Clinical officer
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Overview
In several countries in East Africa (especially in Kenya), clinical officers are mid-level health care providers. After three years of training, they receive a diploma in clinical medicine, surgery and community health. Clinical officers work either independently or with a "medical officer" (a physician) to provide healthcare services to largely rural populations.
Training
The training of clinical officers generally takes three years and admission is usually open to secondary school (high school) graduates. In Kenya, the training is under the Ministry of Health through the Clinical Officers Council which sets the syllabus and accredits training institutions. The Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC)[1], also under the Ministry of Health, has campuses all over the country and trains the majority of clinical officers. However, in recent years, local universities have started offering the course following syllabuses approved by their own senates. This is largely because the universities are created by their own independent acts of parliament. They are Egerton University[3], Jomo Kenyatta University[4] and Kenya Methodist University[5]. One private institution (St. Mary's Mumias School of Clinical Medicine), also trains clinical officers and and follows the KMTC syllabus.
Registration
After the three years of training, students sit for the national final qualifying examination (FQE) which is administered by the Clinical Officers Council. On passing the FQE they are expected to apply for provisional registration by the clinical officers council before proceeding for internship in accredited hospitals. The internship lasts one year and involves three month supervised rotations in the major medical specialities; internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics.
Career advancement
Several routes for career advancement exist. Usually, after gaining three years experience, one is eligible to apply for admission to a higher diploma course at the Kenya medical training college. The higher diploma imparts specialised skills in areas such as paediatrics, reproductive health, orthopedics, skin and chest diseases and medical education and lasts one or two years. Others go on to the university and acquire MBChB or MD degrees and further in medicine or related fields such as psychology, sociology and public health.
Yet others go to neighbouring countries particularly Uganda and Tanzania for further training. Tanzanian universities offer a two-year advanced diploma in clinical medicine which prepares one to take over all the functions normally reserved for graduate doctors, including emergency surgery and caeserian section. They are then called assistant medical officers.
Kampala international university in Uganda offers a Bachelor of Science degree in clinical medicine and community health. Entry is open to high school leavers who take four and a half years. Clinical officers take three years.
Ethiopian universities train health officers who hold bachelors degrees.
The Clinical Officers Council (Kenya)
This is the body mandated to register and regulate the professional activities of Clinical Officers. It is affiliated to the Medical Practitioners and Dentists board, which regulates the practice of medicine in Kenya. Kenya is the only country in Africa that has a statutory body that specifically regulates the practice of clinical officers.
Kenya Clinical Officers Association (KCOA)
This is a professional body whose membership encompasses registered clinical officers.
References
See also
- Barefoot doctor
- Emergency care practitioner
- Feldsher
- Nurse practitioner
- Physician assistant
- Assistant Medical Officer