Poor pass rate keeps uni from filling quota

By PHOEBE GWANGILO
NOT enough students passed last year for the University of Papua New Guinea to fill this year’s quota for the medical school, says acting Vice-Chancellor Vincent Mailaibe.
Malaibe said more than 40 per cent of the science students would continue their second year studies this year.
Only 23 students were selected for the medical school which enrols 60 annually.
“The attrition rate in science is 43 per cent. For the first time in the history of the University of Papua New Guinea we cannot meet the quota that is required for medicine,” he said.
“We could supply for other areas in health sciences but not doctors. This is the first time in our history.
“We could not lower the bar just to pass those 60 people. We said no. It’s ethical, we are leading with lives. We need to handle the issue, the issue is not just going in, the issue is quality. “When you output a doctor that is substandard it costs lives,” Malaibe said.
“The first years last year into social science are going to be second year this year – their attrition rate is 18 per cent. This is the percentage of students who came in but won’t be here this year and in law it is 23 per cent. It’s very high,” he added.
The executive officer of the medical faculty, Philip Modudula, said more students were selected from the Pacific Adventist University and Pacific Islands universities to make up the quota.
“Usually we don’t select more than five students from PAU, “ he said. “UPNG Science Foundation is our main feeder school, however, we had to select more than five to fill in the quota.
“So we selected 23 from UPNG, 18 from PAU, five non-school leavers, two school leavers from Port Moresby International School who passed a British programme studies and six Solomon Islanders.”