Health Sciences

Master of Medicine in Psychiatry

The Master of Medicine in Psychiatry is a postgraduate medical specialty programme that trains medical doctors to become specialist psychiatrists. The programme prepares graduates to diagnose, treat, and prevent mental illness, conduct psychiatric research, and teach in medical schools in Kenya and beyond.

Core areas of study include general psychiatry, biological psychiatry, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, child and adolescent psychiatry, forensic psychiatry, addiction psychiatry, community psychiatry, consultation-liaison psychiatry, and research methods. Students engage with both theoretical foundations and extensive clinical practice in psychiatric settings.

The programme is offered by numerous universities across Kenya, with University of Nairobi as a college. University of Nairobi offers MMed Psychiatry through its Department of Psychiatry, with a three-year full-time programme. The emphasis is on clinical and practical work with bedside teaching in wards and clinical case conferences.

Students develop competencies in psychiatric assessment, diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy techniques, managing psychiatric emergencies, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction treatment, forensic psychiatry, community mental health, and psychiatric research. The programme includes coursework, clinical rotations, examinations, and a research dissertation.

The programme is delivered over three years with full-time residency mode at University of Nairobi, with at least two of the three years spent in a medical institution in East Africa recognised by the university senate. The candidate is assigned clinical responsibility over a wide variety of patients under supervision. The programme commences every September with continuous enrollment.

Graduates pursue careers as consultant psychiatrists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, addiction specialists, forensic psychiatrists, community psychiatrists, and academic psychiatrists in hospitals, mental health centres, medical schools, and health ministries.

Skills Required

Psychiatric Assessment and Diagnosis
Psychopharmacology and Medication Management
Psychotherapy and Counselling Techniques
Managing Psychiatric Emergencies
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Addiction and Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Forensic Psychiatry and Mental Health Law
Community Mental Health Programme Management
Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
Psychiatric Research and Scholarship

Key Subjects

General Psychiatry
Biological Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology
Psychotherapy Techniques
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Forensic Psychiatry
Addiction Psychiatry
Community Psychiatry
Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
Psychiatric Research Methods
Mental Health Law and Ethics

Certifications

KMPDC Specialist Registration in Psychiatry
WPA Psychiatry Certification

Specializations

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Focuses on child and adolescent mental health, managing developmental disorders, ADHD, autism, childhood depression, and providing psychiatric care for children and adolescents.

Addiction Psychiatry

Examines addiction and substance use disorders, managing alcohol and drug dependence, behavioural addictions, and running addiction treatment programmes.

Forensic Psychiatry

Covers forensic psychiatry, assessing mental capacity, providing expert testimony in legal proceedings, managing psychiatric patients in correctional settings, and mental health law.

Community Psychiatry

Focuses on community mental health, managing population-level mental health programmes, deinstitutionalisation, community-based psychiatric care, and mental health policy.

Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry

Examines consultation-liaison psychiatry, managing psychiatric conditions in medical patients, psychosomatic disorders, and providing psychiatric consultation in general hospital settings.

Geriatric Psychiatry

Covers geriatric psychiatry, managing dementia, depression in elderly, late-life psychiatric disorders, and providing mental health care for older adults.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 358,667
Job market: Very 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: 15 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

General Psychiatry
Biological Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology
Psychotherapy Techniques
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Forensic Psychiatry
Addiction Psychiatry
Community Psychiatry
Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
Psychiatric Research Methods
Mental Health Law and Ethics

Modules

10 in the programme

General Psychiatry and Psychiatric Assessment
Year 1Semester 14 creditsCore
Examines general psychiatry principles, psychiatric assessment, mental state examination, diagnostic classification, and managing common mental disorders.
Biological Psychiatry and Psychopharmacology
Year 1Semester 14 creditsCore
Covers neurobiology of mental disorders, psychopharmacology, antipsychotics, antidepressants, mood stabilisers, anxiolytics, and medication management principles.
Psychotherapy and Counselling Techniques
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines psychotherapy techniques including cognitive behavioural therapy, supportive therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and counselling skills for psychiatric practice.
Schizophrenia and Major Mental Disorders
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, managing psychotic disorders, and treating severe and enduring mental illnesses.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines child and adolescent mental health, managing developmental disorders, ADHD, autism, childhood depression, and providing psychiatric care for children and adolescents.
Addiction Psychiatry
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers addiction and substance use disorders, managing alcohol and drug dependence, behavioural addictions, detoxification, and running addiction treatment programmes.
Forensic Psychiatry and Mental Health Law
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Examines forensic psychiatry, assessing mental capacity, providing expert testimony, managing psychiatric patients in correctional settings, and mental health law and ethics.
Community Psychiatry and Consultation-Liaison
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers community mental health, managing population-level programmes, deinstitutionalisation, consultation-liaison psychiatry, and managing psychiatric conditions in medical patients.
Psychiatric Emergencies and Crisis Management
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines psychiatric emergencies, managing acute psychosis, suicidal behaviour, violent patients, crisis intervention, and emergency psychiatric assessment and treatment.
Research Methods and Dissertation
Year 3Semester 26 creditsCore
Original research dissertation on a psychiatry topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and psychiatric knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Focuses on child and adolescent mental health, managing developmental disorders, ADHD, autism, childhood depression, and providing psychiatric care for children and adolescents.
Addiction Psychiatry
Examines addiction and substance use disorders, managing alcohol and drug dependence, behavioural addictions, and running addiction treatment programmes.
Forensic Psychiatry
Covers forensic psychiatry, assessing mental capacity, providing expert testimony in legal proceedings, managing psychiatric patients in correctional settings, and mental health law.
Community Psychiatry
Focuses on community mental health, managing population-level mental health programmes, deinstitutionalisation, community-based psychiatric care, and mental health policy.
Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
Examines consultation-liaison psychiatry, managing psychiatric conditions in medical patients, psychosomatic disorders, and providing psychiatric consultation in general hospital settings.
Geriatric Psychiatry
Covers geriatric psychiatry, managing dementia, depression in elderly, late-life psychiatric disorders, and providing mental health care for older adults.

A day as a student

A typical day during the MMed Psychiatry residency begins with morning ward rounds where residents assess psychiatric inpatients, review medication responses, and formulate management plans under consultant supervision. Residents manage patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders. Clinic sessions involve psychiatric assessments, psychotherapy, medication management, and follow-up consultations. Academic sessions include lectures on biological psychiatry, psychopharmacology, and case conferences discussing complex presentations. Residents rotate through various settings including acute psychiatry wards, child and adolescent services, addiction treatment, forensic psychiatry, and community mental health. On-call duties involve managing psychiatric emergencies including acute psychosis, suicidal behaviour, and violent patients. Psychotherapy training includes cognitive behavioural therapy, supportive therapy, and family therapy techniques. Journal clubs review recent psychiatric research. Research methodology sessions prepare residents for their dissertation. The programme at University of Nairobi is based at the Department of Psychiatry with Kenyatta National Hospital and Mathari Hospital access. The three-year programme culminates in MMed examinations and dissertation defence.

The trade offs

In its favour

Kenya has a critical shortage of psychiatrists with fewer than 100 for over 50 million people, creating extremely high demand.
Psychiatry offers diverse career paths including child, forensic, addiction, community, and consultation-liaison psychiatry.
Three-year programme is shorter than most surgical specialties, allowing earlier entry into specialist practice.
Psychiatrists enjoy relatively structured work environments with good work-life balance compared to other medical specialties.

Against it

Psychiatry involves managing patients with complex emotional and behavioural issues, which can be emotionally demanding.
Mental health stigma in Kenya may limit patient help-seeking and professional recognition of the specialty.
Limited mental health infrastructure and resources in Kenya can challenge effective psychiatric practice.
Many listed universities may not have established MMed Psychiatry programmes, limiting actual training options.

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

Public187k to 359k

187k at Moi University359k at University of Nairobi

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 1.08M/3yr (kenyaeducationguide). Moi ~187K/yr (worldscholarshipforum). Private unverified.

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. WHO provides mental health grants for developing countries. WPA offers education grants for psychiatric trainees internationally. The programme's critical mental health shortage status attracts health sector funding.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
WHO Mental Health Grants
WPA Education Grants

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate medical studies at recognised universities.
WHO Mental Health Grants
ScholarshipKsh 400,000
WHO provides mental health grants for developing countries to strengthen mental health systems and train mental health professionals.
WPA Education Grants
ScholarshipKsh 400,000
World Psychiatric Association offers education grants for psychiatric trainees in developing countries pursuing psychiatry specialisation.

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 medically qualified doctors seeking to specialise in psychiatry. Three-year full-time study with at least two years in a recognised East African medical institution. The programme commences every September with continuous enrollment. Admission is competitive.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Clinical Assessment
Practical30% of the mark
Ongoing clinical assessment during residency rotations, evaluating psychiatric assessment, patient management, psychotherapy skills, and professional conduct.
Written Examinations
Examination30% of the mark
Written examinations covering psychiatry principles, psychopharmacology, diagnostic classification, and clinical scenarios, conducted at end of each academic year.
OSCE and Clinical Examinations
Practical30% of the mark
Objective Structured Clinical Examinations assessing psychiatric assessment, mental state examination, psychotherapy skills, and clinical reasoning in structured stations.
Research Dissertation
Research100% of the mark
Original research dissertation on a psychiatry topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and psychiatric knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE) and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC). University of Nairobi's MMed Psychiatry is offered through its Department of Psychiatry. The programme meets KMPDC standards for specialist training in psychiatry.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE. University of Nairobi's MMed Psychiatry is offered through its Department of Psychiatry.
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC)
Professional accreditationRequired
KMPDC accredits and regulates medical specialty training. Graduates must register with KMPDC as specialist psychiatrists to practise in Kenya.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Consultant Psychiatrist
Very high demandKsh 320,000 to Ksh 1,100,000
Diagnoses and treats mental disorders in hospital psychiatric departments, managing inpatients and outpatients, and providing psychiatric consultation.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
High demandKsh 350,000 to Ksh 1,200,000
Specialises in child and adolescent mental health, managing developmental disorders, ADHD, autism, and providing psychiatric care for young people.
Addiction Specialist
High demandKsh 300,000 to Ksh 1,000,000
Specialises in addiction treatment, managing substance use disorders, running rehabilitation programmes, and providing addiction consultation.
Forensic Psychiatrist
Moderate demandKsh 350,000 to Ksh 1,200,000
Assesses mental capacity, provides expert testimony in legal proceedings, and manages psychiatric patients in correctional settings.
Community Psychiatrist
High demandKsh 280,000 to Ksh 900,000
Manages community mental health programmes, implementing population-level interventions, deinstitutionalisation, and community-based psychiatric care.
Academic Psychiatrist
High demandKsh 250,000 to Ksh 800,000
Teaches psychiatry in medical schools, conducting mental health research, training residents, and providing clinical psychiatric services.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers as consultant psychiatrists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, addiction specialists, and academic psychiatrists in hospitals and mental health centres.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Electronic Health Record System
SoftwarePrimary
Electronic health record system for managing psychiatric patient records, tracking medication, documenting assessments, and coordinating care.
DSM-5 Diagnostic Manual
ReferencePrimary
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders for diagnosing psychiatric conditions, classifying mental disorders, and guiding treatment decisions.
Mental Status Examination Tools
Equipment
Standardised mental status examination tools and rating scales for assessing depression, anxiety, psychosis, and cognitive function.
SPSS
Software
Statistical analysis software for psychiatric research, analysing clinical outcomes data, and conducting mental health research studies.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Psychiatry is just about talking to patients.
Psychiatry involves comprehensive medical training, psychopharmacology, neurobiology, psychotherapy, and managing complex mental health conditions with both biological and psychological interventions.
Psychiatry is not real medicine.
Psychiatry is a medical specialty requiring MBChB training, with strong foundations in neurobiology, pharmacology, and evidence-based medicine.
Psychiatry has limited career prospects in Kenya.
Kenya has a severe shortage of psychiatrists with fewer than 100 for over 50 million people, creating extremely high demand in hospitals, mental health centres, and medical schools.
Psychiatrists only work in mental hospitals.
Psychiatrists work in diverse settings including general hospitals, outpatient clinics, addiction centres, correctional facilities, schools, private practice, and community mental health programmes.
Psychiatry is depressing and emotionally draining.
While psychiatry involves emotional work, it also offers immense satisfaction in helping patients recover, with good work-life balance compared to other medical specialties.
This programme is the same as clinical psychology.
Psychiatry is a medical specialty for doctors who can prescribe medication and perform medical interventions, while clinical psychology is a separate profession focused on psychotherapy and psychological assessment.