As a student working towards building a career in the medicine and surgery field, you have many options to choose from, as medicine and surgery are one of the most demanding but equally rewarding fields in the educational sector. Nigeria has quite a number of great universities offering medicine and surgery, so the challenge of choosing the one best for you comes in.
However, in this article, we are here to help, as we conducted the necessary research and data analysis, taking into consideration research facilities, teaching hospitals, hands-on experience, and many other factors to compile this list. So as a high school student looking for admission or a medical student seeking transfer, our inventory is spicy enough to properly inform and orient you on the best university to choose for your medical education. Let’s dive right in!
In general, these top universities have some factors and demands in common. These demands are:
- At least an aggregate score of 280 in
- Five WAEC OR A_LEVEL credits in Mathematics, English Language, Biology, Physics, and chemistry.
- A good post-UTME score meeting the specific university cut-off mark.
- The course runs for six years and a one-year internship is compulsory.
1. University of Ibadan (UI)
UI is a federal University, established in the year 1948, and is located in Ibadan, the heart city of Oyo state. UI is one of the best universities in Nigeria and has been said to keep the number one position for the best college of health sciences for quite a while now. The College of health sciences teaching hospital is said to be the best in the country. The university is quite popular for the massive number of applicants that compete for the limited medicine and surgery slots in the university. Courses or departments under medicine and surgery in the College of health sciences at UI include: :
- Anatomy
- Biochemistry
- Physiology
- Medicine
- Surgery
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Ophthalmology
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
- Community Medicine.
2. Ahmadu Bello University (ABU)
ABU is a federal university located in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The university was established in 1970 and has constantly improved its facilities and teaching hospital in the College of Health Science, making it a desirable option for aspirants every new year. There is a renowned cardiologist and physician who proudly stated that she graduated from this prestigious site of learning, Her name is Elizabeth Ofili. The various departments available in the College of health sciences at ABU are:
- Department of Chemical Pathology
- Department of Pathology (Morbid Anatomy)
- Department of Community Medicine
- Department of Dental Surgery
- Department of Psychiatry
- Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion
- Department of Human Anatomy
- Department of Anesthesia
- Department of Human Physiology
- Department of Medical Microbiology
- Department of Medicine
- Department of Radiology
- Department of Nursing Science
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Department of Ophthalmology
- Department of Pediatrics
- Department of Surgery
- Department of Traumatic and Orthopedic Surgery
3. University of Lagos (UNILAG)
UNILAG is a federal university, established in 1962, and is one of the best universities in Nigeria, with an abundance of good infrastructure and learning materials to aid students in studying any course whatsoever. It is always among the best to study any course in Nigeria, especially medicine and surgery. It is of good note that the College of Health Sciences at the university was given a separate campus to allow the students to function well and focus on their studies. Currently, the college has four different departments, with sub-departments under them, namely;
- School of Basic Medical Sciences,
- Clinical Sciences,
- School of Dental Sciences and
- Institute of Child Health
4. Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU)
OAU is a federal university sited at Ile-Ife, Osun, Nigeria, and has been in existence since 1972, but the College of Health Science at the university came into being in 1993. The university is one of the cheapest federal universities, but it has high standards. The university has one of the highest medicine and surgery cut-off marks; that is, they have so many aspirants, but they find the means to only pick the best of the best. OAU is a very competitive school and has all the facilities it takes, including a renowned teaching hospital for hands-on experience for their medical students. The College of Health Science at OAU consists of three main faculties with departments for specialization.
1) Faculty of Clinical Sciences
- Anaesthesia and Intensive Care;
- Medicine
- Community Health
- Dermatology and Venereology
- Mental Health
- Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Perinatology
- Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology
- Pediatrics and Child Health
- Radiology
2) Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences
- Anatomy and Cell Biology
- Chemical Pathology
- Hematology and Immunology
- Medical Microbiology and Parasitology
- Medical Biochemistry
- Medical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
- Medical Rehabilitation
- Morbid Anatomy and Forensic Medicine
- Nursing Science
- Physiological Sciences
3) Faculty of Dentistry
- Child dental health;
- Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Pathology
- Preventive and community dentistry
- Restorative Dentistry
5. University of Nigeria, Nsukka(UNN)
UNN is a federal university located in Turku, Ozalla, Enugu State, Nigeria. UNN is one of the first universities in Nigeria and one of the oldest colleges of health sciences, dating back as far as 1982. The university has a high inflow of applicants for the limited medicine and surgery slots. The university provides great learning techniques for students of health sciences and has been a standard for a lot of other universities that came into being after it was founded, so for applicants wanting the best, UNN is a special variety.
6. Lagos State University(LASU)
LASU is a state university that was established in 1999 and is located in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria. This is a prestigious university that has facilities, programs, and a lot of special features that many federal and state universities cannot boast of. There are indications that this university is worthy of being a health science specialized university and can produce graduates that meet worldwide standards. The college at LASU offers three faculties, namely; Basic medical sciences, Basic clinical sciences, and clinical sciences, which can be branched into different departments for specialization.
7. University of Ilorin
UNIILORIN is a federal university that is in high demand. The institution of learning was established in 1975 and has been a goal-getting university for many aspirants. Many students want to attend the university because of its serene environment, good academic calendar, and no-strike policy. These features make UNIILORIN special and a great choice to study medicine and surgery.
8. University of Calabar
The University of Calabar is a great choice for people living in the eastern part of Nigeria as the university offers all the students need for a great educational career in Medicine and Surgery. The university is located in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, and has been in existence since 1975. Courses or departments under the College of Health Sciences at the University of Calabar include:
- The Faculty of Medicine (with 16 departments)
- Faculty of Dentistry (with 5 departments)
- Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences and
- Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences.
9. University of Benin (UNIBEN)
UNIBEN is a federal university founded in 1970, popular in the western part of Nigeria for providing excellent facilities, equipment, and great programs for learning. The university admits about 300 students every year to study medicine and surgery. The university has high standards and selects the best of the best, making it a highly desirable university among others. The faculties under the College of Health Science at UNIBEN include the School of Medicine, the School of Basic Medical Science, and the School of Dentistry.
10. Delta State University
Delta State University is a renowned state university sitting in the heart of Delta State, providing premium education and practical educational experiences to students, especially medicine and surgery students. The university was founded in 1992, but the College of Health Sciences at the university started operating in 2001. The data gathered during our research shows that thousands of students apply for a few hundred slots in medicine and surgery at the university.
In conclusion, the most important thing is that medicine and surgery as a course is a highly competitive field in Nigeria, and the only way to make headway no matter the choice of institution is to read and study well, have high grades and be ready to perform practicals and experiments well. We hope that this article has helped provide relevant information about the best universities to study medicine and surgery in Nigeria. We love hearing from you, so drop us a comment. We wish you the very best in your academic pursuits. Cheers!
