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Academic Programmes August 29, 2026

Doctor of Medicine

August 29, 2026admin4 min read

Programme Description

Doctor of Medicine is a five-year programme which intends to train a general duty medical doctor who has broad knowledge of common human diseases and conditions with emphasis on diseases endemic in tropical countries. The programme is coined such that the graduates will have proper skills and competencies that will enable them to manage and deliver preventive and curative health services efficiently. To achieve these, the programme is clustered into two aspects of training: Basic Sciences and Clinical Training. The student will spend the first three years studying the relevant basic sciences before embarking onto clinical years at designated teaching hospitals in the last two years (Junior and Clinical Rotations).

Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate an understanding of normal and abnormal structure, function, development and growth of the human body and personality.
  • Evaluate patients clinically and by laboratory investigations to reach appropriate diagnosis.
  • Provide correct medical and surgical interventions to the patients and refer where appropriate.
  • Manage health services at different levels of the health delivery system.
  • Identify and provide relevant preventive and curative community health services according to national and community priorities.
  • Conduct relevant training and supervision of other health personnel.
  • Conduct research and utilize the findings to improve the quality of health services.
  • Demonstrate good ethical conduct. 327

Programme Structure

Year 1

Semester One

Code Course Title Status Credits
MD 111 Gross and Neuroanatomy Core 33
MD 112 Medical Biochemistry Core 23
LG 105 Communication Skills Core 7.5
DS 105 Development Perspectives Core 7.5

Semester Two

Code Course Title Status Credits
MD 121 Human Embryology Core 1E+1
MD 122 Cell Biology and Histology Core 16
MD 123 Basic Physiology Core 14
MD 124 Behavioural Sciences Core 14
MD 125 Biostatistics and ICT Core 7

Year 2

Semester One

Code Course Title Status Credits
MD 211 Clinical Physiology Core 8
MD 212 Medical Microbiology and Immunology Core 24
MD 213 Basic Pathology Core 12
MD 214 Basic Clinical Methods Core 4
MD 215 Epidemiology and Research Methodology Core 12

Semester Two

Code Course Title Status Credits
MD 221 Systemic Pathology Core 24
MD 222 Medical Parasitology and Entomology Core 2E+1
MD 223 Basic Pharmacology Core 1E+1
MD 224 Community Medicine I: Nutrition Field Work Core 6

Year 3

Semester One

Code Course Title Status Credits
MD 311 Forensic Medicine Core 4
MD 312 Radiology I Core 7
MD 313 Clinical Pharmacology Core 15
MD 314 Psychopathology Core 1E+1
MD 315 Internal Medicine I Core 15
MD 316 Otorhinolaryngology I Core 4
MD 317 Orthopaedics and Traumatology I Core 5

Semester Two

Code Course Title Status Credits
MD 321 Ophthalmology I Core 4
MD 322 General Surgery I Core 12
MD 323 Psychiatry I Core 12
MD 324 Anaesthesiology and Critical Care I Core 4
MD 325 Paediatrics and Child Health I Core 11
MD 326 Obstetrics and Gynaecology I Core 11
MD 327 Community Medicine II: Communicable Disease Control Field Work Core 6

Year 4

Semester One

Code Course Title Status Credits
MD 411 Community Medicine III: Community Medicine Rotation Core 2E+1
MD 412 Paediatrics and Child Health II: Junior Clinical Rotation Core 2E+1
MD 413 Obstetrics and Gynaecology II: Junior Clinical Rotation Core 2E+1

Semester Two

Code Course Title Status Credits
MD 421 General Surgery II: Junior Clinical Rotation Core 2E+1
MD 422 Internal Medicine II: Junior Clinical Rotation Core 2E+1
MD 423 Elective Research Core 2E+1

Year 5

Semester One

Code Course Title Status Credits
MD 511 Paediatrics and Child Health III: Senior Clinical Rotation Core 12
MD 512 Obstetrics and Gynaecology III: Senior Clinical Rotation Core 12
MD 513 General Surgery III: Senior Clinical Rotation Core 12
MD 514 Internal Medicine III: Senior Clinical Rotation Core 12
MD 515 Psychiatry II: Clinical Rotation Core 12

Semester Two

Code Course Title Status Credits
MD 521 Otorhinolaryngology II: Clinical Rotation Core 1E+1
MD 522 Ophthalmology II: Clinical Rotation Core 1E+1
MD 523 Anaesthesiology and Critical Care II: Clinical Rotation Core 1E+1
MD 524 Orthopaedics and Traumatology II: Clinical Rotation Core 16
MD 525 Medical Ethics Core 4
MD 526 Radiology II: Clinical Rotation Core 1E+1

Special Programme Requirements

Field Practical Training • The students will be engaged in Nutrition Field in their second year, and in Communicable Diseases Control Field in their third year. They are conducted in various selected communities around Tanzania. • Nutrition Field Project is a community-based fieldwork practical training which aims to develop knowledge on nutrition and nutritional disorders to individuals and the community. It is done during the long vacation after second semester of year two. This field study provides broad based academic training that develops an understanding of nutrition and its role in the community health and diseases. • Community Health and Communicable Disease Control Field allows students to integrate theory into field practice on how to diagnose diseases at the community and take necessary preventive measures towards the control of such diseases. Clinical Rotations (Junior and Senior Clinical Rotations) • In this part, students are be exposed to Junior (fourth year) and Senior (firth year) clinical rotations where they learn apprenticeship as related to surgical and surgical specialties practice, internal medicine, community medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics and child health, and obstetrics and Gynaecology. • These clinical rotations aim at developing knowledge, practical skills, situation analysis, disease formulation and management of medical diseases to students who upon completion of the course should be competent without supervision to diagnose, treat, prevent comm on medical conditions, and recognize complex conditions needing referral to specialists and institute preventive measures where appropriate. Research Skills/Report • It is a training whereby a student conducts a health-related research project of his own choice under supervision. The research can be performed within the 330 country or abroad, and is co-coordinated by the Department of Community Health. It aims at developing an individualized practical experience in research methodology.

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