Health Sciences

Master of Medicine Education

The Master of Medicine Education is a postgraduate programme that equips health professionals with advanced knowledge and skills in medical education, teaching methodology, and educational research in health sciences. The programme prepares graduates to design, deliver, and evaluate medical and health sciences curricula in Kenya and beyond.

Core areas of study include medical education principles, curriculum design in health sciences, teaching and learning in medical education, assessment in medical education, educational research methods, simulation-based education, clinical teaching, e-learning in health professions education, programme evaluation, and thesis writing. Students engage with both educational theory and its application in medical and health sciences contexts.

The programme is offered by Moi University, Meru University of Science and Technology, and Karatina University. Moi University offers the programme through its School of Medicine, accredited since 2013. The programme bridges medicine and education, developing health professionals as educators.

Students develop competencies in medical education, curriculum design, clinical teaching, assessment in medical education, educational research, simulation-based teaching, e-learning, programme evaluation, and educational leadership. The programme includes coursework, examinations, teaching practicum, and a research thesis.

The programme is delivered over two years with full-time mode available at Moi University's Eldoret Main Campus. The programme is designed for medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, clinical officers, and other health professionals seeking to advance as medical educators.

Graduates pursue careers as medical educators, clinical teaching fellows, curriculum developers, assessment specialists, simulation centre directors, and medical education consultants in medical schools, teaching hospitals, health training institutions, and health ministries.

Skills Required

Medical Education Principles and Practice
Curriculum Design in Health Sciences
Clinical Teaching and Bedside Teaching
Assessment in Medical Education
Educational Research Methods
Simulation-Based Medical Education
E-Learning in Health Professions Education
Programme Evaluation in Medical Education
Educational Leadership in Health Sciences
Medical Education Research and Scholarship

Key Subjects

Medical Education Principles
Curriculum Design in Health Sciences
Teaching and Learning in Medical Education
Assessment in Medical Education
Educational Research Methods
Simulation-Based Education
Clinical Teaching
E-Learning in Health Professions
Programme Evaluation
Educational Leadership

Certifications

AMEE Medical Education Certification
KMPDC Medical Education Registration

Specializations

Curriculum Design in Health Sciences

Focuses on curriculum design for medical and health sciences programmes, competency-based medical education, curriculum mapping, and curriculum evaluation.

Clinical Teaching

Examines clinical teaching methods, bedside teaching, preceptorship, clinical skills teaching, and effective teaching in clinical settings.

Assessment in Medical Education

Covers assessment methods in medical education, OSCE design, workplace-based assessment, formative and summative assessment in health sciences.

Simulation-Based Education

Focuses on simulation-based medical education, designing simulation scenarios, debriefing, using simulators, and integrating simulation into curricula.

Educational Research

Examines educational research methods in medical education, quantitative and qualitative research, and conducting scholarship of teaching and learning.

E-Learning in Health Professions

Covers e-learning in health professions education, online course design, digital assessment, virtual patients, and technology-enhanced learning.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 177,200
Private, up to: Ksh 1,350,000
Job market: Moderate

The programme

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

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 15 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Medical Education Principles
Curriculum Design in Health Sciences
Teaching and Learning in Medical Education
Assessment in Medical Education
Educational Research Methods
Simulation-Based Education
Clinical Teaching
E-Learning in Health Professions
Programme Evaluation
Educational Leadership

Modules

10 in the programme

Medical Education Principles and Practice
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines medical education principles, adult learning theory in health professions, medical education frameworks, and applying educational theory to medical teaching.
Curriculum Design in Health Sciences
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers curriculum design for medical and health sciences programmes, competency-based medical education, curriculum mapping, and curriculum evaluation.
Teaching and Learning in Medical Education
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines teaching methods in medical education, large group teaching, small group facilitation, clinical teaching, and promoting effective learning in health professions.
Assessment in Medical Education
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers assessment methods in medical education, OSCE design, workplace-based assessment, formative and summative assessment, and ensuring assessment validity.
Simulation-Based Medical Education
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines simulation-based medical education, designing simulation scenarios, debriefing techniques, using simulators, and integrating simulation into medical curricula.
Clinical Teaching Practice
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers clinical teaching methods, bedside teaching, preceptorship, clinical skills teaching, and effective teaching in hospital and clinical settings.
E-Learning in Health Professions Education
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines e-learning in health professions education, online course design, digital assessment, virtual patients, and technology-enhanced learning in medical education.
Educational Research Methods
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers qualitative and quantitative research methodologies for conducting original research in medical education, including scholarship of teaching and learning.
Programme Evaluation in Medical Education
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines programme evaluation in medical education, evaluating curricula, assessing programme outcomes, and using evaluation findings for programme improvement.
Research Thesis
Year 2Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research thesis on a medical education topic, demonstrating mastery of educational research methods and medical education theory, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Curriculum Design in Health Sciences
Focuses on curriculum design for medical and health sciences programmes, competency-based medical education, curriculum mapping, and curriculum evaluation.
Clinical Teaching
Examines clinical teaching methods, bedside teaching, preceptorship, clinical skills teaching, and effective teaching in clinical settings.
Assessment in Medical Education
Covers assessment methods in medical education, OSCE design, workplace-based assessment, formative and summative assessment in health sciences.
Simulation-Based Education
Focuses on simulation-based medical education, designing simulation scenarios, debriefing, using simulators, and integrating simulation into curricula.
Educational Research
Examines educational research methods in medical education, quantitative and qualitative research, and conducting scholarship of teaching and learning.
E-Learning in Health Professions
Covers e-learning in health professions education, online course design, digital assessment, virtual patients, and technology-enhanced learning.

A day as a student

A typical day involves attending lectures on medical education principles, curriculum design, or assessment methods. Students engage in seminar discussions analysing medical education case studies, curriculum challenges, and teaching innovations. Practical sessions include clinical teaching practice, simulation scenario design, OSCE station development, and teaching demonstrations. Students observe and practise clinical teaching in hospital settings, developing bedside teaching skills. Research methodology sessions prepare students for their thesis, with practical training in educational research methods. The programme at Moi University is based at the School of Medicine in Eldoret, with access to MTRH teaching hospital. Guest lectures from experienced medical educators, international faculty, and KMPDC officials provide real-world insights. The programme connects educational theory to medical education practice, with students applying learning to their teaching contexts. Those in the thesis phase conduct independent medical education research, working under faculty supervision.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya's expanding medical schools and new health training institutions create growing demand for qualified medical education professionals.
Programme bridges medicine and education, providing unique expertise for health professionals seeking academic and educational leadership roles.
Moi University's School of Medicine has offered the programme since 2013 with experienced faculty and MTRH teaching hospital access.
Graduates can pursue careers in medical schools, teaching hospitals, health training institutions, and health ministries with competitive salaries.

Against it

Programme is offered at only three public universities, limiting geographic access for prospective students.
No private university offers this programme, limiting options for students preferring private institution environments.
Programme requires a health professions background, potentially excluding graduates from other fields.
Specialised nature may limit career options compared to broader education or clinical medicine degrees.

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

Public120k to 177k

120k at Kisii University177k at Moi University

Private225k to 1.4M

225k at Mount Kenya University1.4M 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

Moi MSc Med Ed 177K/yr (eafinder.com). Kisii/MKU/AKU unverified

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. MEPI provides medical education grants for African health professionals. AMEE offers professional development grants for medical educators. The programme's medical education focus attracts health sector development funding.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
MEPI Medical Education Grants
AMEE Professional Development Grants

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
MEPI Medical Education Grants
ScholarshipKsh 400,000
MEPI provides medical education grants for African health professionals pursuing medical education training and faculty development.
AMEE Professional Development Grants
ScholarshipKsh 200,000
AMEE offers professional development grants for medical educators pursuing postgraduate medical education qualifications.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: The programme is designed for medical doctors, nurses, pharmacists, clinical officers, and other health professionals. Admission interviews are required as determined by the Departmental Postgraduate Committee. Full-time mode at Moi University's Eldoret Main Campus.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
CATs, curriculum design assignments, teaching portfolio development, assessment design exercises, and seminar presentations conducted throughout each semester.
Teaching Practicum
Practical30% of the mark
Practical assessment involving teaching demonstrations, clinical teaching practice, simulation scenario delivery, and OSCE station development with peer and faculty evaluation.
Final Examination
Examination40% of the mark
End-of-semester examination covering medical education principles, curriculum design, assessment methods, and educational research, including essay and case analysis questions.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original research thesis on a medical education topic, demonstrating mastery of educational research methods and medical education theory, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE) and aligns with Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) standards for medical education. Moi University's programme has been accredited since 2013. All offering institutions are CUE-accredited public universities.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. Moi University's programme has been accredited since 2013. All offering institutions are CUE-accredited public universities.
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC)
Professional regulationRequired
KMPDC regulates medical education and practice in Kenya. The programme aligns with KMPDC standards for medical education and training.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Medical Educator
Moderate demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Teaches in medical schools or health training institutions, delivering lectures, clinical teaching, and assessments for medical and health sciences students.
Clinical Teaching Fellow
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Supports clinical teaching in teaching hospitals, facilitating bedside teaching, clinical skills training, and workplace-based assessment.
Curriculum Developer
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 450,000
Designs and develops medical and health sciences curricula for medical schools, training institutions, or health regulatory bodies.
Assessment Specialist
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 400,000
Designs and manages assessment systems in medical education, including OSCEs, workplace-based assessments, and licensing examinations.
Simulation Centre Director
Low demandKsh 120,000 to Ksh 500,000
Manages simulation centres in medical schools or teaching hospitals, overseeing simulation-based education programmes and faculty development.
Medical Education Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 110,000 to Ksh 500,000
Provides consulting services on medical education curriculum, assessment, faculty development, and programme evaluation for institutions.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as medical educators, clinical teaching fellows, curriculum developers, and assessment specialists in medical schools and health training institutions.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

SPSS
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical analysis software for medical education research, analysing assessment data, and conducting educational research studies.
Moodle
SoftwarePrimary
Learning management system used in medical schools for e-learning, online course delivery, assessment management, and student tracking.
Microsoft PowerPoint
Software
Presentation software for medical education lectures, teaching sessions, conference presentations, and educational workshops.
NVivo
Software
Qualitative data analysis software for medical education research, analysing interview data, focus groups, and qualitative evaluation data.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Medicine education is just about teaching medical students.
The programme covers comprehensive medical education including curriculum design, assessment, simulation, e-learning, programme evaluation, and educational leadership across all health professions education.
You need to be a medical doctor to study medicine education.
The programme accepts health professionals from various backgrounds including nursing, pharmacy, clinical medicine, and dentistry, not just medical doctors.
Medicine education has limited career prospects in Kenya.
Kenya's expanding medical schools, new health training institutions, and regulatory requirements for qualified educators create growing demand for medical education professionals.
This programme is the same as a general education degree.
The programme specifically addresses medical and health sciences education contexts, including clinical teaching, simulation, OSCE assessment, and competency-based medical education.
Medicine education is only for senior faculty members.
The programme develops medical education expertise from foundational levels and accepts health professionals at various career stages seeking to become effective educators.
Online medical education courses are equivalent to this programme.
This programme provides contextualised African medical education knowledge, practical clinical teaching exposure, and professional networking that online international courses cannot replicate.