuals who receive a failing grade on the state certification exam are permitted to retake it only twice within the following year. In addition, a mandatory six-month interval must be observed between attempts.

Under the bill submitted to Parliament, the legal restrictions on the number of retakes and the mandatory six-month interval between exams would be abolished. Accordingly, individuals who fail the state certification exam would be able to retake it in accordance with the established examination schedule.

According to the Ministry of Health, lifting restrictions on the frequency of retakes would not lower the standards for assessing professional qualifications or create a risk of allowing inadequately qualified individuals to practice medicine independently.

The ministry explains that when a person's professional readiness can be assessed by successfully passing the relevant examination, the existing restrictions go beyond what is necessary to achieve the purpose of the state certification exam.

“The legitimate objective of ensuring appropriate standards of medical practice and protecting patient safety is secured by the mandatory requirement to pass the state certification exam. A person cannot obtain the right to practice medicine independently until they have demonstrated the required knowledge and professional competence by passing the examination. Accordingly, abolishing restrictions on the frequency of retakes does not lower the standards for assessing professional qualifications or create a risk of allowing inadequately qualified individuals to practice medicine independently,” the Ministry of Health stated.