With over 22,000 students attending more than 50 medical courses, the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) makes the biggest single contribution to the health sector in Kenya.

The only public middle level health training institution under the Ministry of Health produces over 6000 graduates every year for both the Kenyan public and private health sectors, accounting for more than 80 percent of the hospitals’ workforce.

According to Martin Ogwang, a lecturer at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, KMTC graduates are in high demand both locally and internationally.

He attributes this to KMTC’s curriculum which aligns with international standards as well as the institution’s examination policy.

“I wanted to learn why KMTC graduates are in such high demand locally and internationally. This knowledge would be useful when I return to JKUAT, where I plan to recommend changes to help our students compete globally,” he explained.

“One of the things that, in my view, makes KMTC marketable is its curriculum. It aligns with international standards…The way exams are administered here is remarkable. I have never seen a process so secure that even the examiners do not know the set questions. This is something we could adopt at the university,” he added.

KMTC recently revealed courses that have a high demand internationally including in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK).

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According to KMTC CEO Kelly Oluoch, graduates who have specialized  in Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Clinical Medicine, Medical Laboratory Sciences, and Nutrition and Dietetics, are the most sought after by employers in the US and UK.

“While nursing has traditionally dominated recruitment requests, we now witness increasing interest in Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Clinical Medicine, and Medical Laboratory Sciences. Other disciplines like Nutrition and Dietetics, among others, are also beginning to attract attention,” he stated.

Some of the academic programs offered at KMTC are:

1. Clinical Medicine (diploma and higher diploma)
2. Community Nutrition ( certificate, diploma)
3. Community Oral Health (diploma)
4. Dental Technology (diploma)
5. Environmental Health Sciences ( certificate, diploma and higher diploma)
6. Health Education and Promotion (diploma and higher diploma)
7. Health Records and Information (certificate and diploma)
8. Medical Education (higher diploma)
9. Medical Engineering (certificate, diploma and higher diploma)
10. Medical Imaging Sciences (diploma and Higher diploma)
11. Medical Laboratory Sciences (diploma and higher diploma)
12. Nursing (certificate, diploma and higher diploma)
13. Occupational therapy (diploma)
14. Optometry (diploma)
15. Orthopedic Technology (Certificate, diploma)
16. Orthopedic Trauma and Medicine (diploma)
17. Pharmacy (diploma and higher diploma)
18. Physiotherapy (diploma, higher diploma)
19. Health Systems Management (Higher diploma)