Down load doctors' internship application forms

Medical doctors trained in Kenya are required to undergo a one-year internship after graduating from medical school.

This internship training is offered in selected Ministry of Health and Faith Based Hospitals, which have been assessed, approved and accredited by the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board and the Ministry of Health.

Four CHAK hospitals are accredited to carry out doctors’ internship. These are: 

• PCEA Chogoria Hospital

• PCEA Kikuyu Hospital

• AIC Kijabe Hospital

• Tenwek Hospital
• PCEA Tumutumu Hospital

Maua Methodist Hospital and PCEA Tumutumu Hospital have already applied for accreditation to conduct the doctors’ internship.

The four accredited CHAK hospitals have capacity to offer quality internship training to 20 doctors every year.

CHAK Secretariat facilitates and coordinates recruitment of trainees for the internship and advocates for their placement to CHAK hospitals by MOH with upkeep by the Government.

Kenyan doctors who have trained in other countries can also apply for the internship but must first obtain a temporary license from the Medical Board. CHAK hospitals provide accommodation, training facilities including libraries, training and mentorship as well as supervision and assessment after each rotation.

The internship involves intensive skills development in four major clinical disciplines:

• Internal Medicine

• Surgery

• Paediatrics

• Obstetrics and Gynaecology

After completing the internship, doctors are registered and licensed to practice in Kenya.

The internship recruitment process has the following steps:

• CHAK hosts a planning and review meeting for hospitals conducting the Internship in May. During the meeting, training progress by each hospital is presented, experiences shared and issues of concern and challenges addressed.

• Information dissemination fora are held at the Moi University and University of Nairobi medical training schools in July. At these fora, each training hospital presents an overview of their program to medical students, explaining the requirements for joining, how the training is organized and social and spiritual development opportunities within the program. Trainees support internship coordinators from the hospitals in making the presentations.  

• Applications from interested Medical Students are submitted to CHAK Secretariat in prescribed Application Forms. The deadline for submitting these forms is end of September.

• Interviews are held at Moi and Nairobi universities in October/November in collaboration with the offices of Dean of Faculty. The interviewing panel comprises of representatives of the four CHAK training hospitals, CHAK Secretariat and Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF). A list of the selected candidates and two reserves for each hospital is generated.

• CHAK then shares the list of selected candidates with the respective universities at the time the final examination results are released. This enables successful candidates to make a final decision on their training hospital, given that they also ballot for opportunities in MOH hospitals.

• In November, CHAK Secretariat presents a request to MOH for placement of selected interns to CHAK training hospitals. Negotiations are usually done with the Ministry for this to be effected as per the hospitals’ preferences. Successful candidates receive posting orders in December/January. 

• When the internship has been successfully completed, the supervising consultants prepare assessment reports and recommendations to the Medical Board. The board reviews the reports and approves registration of the doctors to practice medicine in Kenya.

• Successful candidates are now ready to join the labour market.