Brazil's federal audit court, the TCU, will review how the Education Ministry (MEC) and its evaluation agency, the Inep, authorize new medical schools and approve extra seats in existing ones. The audit was requested by the Senate after the first edition of the Enamed, a national exam that assesses the quality of medical training, according to G1.

The request was approved in April by the Senate's oversight committee, as reported by Agência Senado. The proposal, authored by Senator Dr. Hiran (PP-RR) with a favorable opinion from Senator Marcos Pontes (PL-SP), asks the TCU to examine every MEC authorization process since 2018. Auditors are expected to look at the clinical infrastructure and faculty qualifications of the institutions, the supply of medical residency positions, and whether the schools' owners have the financial capacity to support the number of courses and seats already approved. On-site inspections across several regions, including schools authorized through court injunctions, and public hearings are also planned.

The Enamed results show why the issue drew attention. Of the 351 courses evaluated, 107 received grades 1 or 2, levels considered unsatisfactory and subject to sanctions. That is roughly 30% of the total. Under MEC rules, eight schools are barred from enrolling new students, 13 must cut their seats in half, 33 must reduce seats by 25%, and another 45 cannot expand their classes. All of them are suspended from Fies, the federal student loan fund, and other federal programs.

Court battle and caveats about the exam

The numbers come with significant caveats. Because this was the first Enamed, private higher education associations, including Abmes and Abrafi, have gone to court claiming a lack of transparency, since the evaluation criteria were only published after the exam was administered. In early August, the head of the 1st Region Federal Appeals Court, Judge Maria do Carmo Cardoso, granted an injunction suspending the penalties. On Wednesday (19), however, the Superior Court of Justice (STJ) overturned that ruling and reinstated the MEC sanctions while the case is judged on its merits.

For current and prospective medical students, the practical effects are limited for now. The sanctions target institutions, not students already enrolled, and diplomas from penalized schools remain valid. What a student can do is check their course's Enamed grade and confirm whether the school is among those sanctioned, information published by the MEC and the Inep, especially before signing a Fies loan. The TCU audit has no announced deadline, and its findings could force a revision of the rules for opening new medical courses, which would shape the next incoming classes.