The Ministry of Education released on Monday (19) the results of the first Enamed edition, an exam assessing medical training in Brazil. About one-third of evaluated courses received low scores, affecting nearly 14,000 graduates. The CFM president called the outcome 'alarming'.
The Enamed, a national exam mandatory for final-year medical students, was administered for the first time in 2025, with results released on January 19, 2026. Of the 351 evaluated courses, 107 received concepts 1 or 2 on a scale of 1 to 5, meaning fewer than 60% of graduates achieved minimum proficiency. These courses belong to 97 institutions, mostly private, concentrated in the Southeast, Northeast, and Central-West regions.
Nearly 14,000 graduates—precisely 13,871—emerged from low-scoring institutions, according to the Federal Council of Medicine (CFM). CFM President José Hiran Gallo stated: "These are 13,871 medical graduates who will receive diplomas and licenses to serve the population without having minimal competencies to practice medicine. This is alarming and puts the health and safety of millions of Brazilians at risk."
The Afya educational group, leading in medical school acquisitions since 2018, had 13 of its units with concept 2, such as the Centro Universitário de Araguaína (GO) and Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Itabuna (BA). In a statement, Afya challenged the results: "The Enamed results were disclosed to institutions in December via the e-MEC system and indicated that 70% of Afya's institutions received scores of 3 to 5." The company claims the data was altered after initially being public.
Other major groups, such as Cogna, Yduqs, Ser Educacional, and Ânima, also appear on the low-score list. Administered by Inep, the exam focuses on clinical, ethical, and social competencies, with 100 questions based on practical SUS cases, emphasizing real scenarios like diabetes diagnoses, surgical emergencies, and public health.
As this is the first edition, sanctions will be gradual: 21 institutions face stricter monitoring, and eight may see suspension of new enrollments. Courses have 30 days for administrative defense. The MEC uses Enamed to regulate medical training quality, which expanded rapidly in the private sector without adequate standards, per the CFM.
