Just weeks before the new academic year…
Tensions are rising once again at the Faculty of Dentistry in Casablanca.
This time, students are threatening to boycott hospital internships if their demands continue to go unanswered.
Their main complaint?
There simply aren’t enough hospital training placements.
With student numbers increasing every year, they say the current facilities can no longer provide the hands-on clinical experience needed to become qualified dentists.
Students are also demanding the immediate opening of a multidisciplinary and emergency dental unit.
According to them, construction has been completed for months, but the facility still hasn’t been equipped or put into operation, despite commitments made when the sixth year of dental studies was introduced in 2019.
Another major concern is the recurring shortage of medical supplies and teaching equipment at the Ibn Rochd University Hospital’s dental center.
They argue these shortages don’t just affect their education…
They also impact the quality of care provided to patients.
The students say they remain open to dialogue.
But if no concrete progress is made before the start of the academic year, they warn that a nationwide boycott of hospital internships is now on the table. They also say the authorities would bear responsibility for any disruption to training programs and dental services involving students.
The timing is particularly sensitive.
Only a few months ago, Morocco adopted a new legal framework intended to modernize the status of medical, pharmacy and dental students as part of the country’s broader healthcare reform.
The real question is…
Can Morocco expand clinical training quickly enough to match the growing number of future healthcare professionals… or will overcrowding continue to put both education and patient care at risk?
