Javier Milei's government, through the Ministry of Human Capital led by Sandra Pettovello, announced a structural and unprecedented change in the validation of foreign medical degrees. The measure, supported by the Undersecretary of University Policies, Alejandro "El Profe" Álvarez, is a response to the recent detection of massive fraud in the National Medical Residency Exam—a key process for accessing specializations in hospitals and health centers throughout the country—mostly perpetrated by professionals with degrees of questionable academic quality.
The decision comes after a control operation that produced conclusive results: none of the 117 candidates summoned to revalidate their score managed to pass the second stage. Of the total, 109 were foreigners with degrees validated in Argentina, which exposes the failure in previous homologation mechanisms.
Argentina solo convalidará títulos de países con estándares WFME.
The presidential spokesperson, Manuel Adorni, explained that the new exam was held at the Palacio Libertad and was convened after irregularities were detected in the first test, taken on July 1. "The objective was to confirm whether the original results matched the participants' true level of knowledge", he explained. The answer was clear: none passed the reevaluation.
In this scenario, Pettovello and Álvarez decided that Argentina will only grant direct validation to degrees from universities accredited by the World Federation for Medical Education (WFME), the highest international standard. This certification, which Argentine universities already possess, also applies in countries such as the United States, Spain, Italy, and Germany.
El examen para residencias volvió a rendirse el jueves.
"This is an act of justice for students who, with great effort, obtain their degrees by overcoming the enormous academic demands required by medicine. We're not going to continue recognizing as equal a degree that is not", stated the official communiqué.
The measure means that those coming from institutions that do not meet this accreditation will have to undergo stricter validation processes before being able to practice in the country or take the residency exam. According to the government, this will ensure that all professionals—Argentine or foreign—meet identical academic and training requirements.
The executive announced that new anti-fraud protocols will be evaluated, which will include reinforced identity checks, physical and digital custody of exams, and comprehensive monitoring of the evaluation process. "Protecting the quality of the health system is protecting the lives of all Argentines", they emphasized from the Casa Rosada.
