Brazil makes examination compulsory for new doctors
Only students who began their studies from June 2026 onwards will gain access to the profession after achieving a sufficient result.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Friday signed into law a measure linking the national medical education examination to registration as a doctor. The new requirement applies to students who began their studies on or after 19 June 2026.
The examination, known as Enamed, is intended to assess both students’ knowledge and the quality of medical courses. Under the enacted law, the examination is taken during the course, and a sufficient result in the second phase is required to register with a regional medical council.
The first phase takes place at the end of the fourth year of training, before the clinical placement or internato. The second phase follows at the end of the sixth year. The law stipulates that the examination will be organised twice a year and across the country.
Students who were already enrolled before 19 June 2026 are not subject to the new condition for practising the profession. Doctors who had obtained their Brazilian qualification before that date will also not, according to the published law, be retrospectively subjected to Enamed.
According to the published law, anyone who fails to achieve the required score in the second phase may retake that phase at a subsequent opportunity. Under the law, an individual’s score is provided only to the participant and their institution; publication identifying the person to third parties is not permitted.
The measure gives the Brazilian government a new instrument for placing courses with weak results under supervision. The law also links the examination result to access to professional practice, but leaves the precise standard for ‘proficiency’ to be developed in further regulations. The legal direction is therefore fixed, while parts of the implementation have not yet been fully specified.
Also show the region and a close-up
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- Brazil is linking Enamed to the registration of new doctors.
- The scheme applies to students who began their studies from 19 June 2026 onwards.
- The law provides for two examination phases and the possibility of a resit.
Left
Arguments A national minimum standard can protect patients and force poor-quality courses to improve their teaching, provided students are not made solely responsible for institutional shortcomings.
Values Public health, equal opportunities and the responsibility of educational institutions.
Consequences More oversight of courses, but also a risk of additional pressure on students from less well-funded regions.
Centre
Arguments A national examination can be useful if it is administered transparently and remains part of a broader system for improving quality.
Values Quality assurance, proportionality and feasibility.
Consequences The scheme could produce comparable information about courses, but the development of the standard will determine its effect.
Right
Arguments Access to a profession involving great responsibility should depend on demonstrable competence, and institutions with weak results should face consequences.
Values Professional responsibility, safety and performance standards.
Consequences A clear final examination could strengthen confidence in doctors, but could also lead to greater selection and the closure of courses.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The key facts were checked against the Brazilian legal publication and an independent news source. The article explicitly states which implementation details have not yet been fully settled.
- confirmed Lula signed the law into effect on 6 November 2026. — Veja reported the signing on Friday 6 November. source
- confirmed A sufficient result in the second phase is required for registration as a doctor. — The legal text links proficiency in the second phase to professional practice and registration. source
- confirmed The first and second phases take place at the end of the fourth and sixth years. — This is stated in Article 9-B of the published law. source
- confirmed The rule applies to students who begin from 19 June 2026 onwards. — The transitional provision refers to the date of the original measure. source
Editor's note
The law was signed into effect on 6 November. The legal structure and transitional date have been established; the exact assessment standard and parts of the implementation are still being determined.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „brazilië medische opleiding”
- NU.nl — „brazilië medische opleiding”
- De Telegraaf — „brazilië medische opleiding”