Health Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in General Surgery

The Doctor of Philosophy in General Surgery is a postgraduate research programme offered at the University of Nairobi through the Department of Surgery at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) Campus. The programme trains surgeon-scientists to conduct advanced research in surgical sciences, contributing to evidence-based surgical practice, innovation, and surgical education in Kenya and beyond.

Students engage with advanced surgical research methodology, clinical trials, surgical outcomes research, and translational surgical science. The programme combines coursework with thesis research, requiring candidates to develop a research proposal, conduct independent clinical or laboratory research, and produce a doctoral dissertation that makes an original contribution to surgical knowledge.

Kenya faces a growing burden of surgical conditions including trauma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and congenital anomalies. The programme addresses national health priorities by training surgeon-scientists who can generate evidence to improve surgical care, inform health policy, and address surgical workforce shortages under Vision 2030 and the Kenya Health Policy Framework.

Teaching methods include supervised research, clinical research at KNH, seminars, and thesis writing. Candidates work with surgical and academic supervisors to develop proposals, conduct clinical or laboratory research, and write their dissertations. The programme is delivered at UoN’s KNH Campus over a minimum of three years.

Graduates pursue careers as academic surgeons, surgical researchers, university lecturers, and surgical consultants in teaching hospitals, universities, and research institutions. The programme provides the highest academic qualification for surgeons seeking leadership roles in academic surgery and surgical research.

This programme is ideal for holders of a Master of Medicine (MMed) in General Surgery or equivalent surgical qualification who are committed to advancing surgical knowledge through research.

Duration: 3-5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 428,000
Private, up to: Ksh 400,000
Job market: High

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 5 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Surgical Research Methods
Clinical Trials in Surgery
Surgical Outcomes Research
Translational Surgical Science
Anatomy and Surgical Pathology
Research Methodology
Biostatistics
Surgical Education
Thesis Research
Health Systems Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Surgical Research Methodology
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Research designs for surgical studies including clinical trials, cohort studies, and outcomes research
Advanced Surgical Anatomy
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Anatomy for surgical practice, exploring cutting-edge developments, theoretical frameworks, and research methodologies at the forefront of the discipline.
Advanced Surgical Anatomy and Pathology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Detailed anatomical and pathological basis of surgical diseases relevant to research
Surgical Pathology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Pathology in surgery, covering pathological principles, diagnostic techniques, and their application in disease investigation.
Clinical Trials in Surgery
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Design, conduct, and analysis of randomised controlled trials in surgical interventions
Surgical Oncology
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Oncology in surgical practice, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Biostatistics for Surgical Research
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Statistical methods for analysing surgical outcomes, survival data, and clinical trial results
Trauma and Emergency Surgery
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Trauma and emergency surgery, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Surgical Outcomes and Quality Research
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Methods for measuring and improving surgical quality, patient safety, and surgical outcomes
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Laparoscopic and minimally invasive surgery, covering theoretical foundations, practical methodologies, and contemporary research developments relevant to doctoral study in this area.
Translational Surgical Science
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Bridging laboratory research and clinical surgical practice, including biomaterials and surgical innovation
Surgical Research Methods
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Research design and methodology in surgery, covering quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection techniques, and analytical frameworks relevant to doctoral-level research in the field.

Specialisations

Health Policy in Surgery
Specialization in Health Policy in Surgery, preparing graduates for careers such as health-policy-analyst.
Biomedical Research
Specialization in Biomedical Research, preparing graduates for careers such as biomedical-scientist.
Surgical Research
Specialization in Surgical Research, preparing graduates for careers such as clinical-research-coordinator.
Public Health and Surgery
Specialization in Public Health and Surgery, preparing graduates for careers such as public-health-officer.
Surgical Education
Specialization in Surgical Education, preparing graduates for careers such as university-lecturer.
General Surgery Practice
Specialization in General Surgery Practice, preparing graduates for careers such as general-surgeon.
Trauma Surgery
Research on trauma and emergency surgery
Gastrointestinal Surgery
Research on gastrointestinal surgery
Surgical Oncology
Research on surgical oncology
Minimally Invasive Surgery
Research on laparoscopic surgery

A day as a student

A typical day combines clinical surgical work at KNH with research activities including data collection, analysis of surgical outcomes, literature review, and thesis writing. Students attend surgical grand rounds, present research at departmental seminars, and engage with surgical trainees.

The trade offs

In its favour

Highest academic qualification for surgeons, enabling academic surgery leadership
Access to KNH and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital
Strong career prospects in academic surgery and surgical research
Opportunity to contribute to surgical innovation and policy

Against it

Requires medical qualification and surgical training
Balancing clinical practice with research is demanding
Tuition fees are relatively high at KES 396,000 per year
Limited number of institutions offering surgical PhD programmes in Kenya

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 349 health sciences courses

Public367k to 428k

367k at Kenyatta University428k at University of Nairobi

Private200k to 400k

200k at Mount Kenya University400k at Aga Khan University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

UoN 428K/yr (healthsciences.uonbi.ac.ke). KU 367K/yr (ku.ac.ke). MKU & AKU unverified

Students may access HELB postgraduate loans, DAAD scholarships, NRF research grants, and COSECSA research fellowships for surgical research in East Africa.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 80,000
DAAD Scholarship
Scholarship
NRF Research Grant
Grant
COSECSA Research Grant
Grant

Scholarships

5 recorded

DAAD Kenya Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
Postgraduate students in Kenya
HELB Postgraduate Scholarship
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students
DAAD Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
African graduates meeting academic criteria for doctoral study
COSECSA Research Fellowship
FellowshipKenyan
Surgeons in the COSECSA region conducting surgical research
HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 80,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students enrolled in recognised universities

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C+
Alternative entry: Relevant diploma or equivalent qualification

Master's Degree
Master of Medicine (MMed) in General Surgery or equivalent surgical qualification from a recognised university
Medical Registration
Registered with the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (MPDC)
Research capability
Evidence of research ability through publications, reports, or academic work

How you are assessed

5 components

Coursework
Continuous assessment30% of the mark
Assignments, clinical case reports and seminar presentations
Thesis
Thesis50% of the mark
Doctoral thesis research, submission and oral defence
Coursework Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
Oral Viva Voce
Coursework100% of the mark
Thesis Examination
Coursework100% of the mark

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). Graduates must also be registered with the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (MPDC) to practise surgery in Kenya.

Accredited by

Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (MPDC)
Professional registrationRequired
Required for surgical practice in Kenya
Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Mandatory accreditation for all university programmes in Kenya
Commission for University Education
AcademicRequired
Statutory body responsible for accreditation of university programmes in Kenya
Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council
ProfessionalRequired
Regulates medical practice in Kenya

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

8 roles

Surgical Research Scientist
Moderate demandKsh 130,000 to Ksh 300,000
Conducts surgical research at research institutions, hospitals, or international health organisations
Academic Surgeon
High demandKsh 150,000 to Ksh 350,000
Combines surgical practice at a teaching hospital with academic research and teaching at a university
University Professor
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Teaching and research in medical schools
Surgical Educator
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 600,000
Training surgeons at universities
Consultant Surgeon
High demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 800,000
Surgical practice at KNH and referral hospitals
Surgical Researcher
High demandKsh 220,000 to Ksh 550,000
Research on surgical science
University Lecturer (Surgery)
High demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 280,000
Teaches surgery and conducts research in a university medical school
Surgical Consultant (Senior)
High demandKsh 200,000 to Ksh 500,000
Provides specialist surgical services while leading research and training at teaching hospitals

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as academic surgeons, surgical researchers, university lecturers, and surgical consultants in teaching hospitals, universities, and research institutions.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

A PhD in surgery is the same as an MMed in Surgery
An MMed trains surgeons for clinical practice, while a PhD trains surgeon-scientists for academic research and evidence generation in surgical sciences.
Surgeons do not need research training
Modern surgical practice increasingly relies on evidence-based medicine, requiring surgeon-scientists who can generate research to improve surgical outcomes and inform practice.
There is no demand for surgical research in Kenya
Kenya faces a significant surgical disease burden with limited research evidence, creating strong demand for surgeon-scientists to generate local evidence for surgical care.
A PhD in surgery limits you to academia only
Graduates work as academic surgeons, surgical department heads, policy advisors, and leaders in international surgical organisations, combining clinical practice with research.

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