Four doctors allegedly involved in cheating during medical exam, inquiry hears

 March 1st 2022

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Four doctors have been accused of professional misconduct over allegations that they were involved in cheating during a medical exam in Galway two years ago.

The four doctors – Bilal Alam, Zahid Idrees, Abdul Hannan Siddiqui and Ali Kifayat Orakzai – appeared before a medical inquiry on Tuesday over claims that they were involved in attempts to cheat at an exam overseen by the Irish Medical Council (IMC).

The inquiry by the council’s fitness-to-practise committee heard that all four men, who all qualified as doctors in Pakistan, admit talking to each other during the exam and engaging in disruptive behaviour.

However, they all deny engaging in any communications or hand gestures that constitute cheating or intending to cheat.

Dr Alam is accused of trying to obtain assistance from the other three candidates during the exam on October 12, 2019.

The inquiry heard there would be evidence that Dr Siddiqui verbally communicated with Dr Alam as he went to the toilet by uttering the words “Triple A” which was believed to be an abbreviation for the answer to an exam question.

Dr Idrees is accused of holding his paper up to allow it to be seen by Dr Alam who was sitting directly behind him.

Dr Orakzai is charged with making hand signals and turning around to Dr Alam.

All four were also accused of engaging in rude conduct by ignoring requests to adhere to proper behaviour during exams which caused a disturbance to other doctors sitting the exam.

The four doctors were sitting the IMC’s Level 3 paper in the pre-registration system which allows non-EU qualified doctors to register to work as trainee specialists in Irish hospitals.

The exam was to test their knowledge and ability to interpret X-ray, ECG and laboratory results.

Counsel for the IMC, Neasa Bird BL, said the results of the four doctors had been withheld pending the outcome of the inquiry.

However, the inquiry heard that there was a recommendation that Dr Alam, Dr Siddiqui and Dr Idrees should receive a zero grade, while Dr Orakzai should have 10pc deducted from his marks.

There was also a recommendation that they should receive a reprimand from the IMC but be allowed to resit the exam at the next opportunity but at a location other than Galway.

Gerard Flaherty, a professor of medical education at NUI Galway, who acted as examination coordinator, said the candidates were sitting “a high stakes examination” which meant “an even higher standard of conduct” was probably expected from them.

Prof Flaherty, who conducted short interviews with all four candidates after the exam after being alerted about their conduct by other exam invigilators, said they were cooperative but anxious.

He said the doctors confirmed speaking Urdu to each other.

Another exam coordinator, Mary Atkinson, said she immediately became aware as the four doctors came into the exam hall that there was “something going on” as they were communicating with each other which was not normal.

Ms Atkinson said she observed that Dr Siddiqui had a phone in the exam hall which was contrary to rules which he surrendered to her on request.

She also noticed all four doctors had left together in the same car on exiting the exam hall which she found “unusual”.

Counsel for the four doctors, Alice Maguire-Spencer BL, expressed concern about statements made by Ms Atkinson and Prof Flaherty which contained the same wording and spelling mistakes.

Ms Maguire-Spencer claimed Ms Atkinson’s admission that she may have referred to Prof Flaherty’s statement while drafting her own one made it “unreliable”.

The inquiry, which is scheduled to last four days, is set to continue on Wednesday.