Health Sciences

Master of Medicine in Surgery

The Master of Medicine in Surgery (General Surgery) is a postgraduate medical programme that trains medical doctors to become specialist surgeons. The programme combines advanced surgical theory with intensive clinical training in general surgery and surgical sub-specialities.

Core areas include surgical anatomy, surgical physiology, general surgery, trauma surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, vascular surgery, endocrine surgery, surgical oncology, emergency surgery, and research methods. Students engage with both theoretical study and extensive clinical practice in hospital settings.

The programme is offered by the University of Nairobi, Moi University, and Aga Khan University. Both public and private universities offer the programme over five academic years through full-time clinical training at affiliated teaching hospitals.

Students develop competencies in general surgery, trauma management, gastrointestinal surgery, vascular surgery, endocrine surgery, surgical oncology, emergency surgery, and research methods. The programme includes coursework, clinical rotations, surgical training, examinations, and thesis.

The University of Nairobi charges approximately KES 382,000 (Year 1), KES 332,000 (Years 2-4), and KES 362,000 (Year 5), total KES 1,740,000 (~KES 348,000/year). Entry requires an MBChB degree, registration with KMPDC, and professional indemnity insurance.

Graduates pursue careers as consultant surgeons, trauma surgeons, surgical oncologists, gastrointestinal surgeons, vascular surgeons, and academic faculty in medical schools.

Skills Required

General Surgery Practice
Trauma and Emergency Surgery
Gastrointestinal Surgery
Vascular Surgery
Endocrine Surgery
Surgical Oncology
Preoperative and Postoperative Care
Surgical Anatomy and Physiology
Clinical Research Methods
Academic Writing and Thesis Research

Key Subjects

Surgical Anatomy and Physiology
General Surgery
Trauma and Emergency Surgery
Gastrointestinal Surgery
Vascular Surgery
Endocrine Surgery
Surgical Oncology
Preoperative and Postoperative Care
Clinical Research Methods
Thesis Research

Certifications

KMPDC Specialist Registration in General Surgery
SSK Professional Membership

Specializations

Trauma and Emergency Surgery

Focuses on trauma surgery, covering trauma management, emergency surgery, damage control surgery, and managing surgical emergencies.

Gastrointestinal Surgery

Examines gastrointestinal surgery, covering upper GI surgery, lower GI surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, and managing GI surgical conditions.

Surgical Oncology

Covers surgical oncology, covering cancer surgery, tumour resection, and managing surgical aspects of cancer treatment.

Vascular Surgery

Focuses on vascular surgery, covering arterial surgery, venous surgery, vascular trauma, and managing vascular surgical conditions.

Endocrine Surgery

Examines endocrine surgery, covering thyroid surgery, parathyroid surgery, adrenal surgery, and managing endocrine surgical conditions.

Paediatric Surgery

Covers paediatric surgery, covering congenital anomalies, paediatric surgical conditions, and managing surgical conditions in children.

Duration: 5 years
Public, up to: Ksh 348,000
Private, up to: Ksh 213,875
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: 12 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

Surgical Anatomy and Physiology
General Surgery
Trauma and Emergency Surgery
Gastrointestinal Surgery
Vascular Surgery
Endocrine Surgery
Surgical Oncology
Preoperative and Postoperative Care
Clinical Research Methods
Thesis Research

Modules

12 in the programme

Surgical Anatomy and Physiology
Year 1Semester 14 creditsCore
Examines surgical anatomy, surgical physiology, wound healing, surgical metabolism, and fundamental surgical science.
Foundations of General Surgery
Year 1Semester 14 creditsCore
Covers general surgery principles, surgical techniques, preoperative assessment, postoperative care, and fundamental surgical practice.
Surgical Pathology
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines surgical pathology, covering tissue diagnosis, surgical pathology techniques, and understanding pathological basis of surgical disease.
Clinical Research Methods
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Covers research design, data collection, analysis, and conducting clinical research, preparing trainees for their thesis.
Trauma and Emergency Surgery
Year 2Semester 14 creditsCore
Covers trauma management, emergency surgery, damage control surgery, and managing surgical emergencies.
Gastrointestinal Surgery
Year 2Semester 24 creditsCore
Examines gastrointestinal surgery, covering upper GI surgery, lower GI surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, and managing GI surgical conditions.
Vascular and Endocrine Surgery
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Covers vascular surgery and endocrine surgery, covering arterial surgery, venous surgery, thyroid surgery, and managing vascular and endocrine surgical conditions.
Surgical Oncology
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Examines surgical oncology, covering cancer surgery, tumour resection, multimodal cancer treatment, and managing surgical aspects of cancer.
Surgical Sub-speciality Rotations
Year 3Semester 24 creditsCore
Covers rotations through surgical sub-specialities including urology, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and paediatric surgery.
Advanced General Surgery
Year 4Semester 14 creditsCore
Examines advanced general surgery, covering complex surgical procedures, laparoscopic surgery, and managing complex surgical cases.
Research Seminar
Year 5Semester 13 creditsCore
Preparation of research proposal and thesis, including research design, literature review, methodology, and presentation.
Research Thesis
Year 5Semester 210 creditsCore
Original clinical research thesis on a surgical topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and clinical knowledge, assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Trauma and Emergency Surgery
Focuses on trauma surgery, covering trauma management, emergency surgery, damage control surgery, and managing surgical emergencies.
Gastrointestinal Surgery
Examines gastrointestinal surgery, covering upper GI surgery, lower GI surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, and managing GI surgical conditions.
Surgical Oncology
Covers surgical oncology, covering cancer surgery, tumour resection, and managing surgical aspects of cancer treatment.
Vascular Surgery
Focuses on vascular surgery, covering arterial surgery, venous surgery, vascular trauma, and managing vascular surgical conditions.
Endocrine Surgery
Examines endocrine surgery, covering thyroid surgery, parathyroid surgery, adrenal surgery, and managing endocrine surgical conditions.
Paediatric Surgery
Covers paediatric surgery, covering congenital anomalies, paediatric surgical conditions, and managing surgical conditions in children.

A day as a student

A typical day during the M.Med in Surgery programme combines ward rounds, outpatient clinics, theatre sessions, tutorials, seminars, and independent study. The programme is primarily clinical, with trainees based at teaching hospitals. Morning ward rounds involve reviewing surgical inpatients, assessing postoperative patients, managing surgical complications, and preparing patients for surgery. Outpatient clinics provide experience with surgical consultations, diagnosing surgical conditions, and managing outpatient surgical care. Theatre sessions provide hands-on surgical experience in general surgery, trauma surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, vascular surgery, and emergency surgery, under consultant supervision. Trainees perform procedures including appendicectomy, hernia repair, bowel resection, thyroidectomy, and managing surgical emergencies. Tutorials cover surgical anatomy, surgical physiology, surgical pathology, and clinical scenarios. Seminars and journal clubs provide opportunities for discussing current evidence, surgical techniques, and research. On-call duties provide experience with surgical emergencies including trauma, acute abdomen, and surgical complications. Research methods sessions prepare trainees for their thesis, covering research design, data collection, and analysis. The programme includes rotations through surgical sub-specialities including urology, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery. The programme culminates in a research thesis and clinical examinations for specialist certification.

The trade offs

In its favour

Very high demand for surgeons in Kenya, with excellent career prospects and job security across the country.
Programme provides comprehensive training in general surgery and sub-specialities, offering diverse career paths.
Graduates are eligible for KMPDC specialist registration, enabling independent specialist surgical practice.
Programme offered by three universities including both public and private, providing institutional choice.

Against it

Programme is expensive at ~KES 348,000/year over 5 years (total ~KES 1,740,000).
Programme duration is 5 years, the longest of most Master's programmes.
Moi University and Aga Khan University fee data not independently verified, limiting cost comparison.
Clinical training involves long hours, on-call duties, high-stress environments, and significant responsibility.

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 348k

187k at Moi University348k at University of Nairobi

Private214k to 214k

214k at Aga Khan University214k 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 1.74M/5yr (kenyaeducationguide). AKU ~214K/yr (businessradar). Moi ~187K/yr (worldscholarshipforum).

HELB postgraduate loans are available for Kenyan students. KMPDC may provide training support for medical professionals. SSK may provide professional development support. Some hospitals and counties may sponsor doctors for specialist training. International surgical organisations may provide fellowships and training support.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
KMPDC Training Support
SSK Professional Development

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan students pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities.
KMPDC Training Support
ScholarshipKsh 300,000Kenyan
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council supports specialist training for medical professionals in Kenya.
SSK Professional Development
GrantKsh 200,000Kenyan
Surgical Society of Kenya supports professional development for surgeons in Kenya.

Getting in

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

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: Applicants must hold an MBChB degree, be registered with KMPDC, have valid professional indemnity insurance, and provide evidence of good conduct. UoN has an upper age limit of 32 years and requires evidence of continuing surgical exposure. Contact respective universities for specific admission requirements.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Clinical Assessment
Coursework30% of the mark
Continuous assessment through clinical performance, case presentations, ward rounds, surgical skills evaluation, and surgical logbook during rotations.
Written Examinations
Examination30% of the mark
Written examinations covering surgical theory, surgical anatomy, surgical pathology, and clinical scenarios.
Clinical and Surgical Examinations
Practical40% of the mark
Practical clinical and surgical examinations including OSCEs, surgical case assessments, and demonstrating surgical skills.
Research Thesis
Research100% of the mark
Original clinical research thesis on a surgical topic, demonstrating mastery of research methods and clinical 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 and Moi University (public) and Aga Khan University (private) offer M.Med in General Surgery. All programmes meet CUE and KMPDC standards for postgraduate medical training. Graduates are eligible for KMPDC specialist registration in general surgery.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Programme accredited by CUE and the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC). University of Nairobi and Moi University (public) and Aga Khan University (private) offer M.Med in General Surgery. All programmes meet CUE and KMPDC standards for postgraduate medical training. Graduates are eligible for KMPDC specialist registration in general surgery.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

6 roles

Consultant Surgeon
Very high demandKsh 450,000 to Ksh 2,000,000
Provides surgical services in hospitals, overseeing general surgery, emergency surgery, and managing surgical conditions.
Trauma Surgeon
High demandKsh 450,000 to Ksh 1,800,000
Specialises in trauma surgery, overseeing trauma management, emergency surgery, and managing traumatic injuries.
Surgical Oncologist
Moderate demandKsh 500,000 to Ksh 2,000,000
Specialises in surgical oncology, overseeing cancer surgery, tumour resection, and managing surgical aspects of cancer treatment.
Gastrointestinal Surgeon
Moderate demandKsh 500,000 to Ksh 2,000,000
Specialises in GI surgery, overseeing gastrointestinal surgery, hepatobiliary surgery, and managing GI surgical conditions.
Surgery Lecturer
High demandKsh 350,000 to Ksh 1,000,000
Teaches surgery at medical school level, overseeing instruction, clinical training, research, and academic supervision.
Surgical Service Director
Moderate demandKsh 600,000 to Ksh 2,000,000
Directs surgical services in hospitals, overseeing service delivery, quality assurance, and surgical department operations.

Graduate outcomes