See also: Medical education and List of medical schools
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine.
In addition to a medical degree program, some medical schools offer programs leading to a Master's Degree, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), or other post-secondary education. Medical schools can also employ medical researchers and operate hospitals. Medical schools teach subjects such as human anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology, immunology, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, anesthesiology, internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, psychiatry, genetics, and pathology.
The entry criteria, structure, teaching methodology and nature of medical programs offered at medical schools vary considerably around the world. Medical schools are often highly competitive, using standardized entrance examinations to narrow the selection criteria for candidates (e.g. GAMSAT, MCAT, UMAT, NMAT, BMAT, UKCAT and many others).
In many European countries, in India, China and others, the study of medicine is completed as an undergraduate degree not requiring prerequisite undergraduate coursework. However, an increasing number of places are emerging for graduate entrants (i.e. in the UK, Ireland and Australia) moving medical education closer to the US/Canadian model. In other countries (e.g. the USA, Canada), medical degrees are second entry degrees, and require at least several years of previous study at the university level. Students wanting to enter medical school often complete a bachelors degree with a (pre-medical/medical science) curriculum including physics, chemistry, genetics, biochemistry, pathology, anatomy and physiology, and human biology. However, many medical schools will accept students of varying academic background so long as they complete the required prerequisite coursework and have a university degree, and some students obtain Master and PhD credentials before entering medical school.
Although medical schools confer upon graduates a medical degree (BMBS, MBBS, MBChB, MD, DO, MDCM, BMed, etc), a doctor typically may not legally practice medicine until licensed by the local government authority. Licensing may also require passing a test, undergoing a criminal background check, checking references, and paying a fee. Medical schools are regulated by each country and may appear on the WHO Directory of Medical Schools or the FAIMER International Medical Education Directory.
Africa
Egypt
See also: List of medical schools in EgyptIn Egypt, medical school is a faculty of a university. Medical education lasts for 6 years, at the end of which the student is granted a MB BCh (بكالريوس الطب و الجراحة). After graduating there is a mandatory 12 month full time internship at one of the University or Government Teaching hospitals after which medical licensure as a General Practitioner (GP) is obtained. After that, the doctor has to register with the Ministry of Health & Population, and the Egyptian Medical Syndicate (نقابة الأطباء). The first 3 years of medical school cover the basic medical sciences, while the last 3 years are focused on clinical sciences.
Admission depends on the score of the applicant in his last 2 years of Egyptian Secondary Schoolالثانوية) العامة). Students who have taken either the IGCSE or SAT can also apply, however there is a very strict quota to the number of student who get accepted by the admission office which regulates entry into public universities. This quota does not apply to private universities. There are no entrance exams required for entry.
Ghana
There are four medical schools in Ghana: The University of Ghana Medical School, the KNUST School of Medicine, University for Development Studies School of Medicine, and the University of Cape Coast School of Medicine.
Kenya
In Kenya, there are two established medical schools:
- 1. University of Nairobi (oldest, established 1967)
- 2. Moi University in Eldoret (established in 1980s with major support from the Indiana University School of Medicine - USA, and with whom there remain significant ties)
Admissions are considered after completion of a high school education. The first two years are basic science years and the three remaining years clinical. On completion, a bachelors degree in Medicine and Surgery is awarded, MBChB. This is followed by a one year period of internship.
Both Nairobi and Moi Universities run post graduate medical training programs that run over 3 years and lead to the award of master of medicine, MMed, in the respective specialty.
There has been progress made by the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan and the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) in Nairobi towards the establishment of a Health Sciences University in Kenya with an associated medical school. AKUH in Nairobi, already offers post graduate, MMed programmes. These are run over 4 years.
Completion of formal specialty training in Kenya is followed by two years of supervised clinical work before one can apply for recognition as a specialist, in their respective field, by the medical board.
Nigeria
There are several medical schools in this populous nation. However, there are three tiers under which the schools are categorized, based on the quality of faculty, facilities, and performance. In the top tier, there are eleven medical schools:University of Benin, University of Nigeria, University of Lagos, University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, University of Maiduguri, University of Port-Harcourt, University of Ilorin, University of Calabar, University of Jos and Ahmadu Bello University. Entrance into these schools is highly competitive. Candidates graduating from high school must attain high grades from the West African Examination Council's (WAEC) Senior School Certificate Exam (SSCE/GCE) and high scores in four subjects (Physics, English, Chemistry, and Biology) in the University Matriculation Examination (UME). Students undergo rigorous training for 6 grueling years and culminate with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). The undergraduate program is five years and one year of work experience in government hospitals. After medical school, graduates are mandated to spend one year of housemanship (internship) and one year of community service before they are eligible for residency.
South Africa
See also: List of medical schools in South AfricaThere are eight medical schools in South Africa, each under the auspices of a public university. As the country is a former British colony, most of the institutions follow the British-based undergraduate method of instruction, admitting students directly from high school into a 6 or occasionally five year program. Some universities such as the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg and the University of Cape Town have started offering post-graduate medical degrees which run concurrently with their undergraduate programs. In this instance, a student who has completed an appropriate undergraduate degree with basic sciences, can enter into a four-year post graduate program.
Most South African medical schools award the MBChB degree (except the University of the Witwatersrand which styles its degree MBBCh). Following successful completion of study, all South African medical graduates need to complete a two-year internship as well as a further year of community service in order to register with the Health Professions Council, in order to practice as a doctor in South Africa.
Specialisation is usually a five- to seven-year training process (depending on the specialty) requiring registering as a medical registrar attached to an academic clinical department in a large teaching hospital with appropriate examinations. The specialist degree may be conferred as a Fellowship by the independent Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, following British tradition, or as a Magisterial degree by the University (usually the degree M Med (Master of Medicine)).
Medical students from all over the world come to South Africa to gain practical experience in the country's many teaching hospitals and rural clinics. All of South Africa's eight medical schools are of world class standard and have excellent facilities. The language of instruction is English but a few indigenous languages are studied briefly.
Tunisia
In Tunisia, education is free for all Tunisian citizens and for foreigners who have scholarships. Medical school is a faculty of the University of Tunis. There are five medicine faculties situated in the major cities. Admission is bound to the success and score in the baccalaureate examination. Admission score threshold is pretty high based on competition amongst all applicants throughout the nation. Medical school curriculum consists of five years. The first two years are medical theory, containing all basic sciences related to medicine, while the last three years consists of clinical issues related to all medical specialties. During these last three years, the student gets the status of "Externe". The student has to attend at the university hospital every day, rotating around all wards. Every period is followed by a clinical exam regarding his knowledge in that particular specialty. After those five years, there are two years on internship,
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