Kenya Medical Training Colleges (KMTCs) offer a vast array of Diploma and Certificate courses in health-related fields. Actually, there are about 90 KMTCs across the country. KMTC recently increased opportunities in Community Health Programmes, and introduced Diploma in Health Insurance: to provide skilled workers for the Universal Health Care Programmes.
They also introduced Diploma in Mortuary Science: to provide professionally-trained morticians in morgues. Medical programmes in KMTCs are highly marketable, attracting umpteen applications in every intake. To enhance quality, most of the KMTC programmes are regulated by proficient professional bodies such as Kenya Nursing Council.
Applicants should ensure that their cluster subjects meet the minimum requirements. For instance, the cluster subjects for health science course offered in KMTCs include: Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics, and English or Kiswahili. Meaning, doing the three Sciences — Physics, Chemistry and Biology — gives a student an edge or advantage in career choices.
For some medical courses require foundational knowledge of the three Sciences. Then, when I write that a course requires Mathematics or Physics, it does not mean that a student can fail and fall flat in Mathematics, but still qualify for a particular course due to the peerless performance in Physics. Largely, Mathematics is compulsory in all courses. There is no debate about that.
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Getting down to the brass tacks, Diploma courses available in KMTCs include: Diploma in Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Diploma in Emergency Medical Technology and Diploma in Health Counselling. All of which require a mean grade of C (plain) in KCSE. For Diploma in Health Records and Information Technology, applicants require C (plain) in English or Kiswahili and a C- (Minus) in Mathematics. And at least a D+ (plus) in Biology.
Diploma in Kenya Registered Health Nursing, also has a minimum entry grade of C (plain) in KCSE, and it requires a C (plain) in either English or Kiswahili and Biology. Applicants must have at least a C- (minus) in Chemistry, Mathematics or Physics. Other Diploma programmes include: Diploma in Kenya Registered Nursing and Mid-wifery, Diploma in Kenya Registered Nursing (Mental Health and Psychiatry), Diploma in Medical Engineering, Diploma in Medical Laboratory Science, Diploma in Medical Social Work and Diploma in Mortuary Science.
There are also Diploma in Nutrition and Dietetics, Diploma in Occupational Therapy and Diploma in Optometry. Other Diploma courses available include: Diploma in Orthopaedic Technology, Diploma in Orthopaedic and Trauma Medicine, Diploma in Pharmacy, Diploma in Physiotherapy, Diploma in Public Health, Diploma in Radiography and Imaging and Diploma in Speech and Language Therapy.
Some of the certificate courses in KMTCs include: Certificate in Community Health Assistant, Certificate in Health Records and Information Technology, Certificate in Kenya Enrolled Community Health Nursing, Certificate in Medical Emergency Technician, Certificate in Public Health and Certificate in Orthopaedic Trauma Medicine. The minimum entry requirement is a KCSE Mean Grade of C- (minus). D+ (plus) is required for applicants interested in Certificate in Nutrition and Dietetics and Certificate in Medical Engineering.
By Victor Ochieng’
The writer is an educator — academic and career consultant. He speaks about Career Choices in Career Fairs. He guides Form 2 students on Selection of Subjects. He guides Form 4 students on Choice of Courses. vochieng.90@gmail.com. 0704420232
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