University of Ghana Medical School

History of University Of Ghana Medical School

The Establishment of the Medical School
The idea to establish a Medical School in Ghana was conceived in 1919 when the Korle-Bu Hospital was built by the then Governor of the Gold Coast, Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg.
It was however shelved when the Governor left office. The idea was revived in 1951 when, at a joint request by Government and the University College of the Gold Coast, a delegation visited from the University of London to draw up a scheme and to specify staffing and facilities needed for a full-scale Medical School. A year later, a Commission appointed by the Government to enquire into the health needs of the Gold Coast recommended an indefinite postponement of the establishment of the Medical School, a recommendation that was accepted by the Government in 1952. In 1955 both the University College of the Gold Coast, and the Kumasi College of Technology were invited by Government to review the possibilities of establishing a Medical School. The University College put forward a scheme for starting medical teaching on a minimal scale to be gradually built upon to the level envisaged by the 1951 London University delegation. In line with this, the University College Council set up a committee in 1956 headed by Dr. D. M. Balme, principal of the College, to advice on alternative ways for establishing the Medical School. This Committee recommended an annual intake of 20-25 students, and four pre-clinical departments at Legon, and the conversion of Korle-Bu hospital into a Teaching Hospital, with its own Management Board.
By 1960, no decision for implementation had been taken as it was then felt that Korle-Bu was not adequate for clinical training, and it would be more desirable for a new teaching hospital to be built at Legon. The financial implications of this project compelled Government to seek assistance from the United States Government following which the US President sent Dr. Paul Connerlly to head a team to evaluate all previous efforts made. This team recommended, among other things, the establishment of a National Medical and Health Training Centre, with the Medical School as the first constituent. Following acceptance of the recommendations by the Government, a Medical School consultant team, under the USAID in 1962 recommended further that the National Medical and Health Training Centre should be established with the following components when fully developed.

A Medical School
A School of Nursing
A Dental School
A School of Medical Technology
A Post Graduate School
A Research Facilities Centre

An additional recommendation was that the Medical School should be financially autonomous with its own Council and be affiliated to the University of Ghana which will then award degrees of the University.
For a smooth implementation of an American system in the predominantly British environment, it was proposed that students from Sixth Form should undergo a two year premedical training in a number of subjects prior to the commencement of their full medical training. Thus in October 1962, the first batch of 51 premedical students was admitted into the University of Ghana. Barely one year after its commencement, however, the project was suddenly terminated because the American Dean had indicated that he could not get teachers for the Basic Sciences. With the fate of the 51 students hanging in the balance, the then president of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr.Kwame Nkrumah, took a bold decision in February 1964 to establish a Medical School relying predominantly on local financial and manpower resources. The feasibility of establishing a Medical School in Ghana was supported by the findings of a delegation consisting of Prof. A. A. Kwapong, Dr. C. O. Easmon and Dr. E. A. Badoe to the newly opened University of Lagos and the University of Ibadan Medical Schools.
On hindsight, the enforced exercise in self reliant development proved to be invaluable in the long term.

Growth and Development of the School
In October 1964 a group of 41 students started the Preclinical Training, with a small group of Ghanaian doctors as their lecturers. The curriculum was mainly Gross Anatomy and Histology, taught by Mr. J. K. M. Quartey, and assisted by Dr. F. N. L. Engmann and a number of surgeons and pathologists as part time lecturers. From this modest beginning, other departments, namely physiology, started by Dr. H. H. Philips, and Biochemistry, started by Dr. B. Y. A. Andoh, were later added to constitute the Basic Sciences. Teaching started in paraclinical Departments in April, 1966 and in Clinical Departments in April, 1967. The first batch of students graduated in June 1969.

University Of Ghana Medical School Pioneer Department Heads.

Paraclinical Departments and Heads of Department consisted of the following:
Department of Pharmacology headed by Prof. R. Lewis and assisted by Dr. J. Blukoo Allotey
Department of Pathology headed by Prof. F. W. N. Laing
Department of Microbiology, headed by Dr. S. N. Afoakwa
Department of Surgery, headed by Prof. Charles Easmon
Department of Medicine, Headed by Prof. S. R. A. Dodu
Department of Paediatrics, headed by Dr. Yaw Asirifi
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, headed by Prof. K. K. Bentsi-Enchill
Department of Community Health, headed by Dr. F. T. Sai

Thus, the School started almost entirely with Ghanaians. By the end of the first year, permission had been given to recruit expatriate staff to augment the efforts of the local staff. By December 1968, the Ghana Medical School had become a semi-autonomous institution within the University of Ghana with academic functions similar to those of any faculty in the University. Its new name then became the University of Ghana Medical School. It was given its own Executive Council and a School Board. It also had its own self accounting administration which reported to the School Board and the Executive Council.
As a faculty of the University, a Dean provided academic and administrative leadership, assisted by a Vice Dean,and an Executive Secretary. The first Dean, Professor C.O. Easmon, a surgeon, served for 7 years. He was followed in succession by Professors S.R.A. Dodu, H.H. Phillips, F.N.L. Engmann, E.Q. Archampong, S. K. Owusu. By 1998, the School had come of age and subsequent deans who were alumni of the School were Rev Prof.A.S. Ayettey, Prof.C.N.B. Tagoe and the current Dean, Prof. A. L. Lawson, who has been serving since November 2005. The first Executive Secretary of the School was Mr. C. K. Gbeho and Mrs. Deborah Boafoh was the first Administrative Secretary. From the modest number of 8 (eight) departments, the School now operates through 17 (seventeen) departments, namely departments of Anatomy, Biochemistry, Physiology, Chemical Pathology, Haematology, Mircobiology, Pathology, Pharmacology Anaesthesia, Child Health, Community Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Psychiatry, Radiology and Surgery.

It is our pride note that the School was started solely by a dedicated all-Ghanaian staff and continues to run almost entirely by Ghanaians with over 80% being alumni.
The Curriculum of the School has been revised a number of times to reflect national health needs and prevailing trends in medical education. In 1992, during one such revision, a BSc (Medical Science) degree was introduced to be awarded at the end of the Para-clinical Sciences course. This degree now serves as a prerequisite for Clinical Training. The implementation of the reduction in the length of training from seven and a half years to six, including one year premedical course.
Intake into the UGMS has seen a gradual increase over time. Thus from an initial intake of 41 in 1964, the number rose to 53 in 1973 and 94 in 1999. With the introduction of the new curriculum in the 2006/2007 academic year and the phasing out of the old, the Medical School found itself in a transitional period, hence the admission from two classes, and a significant increase in intake to 195. The Medical School has over the years tried to maintain gender balance in its admissions process, with an intake of at least 25% of female students. 5% of foreign students, mainly from African countries without Medical Schools, were admitted in the early years but since 1999 foreign students from all over the world amounting to about 20% are being admitted. Currently, the total number of students in the UGMS stands at 802 (eight hundred and two) in the 2006-2007 academic year.
The University of Ghana Medical School has in the past not only played a pivotal role in the establishment of other health related institutions within the University of Ghana, but it has also supported fledgling sister Medical School both within and outside the country. In the late seventies, the first two batches of students from the School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, completed their training at Korle-Bu, and lately the UGMS has been receiving students from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University for Development Studies.
Following the establishment of the College of Health Sciences in 1999, the UGMS became a constituent institution along with five others. The Executive Council has now given way to a College Council that governs the College.

University of Ghana Medical School ACHIEVEMENTS

Student enrolment made gains over the years with an initial intake of 41 in
1964, 53 in 1973 and 94 in 1999 increasing to about 150 by 2011. The female numbers have also increased from an initial intake of 3 to 71 females out of 154 in 2011,a percentage increase of about 2,367%. Since the first batch of 39 doctors qualified in 1969, the UGMS has graduated a cumulative total of 2,752doctors as at 2012. This is made up of 2,083 males and 669 females.
Specialist and Graduate Training
Since 1972, the UGMS has made significant contributions towards training of specialists in the country through its postgraduate programme, initially under the Royal Colleges of Britian, then the West African Postgraduate Medical College and recently the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons. Majority of graduates have gone through specialist training and are working in that capacity.
Role in the Development of other Medical Schools
The UGMS had in the past, played a leading role in the establishment of other health related institutions within the University of Ghana, and indeed, nurtured and supported sister medical schools in the country. The Development of the University of Ghana Dental School was initiated in 1974 and nurtured until it attained full faculty status in 1992. In 1979 the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research was established and we are all witnesses to the excellent work that the institution is doing. At the request of the Ministry of Health in 1994, the Medical School developed and ran courses leading to the award ofDiploma in Medical Laboratory Technology to upgrade the knowledge and expertise of laboratory technicians in the nation’s hospitals.
The Medical School was called upon again in 1994 and 1998 by the Ministry of Health to assist with the establishment of the School of Public Health {for the higher degrees in the field of Public Health) and the School of Allied. Health Science for the training of Laboratory Scientists, Physiotherapists, Radiographers and Medical and Dental Technologists and other Allied Health professionals. The Medical School mooted and nurtured the idea of bringing together all these institutions, with the Department of Nursing; now the School of Nursing to form the first College of the University of-Ghana, the College of Health Sciences.
In the late seventies, the first two batches of students from the School of Medical Sciences,
KNUST, completed their clinical training at UGMS. The UGMS have offeredstudents of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Development Studies, Tamale for remedial pre- and para-clinical and full clinical training leading to the award of UDS degrees. Faculty of UGMS continues to travel to Tamale, UDS to teach when training at UDS was localized in Tamale. More recently, lecturers of UGMS were instrumental in the development of the curricula of the University of ‘Cape Coast Medical School and have been lecturing in the School since its inception.
In 2009, with the approval of the University, the UGMS introduced a new programme, the
Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP) to give the opportunity to graduates in science who wish to pursue a career in medicine. It is an integrated four-year programme leading to the award of MB ChB Degree. To enhance clinical skills training clinical skills the School also established a clinical skills and simulation centre in 2009.

University Of Ghana Medical School Admissions

The university of Ghana Medical school Runs two separate admissions. These are ;

Graduate Medical Entry Program (for Bsc holders )
Direct Medical Entry (for SSCE/WASSCE /Other Recognized High School Certificates.

University Of Ghana Medical School Programs or Courses

Undergraduate Programs

COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

School of Medicine and Dentistry

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery
Bachelor of Dental Surgery

School of Pharmacy

Bachelor of Pharmacy

School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences

Bachelor of Science in Dental Laboratory Sciences
Bachelor of Science in Dietetics
Bachelor of Science in Medical Laboratory
Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy
Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy
Bachelor of Science in Radiography

School of Nursing

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

KORLE BU CAMPUS

Programme		Area of Specialisation
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery(First choice only)
Bachelor of Pharmacy (First choice only)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (First choice only)
Bachelor of Public Health***
School of Allied Health Sciences		B.Sc. Dietetics B.Sc. Medical Laboratory Sciences B.Sc. Occupational Therapy B.Sc. Physiotherapy B.Sc. Radiography

*** WASSCE applicants are not eligible to apply.
***Bachelor of Public Health (For Staff of Ghana Health Service ONLY. Not open to the general public)

Postgraduate Programs

GENERAL ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL PROGRAMMES
• A good first degree (at least a second class lower division) in a relevant field of study at
the University of Ghana or any recognized University. A minimum of two to three years
working experience is required from all applicants desiring to pursue programmes at the
University of Ghana Business School.
For more details in respect of Admission requirements, applicants are advised to contact
the various Departments/Schools/Institutes/Centres for additional information on the
various programmes.
• For purposes of assessing an applicant’s eligibility, he/she may be required to take an
entrance examination and/or interview at the Department/Institute/School/Centre.
• For programmes marked with asterisks (*), all applicants are admitted into the MA/MSc
programme at the first instance. Students who obtain an average of B+ or better MAY
progress to the MPhil programme upon recommendation by the Head of Department in
consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee of his/her Department.
• Admission to any of the PhD programmes will require a relevant masters’ degree
(MA/MSc/MPhil). It will also be limited to candidates whose academic and scholastic
records show a potential for successful completion of doctoral degree programme. All
PhD programmes in the University are now fee-paying and the durations are as follows:
• Full-Time – Four (4) years
• Part-Time – Six (6) years
The following programmes are available for the 2016/2017 academic year.

COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES

• SCHOOL OF BIOMEDICAL AND ALLIED HEALTH SCIENCES
MSC/MPHILPROGRAMMES
+Medical Ultrasonography – MSc
+Dietetics – MSc
+Audiology – MSc
+Medical Laboratory Sciences – MSc
Haematology – MPhil
Immunology – MPhil
Medical Biochemistry – MPhil
Microbiology – MPhil
Pathology – MPhil
Chemical Pathology – MPhil
Physiology – MPhil
Anatomy – MPhil
• SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
MPHIL/PHDPROGRAMMES
Pharmacology – MPhil
• SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
MSC/MPHILPROGRAMMES
Applied Health Social Science – MSc
Clinical Trials – MSc
Occupational Medicine – MSc
Occupational Hygiene – MSc
Health Informatics – MHI
Applied Epidemiology and Disease Control – MPhil
Public Health – MPH/PhD
• SCHOOL OF NURSING
MSC/MPHILPROGRAMMES
Nursing – MSc/MPhil
+ Two Years Master of Science Programmes

University of Ghana Medical School Contact Address

Name	Position	Phone	Suburb	Country
University of Ghana Medical School	Reception	+233-30-2666987	Accra	Ghana
Research & Alumni Office		+233-30-2672029	Accra	Ghana
Webmaster			Accra	Ghana