Jobs for Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) Graduates

The path to practising medicine

The Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) is a six-year degree offered by several public and private medical schools in Kenya. It is one of the most competitive courses in the country. After graduating, doctors must complete a supervised internship, usually of one year, rotating through the main clinical departments, before they can be fully registered by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC), the statutory regulator for doctors and dentists.

Registration and licensing

KMPDC registers medical practitioners, issues annual practising licences and enforces professional conduct. Doctors trained abroad go through KMPDC's assessment before they can practise. Internship placement for local graduates is coordinated with the Ministry of Health, and the timing of postings has at times been delayed, so new graduates should follow official announcements closely.

Jobs after internship

• Medical officer in county hospitals and health centres, recruited by county public service boards
• Medical officer in private, mission and faith-based hospitals, often with shift and locum arrangements
• Clinical research and trial roles with research institutes and universities
• Programme, medical affairs and advisory roles with NGOs, insurers and pharmaceutical companies

Entry requirements

Placement for government-sponsored students is through KUCCPS, and the course requires a high KCSE performance, typically at least a B (plain) mean grade with strong grades in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics, and English or Kiswahili. In practice cut-off points are considerably higher than the minimum.

Specialisation

Most doctors work as medical officers for a few years before pursuing a master of medicine in a specialty such as surgery, paediatrics, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, or family medicine. Specialist training takes several more years, and registration as a specialist is again handled by KMPDC. Some doctors move into public health, health management or academic medicine instead.

Practical advice

Job adverts for medical officers typically ask for the KMPDC registration certificate, a current practising licence, internship completion certificate and professional indemnity. Locum shifts are common early in a career; check payment terms and indemnity cover before you accept them, and keep a log of procedures you have done, which interviewers often ask about.