Med students accuse uni of graft, gouging

[geovalin]

Khouth Sophak Chakrya and Sarah Taguiam

The University of Health Sciences (UHS) rejected allegations from staff and students yesterday that their management is embezzling funds from the national medical exit examinations.

On Tuesday, UHS staff and students accused the university of pocketing funds from the $125 exams that were held between February 5 to 15.

“The exam is already too expensive … and it seems that the university is also taking all that money for itself,” said a 29-year-old student who refused to be named.

According to the student, proctors in charge of administering the tests collect fees and documents prior to the exams’ start. They then hand the money over to management, which allegedly pilfers it.

But the UHS denied the accusations in a letter published on their website yesterday.

“Our duty is only to send staff to give the exam to students … and we have no right to use the money from exam fees because the National Exam Committee at the Council of Ministers is in charge of the money and budget management,” reads the letter.

Apart from the allegations, there also continues to be an outcry among medical students with regards to, what they say, is an exorbitant exam fee.

The exit test, which determines whether they could begin as doctors, is currently priced at $125 after the price was hiked from the previous $75 last year.

The exam’s theory section costs $25 while the clinical skills segment is $100.

“This is really unfair for us,” the student said. “The theory section itself consists of only one paper, so how can they justify having us pay $25 for just that?”

UHS, however, said that they have no control over the exam price.

“We are not the exam organizers, so this is up to the National Exam Committee,” they said in the letter.

About 200 out of 887 students failed the last exam and have an option of retaking it for a fee of $100.

“The exams are already expensive, but now, we also need to pay a high retake fee,” said the student, who failed the recent test. “They are really gouging us.”

Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan declined to comment on the issue.

http://www.phnompenhpost.com/med-students-accuse-uni-graft-gouging