BACHELOR OF MEDICINE AND BACHELOR OF SURGERY

The course shall be full time and extend over six academic years, of 204 weeks spread over 30 weeks for first and second years and 36 weeks each for third to sixth year of study totaling 8,160 hours.

This revised curriculum allows for early introduction to ICT, improved teaching methods and examination modification enhancing use of multiple choice questions, short essay questions and objective structured clinical examination. Emphasis is placed on the contribution of clinical or practical examination in the evaluation process. Graduates are expected to be self-motivated, disciplined and ethical doctors well versed with holistic approach to health care management.

Objectives

·         Impart knowledge, clinical skills and competencies necessary in holistic medical practitioner.

·         Instill the student requisite discipline, professional ethics and etiquette necessary for safe and medical practice

·         Integrate clinical training with basic science from an early stage in the course

·         Facilitate consolidation of knowledge, involvement in critical thinking and research to enable students practice evidence based medicine.

PHILOSOPHY

The programme’s philosophy is linked to the UoN’s Philosophy which is, “guided by the need to connect and inspire the Kenyan community, to provide leadership and stewardship and to give hope and faith to the Kenyan society that it can excel in whatever it chooses to do with passion, moral responsibility and a strong sense of patriotism.” Furthermore, the need to train medical doctors is echoed by the pressing call for innovative, evidence-based quality health services as a basic right enshrined in the Kenyan Constitution and as an engine for human development.

RATIONALE

Globally, there is a call for reform of medical education to be transformative of the society that is served by the graduates. This has resulted in the need to devise new benchmarks for various roles beyond the medical expert, with graduates expected to be expert communicators, collaborators, managers, health advocates, scholars and professionals. Furthermore, there is also a shift towards increased incorporation of competency-based training and evaluation.

The programme continues to keep abreast with advancing medical knowledge and information technology, harmonisation with other faculties internationally and within the region. Considerable progress has been made in the use of ICT resources for training. There continues to be sustained efforts to improve teaching methods with an emphasis on students’- centred learning. The use of single answer multiple-choice questions, spots, structured short answer questions and objective structured clinical examination embraces Miller’s principles of evaluation and has enhanced equity and depth of evaluation of the students. Graduates of this program are expected to be self-motivated, disciplined team-based ethical doctors, well versed with the holistic patient-centred approach to health care, and socially accountable to the population they serve.