Unauthorized medical courses are in the MEC’s ​​sights – 03/31/2024 – Education

The MEC (Ministry of Education) notified this Thursday (28) six higher education institutions that announced new medical courses without having due authorization from the MEC. The ministry claims that the institutions in an irregular situation held entrance exams for the medical course, based on a provisional court decision.

In addition to the notification, universities must not offer places for the course and, if this procedure has already started, the offer of places to students must be suspended immediately.

The notification also determines the publication of a public note on the educational institution’s own website, on social networks, in addition to places where offers were made with due clarification about the aforementioned medical course not yet having mandatory authorization from the MEC to operate. The statement must also include information that the selection process for medicine vacancies was carried out only with judicial authorization in a preliminary decision, that is, provisional.

Institutions have a period of five calendar days, from the date of receipt of the notification, to provide clarifications to the Higher Education Supervision Directorate of the MEC’s ​​Higher Education Regulation and Supervision Secretariat. Within 15 days, these institutions must present proof of compliance with the precautionary measures from the date of notification, and will have 30 days to file an appeal.

Failure to comply with the MEC’s ​​guidance may result in an administrative irregularity, as provided for by law, subject to the application of penalties, such as deactivation of courses and qualifications; federal intervention in the university; and deaccreditation.

The MEC justifies the measure as necessary to establish a standard for deciding on requests made by virtue of a court decision and the inclusion of specific modifications that are more consistent with the Mais Médicos Program, which aims to meet the need for these health professionals in municipalities in the interior of the country and on the outskirts of large cities.

The MEC also revoked Ordinance No. 397/2023, which deals with the processing of requests for authorization of new Medicine courses and the increase of places in existing Medicine courses

Institutions

Among the institutions appointed by the MEC are Unifacens (Centro Universitário Facens), in Sorocaba (SP), and Unimauá (Centro Universitário Mauá de Brasília), based in Taguatinga Sul (DF). The two higher education institutions still offer the medical course on the home pages of their respective websites.

On the Centro Universitário Facens website, an alert below the publication about the second call for the medical entrance exam informs the internet user that “the selection process was judicially authorized in a decision handed down by the 5th Panel of the TRF-1 [Tribunal Regional Federal] in court case No. 1066986-35.2020.4.01.3400.”

When contacted by the report, Unimauá confirmed that it was aware of the MEC’s ​​determination and regretted the decision. The entity said that classes for the first medical class began in February this year and defended itself and responded that its medical course met all the quality requirements imposed by current legislation, obtaining maximum grades in all assessments promoted by the MEC itself, it stated .

In a note, the entity also claimed that, since September 12, 2023, the Ministry of Education has refused to publish the course authorization ordinance, after complying with legal requirements. Unimauá classifies this refusal from the department as illegal and, understanding itself as a victim of arbitrariness, confirms that it sought the University Center and went to court.

“The Court ordered the MEC, not once, but several times, to publish the act of authorization, but it was ignored. Finally, on December 18, 2023, to guarantee its own decision, the Judiciary authorized the holding of the entrance exam for the year 2024. The UniMauá medicine course was offered to students and their families under this judicial supervision, which was informed in the competition notice”, states the note from Centro Universitário Mauá de Brasília.

The MEC has not yet released the names of the other four universities notified for the same reason.