Scroll to the bottom to find a list of institutions that offer Medicine.
WHAT IS MEDICINE AND WHO IS A MEDICAL DOCTOR?
Medicine, in the simplest of terms, is the science of health and healing. It encompasses the diagnosis, prognosis (predicting likely outcome of a disease), treatment, and prevention of disease. A medical doctor is a trained professional who practices medicine.
WHERE DO MEDICAL DOCTORS WORK?
A medical doctor can work as a clinician in government hospitals, mission hospitals, mine hospitals and private hospitals. Clinical practice involves working directly with patients in a hospital or health care setting.
A medical doctor could also work with non-governmental organisations that support health and wellness such as CARE international and Vision Aid.
A medical doctor could also go into biomedical research and work with institutions such as the tropical diseases research centre (TDRC), which researches ways to prevent and treat diseases. These are some examples, a medical doctor can work in any field where his/her services are needed.
WHAT TASKS ARE INVOLVED IN THE WORK?
For medical doctors working as clinicians or general practitioners, day to day activities involve reviewing in-patients who have been admitted to the wards, monitoring their progress and guiding on treatment. Doctors will also attend to out-patients reporting to the clinic and assess them with the aim to diagnose, prognose, treat and prevent disease. They make use of basic diagnostic medical devices such as stethoscopes and thermometers but may also order further medical tests such as blood tests and x-rays to guide them on the best course of treatment. Depending on the setting, they may also be required to perform low complexity surgical procedures where surgeons are absent, or refer patients with serious disease for specialized care.
For medical doctors working in biomedical research, they conduct careful experimentation, laboratory work, observation, and analysis of biological processes and the causes of disease. It may be basic, aimed at increasing fundamental scientific knowledge, or it may be applied, directed at making new discoveries such as the search for a vaccine for COVID-19.
WHAT IS THE WORK SCHEDULE OF A MEDICAL DOCTOR?
The work schedule of a clinician is the busiest and is influenced by many factors including the facility where one works, the number of patients attending such a facility, the position held (i.e., resident, registrar, consultant), etc. In a typical government hospital, a doctor can expect to be on-call once or twice a week, during which they will work a full 24-hour shift. On other days, work hours may run from 07:00 hours to 18:00 hours or earlier depending on the number of cases that need to be attended to. Because some health conditions are emergencies and life threatening, doctors can be called in to work at any time of the day on any day of the week.
Working in biomedical research or with NGOs may follow the normal 08:00 hours to 17:00 hours work schedule Monday to Friday.
WHAT DOES THE JOB MARKET LOOK LIKE?
After graduation from medical school and obtaining a provisional license from the health professionals council of Zambia (HPCZ), a graduate must undergo a mandatory period of internship working under the supervision of a team of qualified doctors, before obtaining full registration as a licensed medical practitioner. Zambian government policy is that internship be only offered at government hospitals and a select few mission hospitals. As such, government is the major employer of new medical school graduates as junior resident medical officers (interns). When fully registered and licensed as a senior resident medical officer (SRMO), a medical doctor may also work elsewhere. This may be in mine hospitals, mission hospitals, and the private sector. These will typically only employ fully licensed medical practitioners (i.e., SRMO, registrars, specialists).
Because a graduate cannot work elsewhere without first going through internship and later obtaining a license, and because only the government hospitals offer such internship, the government has largest influence on the job market for medical doctors in Zambia.
WHAT SORT OF CAREER-PERSONALITY MATCH IS REQUIRED?
Medicine both as a program of study and a career is very demanding. The program assumes that a student has a good background in science. It is therefore important for someone to have a love and aptitude for science-based subjects especially biology, chemistry and physics. A student must also be inquisitive (ask questions). Part of being a doctor involves deductive reasoning (gathering all the facts, evaluating them and making conclusions) which is why questions are important. To enjoy work, you need to have compassion and patience. You also need to be outgoing or at least be ready to be outgoing because medicine involves working with people.
Scroll to the bottom to find a list of institutions that offer Medicine.
WHAT SUBJECTS WILL THE PROGRAM COVER?
Upon entry into university, students will cover A’ level natural sciences (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology) in the first 1 or 2 years. The next 2 years focus on Basic Science courses which include Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Microbiology, Biochemistry and others. The last 3 years are concerned with the practical training of being a medical doctor and focus on the Clinical Sciences (Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and Paediatrics)
WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS?
Admission to medical schools is very competitive but also dependent on the level of competition in the University of choice. Typically, a prospective student needs to have scored at least 10 points in the best 6 subjects (mathematics, science and English included) at grade 12.
WHAT OTHER PROGRAMS OF STUDY CAN MAKE SOMEONE A MEDICAL DOCTOR?
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) are the first professional degrees awarded upon graduation from medical schools in most commonwealth countries (including Zambia). In the United States and countries following their system, an equivalent medical degree is awarded as Doctor of Medicine (MD).
WHAT ARE THE FUTURE ADVANCED QUALIFICATIONS AVAILABLE AND WHY?
After graduation from medical school, one may enroll for postgraduate master’s programmes such as the Master of Medicine (MMed) which is awarded by both surgical and medical subspecialties (Urology, General Surgery, Orthopedics, Opthalmology, etc). Alternatively, medical graduates are eligible to sit for examinations for membership and fellowship of professional institutions such as the Royal College of Surgeons, Royal College of Physicians, College of Surgeons (east, central and southern Africa), among others. A fellowship and/or an MMed are required for registration as a specialist especially in foreign countries. In Zambia, the Ministry of Health carries out training of specialists under the Specialist Training Program (STP), though the qualification attained is only recognised in Zambia.
INSTITUTIONS THAT OFFER MEDICINE
UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA
Programme duration: 5 years + 2 years of Natural Sciences (degree)
Mode of study: Full-time only
Admitting school: School of Natural Sciences
Intakes: January (only)
Location: Lusaka
Contacts
Tel: +26 0211 252641
E-mail: dean-medicine@unza.zm
Website: www.unza.zm/academics/undergraduate/bachelor-of-medicine-and-surgery
COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY
Programme duration: 5 years + 1 year of Natural Sciences (degree)
Mode of study: Full-time only
Admitting school: School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Intakes: January (only)
Location: Kitwe
Contacts
Tel: +260 212 290816 / +260 212 290815
Email: academicoffice@cbu.ac.zm
Website: www.cbu.ac.zm/fees
LEVY MWANAWASA MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
Programme duration: 5 years + 1 year of Natural Sciences (degree)
Mode of study: Full-time only
Admitting school: School of Medicine and Clinical Sciences
Intakes: January (only)
Location: Lusaka
Contacts
Tel: +260 974 330519 / +260 953 821693
Email: info@lmmu.ac.zm
Website: www.lmmu.ac.zm/levy-mwanawasa-medical-university-fees-structure
MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY
Programme duration: 5 years + 1 year of Pre medicine (degree)
Mode: Full-time only
Admitting school: School of Science, Engineering and Technology
Intakes: September only
Location: Kabwe
Contacts
Tel: +260 215 228004
E-mail: academic@mu.ac.zm
Website: www.mu.ac.zm
CAVENDISH UNIVERSITY
Programme duration: 5 years + 2 years medical foundation programme (degree)
Mode of study: Full-time only
Admitting school: School of Medicine
Intakes: January and June
Location: Lusaka
Contacts
Email: jchikonde@cavendish.co.zm
Tel: +260 211 387600 / +260 211 387601
Website: www.cavendishza.org/admissions/fee-structure
UNIVERSITY OF LUSAKA
Programme duration: 5 years + 1 year of Pre medicine (degree)
Mode of study: Full-time only
Admitting school: School of Medicine
Intakes: January and July
Location: Lusaka
Contacts
Tel: +260 972 832671 / +260 976 075850
E-mail: registraracademic@unilus.ac.zm
Website: www.unilus.ac.zm/Fees.php
LUSAKA APEX MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
Programme duration: 5 years + 2 years Premedical Sciences (degree)
Mode of study: Full-time only
Admitting school: Faculty of Pre-Medical Sciences
Intakes: January and July
Location: Lusaka
Contacts
Email: happy.mtonga@lamu.edu.zm
Tel: +260 979 927901 / +260 974 137203
Website: www.lamu.edu.zm/academic-fees
EDEN UNIVERSITY
Programme duration: 5 years + 11⁄2 years Natural Sciences (degree)
Mode of study: Full-time only
Admitting school: School of Medicine
Intakes: January and July
Location: Lusaka
Contacts
Email: edenuniversty@edenuniversity.net
Tel: +260 978 800898 / +260 977 794995
Website: www.edenuniversity.edu.zm/course-fee-structure.html
TEXILA AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
Programme duration: 5 years + 1-year Foundation program (degree)
Mode of study: Full-time
Admitting school: School of Medicine
Intakes: January and July
Location: Lusaka
Contacts
Tel: +260 971 269480 / 81
Website: www.zm.tauedu.org