Romania implements unified national exams for medical specialists

Over 3,900 doctors, dentists, and pharmacists in Romania are participating in the specialist title examination session held between October 7 and November 3. This session introduces a major change in the evaluation process: for the first time, candidates across all university centers in the country will receive identical subjects established at a national level for each specialty.

Previously, while themes and methodology were set nationally, the specific formulation of written exam subjects was handled by local commissions at individual university centers. Under the new system, a national commission composed of residency coordinators will develop the subjects on the day of the exam. These will be transmitted simultaneously to all examination centers via a secured channel to ensure uniform difficulty and requirements.

The written exam consists of 10 subjects drawn by lot from approved themes, with a three-hour duration and a minimum passing grade of 7.00. While local commissions will grade the papers, they must follow a single national marking scheme. The Ministry of Health stated that the goal is to ensure a fair, transparent, and unitary evaluation where competence is the sole criterion, regardless of the university center where the exam is taken.