Most Valuable Medical Courses in Kenya

Medicine is a profession that is generally concerned with diagnosing, researching, treating, and preventing diseases that affect human health. If you are looking forward to becoming a medical practitioner, you must enroll in a medical course. Whether you want to register for a Certificate, Diploma, Degree, Master’s degree, or Ph.D, you can easily enroll for the most valuable medical courses in Kenya as long as you meet their respective entry requirements. They are available in local universities and various colleges such as the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) campuses.

The field of Medicine is broad, and therefore choosing a medical course to take might be a bit tricky. Even though most medical courses are highly valued and marketable in Kenya, some might be difficult to secure a job with when you finally graduate. To assist you in choosing a valuable medical course that you can take in Kenya, we have dug out important information on some of them that you can read about in this article. We have included their entry requirements, the duration they take to complete, and the institutions offering them.

Some of the notable professionals working in the medical field include:

• Laboratory technicians
• Public health officers
• Neurosurgeons
• Pharmacists
• Radiologists
• Nutritionists
• Dentists
• Nurses
• Gynecologists

List of Some of the Most Valuable Medical Courses In Kenya

1.    Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB)

Bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery is one of the most valuable medical courses in Kenya. Once you complete the course, you can work as a doctor or a surgeon in private or public health institutions or even the military. Alternatively, you can be employed as a medical researcher.

The course is available in local universities such as Kenyatta University, University of Nairobi, Moi University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, and Mount Kenya University, to name just a few. Unlike most other courses that last only four years, this course takes six years to complete.

Entry requirements:

To enroll for a degree course in Bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery, you need to have attained a KCSE mean grade of B+ and above with a minimum of B+ in physics/maths, biology, Chemistry, and English/Kiswahili or:

• Diploma in clinical medicine and surgery and be a registered clinical officer.
• Have a Bachelor’s Degree in Biological Sciences, Biology, Zoology, Botany, Nursing, Pharmacy, or Clinical Medicine.

2.    Bachelor of Dental Surgery

If you want to be an accredited dentist, you must be a graduate with a bachelor’s degree in dental surgery. Dental surgery is a medical field that generally deals with the mouth’s health, including teeth, gums, and the oral mucosa (a mucous membrane that lines the inside of the mouth).

The degree programme is available at various local higher learning institutions like Moi University, Kenyatta University, and the University of Nairobi. In case your KCSE marks do not meet the minimum entry requirements, you can enroll for a diploma in dental technology and then proceed to the university to pursue your degree programme. Diploma in dental technology is available in various medical training colleges like the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), College of Tropical Medicine and Community Health, and the Institute of Health Management.

To get enrolled for a bachelor’s degree in dental surgery, you must satisfy any of the following minimum entry requirements:

• KCSE mean grade of A-(minus), with an A-(minus) in biology and chemistry.
• “A” level with at least grade “A” in chemistry, “B” in biology, and “B” in either mathematics or physics.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related subject with a KCSE a mean grade of “B” with “B” in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics/Physics, and Kiswahili/English.
• Diploma in Clinical Medicine with a mean grade of “B” in KCSE and “B” in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics/Physics, and Kiswahili/English.

3.    Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN)

Bachelor of Science in Nursing is one of the most valuable medical courses in Kenya. The course was accredited in 1991 and is available in most local universities that offer medical programmes.

As soon as you complete the four-year course, you will be eligible to work as a nurse in various health institutions.

To qualify for a degree programme in Bachelor of Science in Nursing, you must fulfill one of the following minimum entry requirements:

• KCSE mean grade of C+(plus) with C+(plus) in English, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics/Physics.
• Diploma in Nursing from a recognized medical training institution and must be a registered Nurse.

4.    Bachelor of Science in Clinical medicine

Clinical medicine is one of the most valuable medical courses in Kenya where a graduate can work as a clinical officer. The medical practice branch focuses more on diagnosing and treating patients through direct observation. The programme is available in most local universities that offer medical courses like Moi University, Mount Kenya University, Kenyatta University, and the University of Nairobi, just to name a few.

You must possess any of the following minimum entry requirements to start this course:

• KCSE mean grade of C+(plus) with a C+(plus) in Physics/Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology.
• A-level, two principle pass in Chemistry, Biology and a subsidiary pass in Mathematics/Physical Sciences.
• Diploma in Clinical Science from a recognized institution.

5.    Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.PHARM)

Pharmacy is a branch of the medical field concerned with discovery, manufacture, distribution, disposal, safe usage, and control of drugs. Students who join this course are given a comprehensive understanding of drugs like how they work, their side effects when taken, toxicity levels, and interactions. They are also taught on proper drug dispensation and compounding and the effects of drugs when mixed.

The course takes four years to complete and is available at various universities such as the University of Nairobi, Mount Kenya University, Kenyatta University, Kenya Methodist University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, United States International University (USIU), and Kabarak University. Diploma in pharmacy programmes is available at various medical training colleges.

The following are the options you can use as the minimum entry requirements to join Bachelor of Pharmacy:

• KCSE: Mean grade of B-(minus) with C+(plus) in Mathematics/Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Kiswahili/English.
• A-Level: Two principal passes in Chemistry and Biology, and a subsidiary pass in Physics/Mathematics.
• Diploma in Pharmacy from a recognized institution with a mean grade of C in KCSE and a minimum of C in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics/Physics, and Kiswahili/English
• Diploma/Degree in Biological Sciences/Health Sciences from a recognized institution. This should be combined with a mean grade of C in KCSE and a minimum of C in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics/Physics, and Kiswahili/English
• National Diploma in Pharmacy from a recognized institution with a mean grade of C in KCSE and a minimum of C in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics/Physics, and Kiswahili/English

6.    Bachelor of Science in Public Health

Bachelor of Public Health is one of the most valuable courses in Kenya today. Students pursuing the course are trained on improving the health of the general public through ensuring that the water that they use and their food are safe for consumption. Public health graduates qualify to be employed as community health workers, epidemiologists, health educators, health safety specialists, emergency management specialists, public health analysts, and environmental health specialists.

Here are some local universities that offer a Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree programmes:

• Mount Kenya University (MKU)
• Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT)
• Kenyatta University
• University of Kabianga
• Pwani University
• Kisii University
• Kabarak University
• Technical University of Mombasa.

Minimum Entry Requirements:

• KCSE mean grade of C+(plus) with C in Chemistry and Biology and C-(minus) in Mathematics/Physics and Kiswahili/English.
• Diploma in Public Health from a recognized institution.

7.    Bachelor of Radiography

Radiography is a part of the medical field that deals with the use of medical equipment to produce images of internal organs, body tissues, and bones for diagnosis and to check for internal injuries. Students who complete a degree course in radiography are employed as radiographers. Their work is to interpret medical images such as X-Rays and give a proper diagnosis.

The course is available in local universities like Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, University of Nairobi, Aga Khan University, Kenyatta University, and Moi university, among others.

Minimum Entry Requirements:

• KCSE: Mean grade of C+(plus) with C+(plus) in Physics, Biology, Chemistry/Mathematics, and Kiswahili/English
• Higher National Diploma in Medical Imaging Science
• Diploma in Medical Imaging Science

8.    Medical engineering

Medical engineering is one of the most valuable medical courses in Kenya, concerned with the proper operation and maintenance of various medical equipment used in the hospitals. Very few universities offer degree courses in medical engineering but a good number of colleges in Kenya offer diploma courses. Examples are:

• Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) campuses
• Rift Valley Technical Training Institute
• Technical University of Mombasa
• Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology
• Kenya Institute of Applied Sciences
• Mount Kenya University
• Annex Medical Training Center

Universities that offer degree programmes medical engineering include:

• Technical University of Mombasa
• Kenyatta University

Minimum Entry Requirements for Diploma in Medical Engineering is KCSE mean grade of C-(minus) and above. One must have also done Biology and Mathematics/physics.

Read>>>>Best Performing Kenya Medical Training Colleges KMTC

9.    Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory Science and Technology

Medical laboratory science and technology is a medical course that is available in most local universities. They include:

• Kenyatta University
• Technical University of Mombasa
• Jomo Kenyatta university of Agriculture and Technology
• Mount Kenya University

The kind of jobs you are likely to do after completing this course include being a Biological Technician, Blood Bank Technologist, Cytotechnologist, Chemical Technician, Chemical and Materials Scientist, Immunology Technologist, or Clinical Chemistry Technologist.

Minimum Entry Requirements:

• KCSE mean grade of C+(plus) with C+(plus) in Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics/Physics
• Diploma in: Medical laboratory technology/ Dental sciences/ Clinical Medicine/ Nursing Science/ pharmaceutical Technology/ Medical Imaging.

Conclusion

Many medical courses might be valuable in Kenya, but they demand a lot of dedication and hard work from students pursuing them. Furthermore, their minimum entry requirements are quite high as compared to other courses. The good thing is that even if your KCSEl grades do not meet the minimum entry requirements to join your dream career, you can start from the Certificate or Diploma level and rise all the way to the Degree level.