9 Best Medical Schools in Ethiopia (2023 Update)

Ethiopia is not usually one of the top lists for countries to study abroad, in case you don’t know, Ethiopia is the second most populated country in Africa, behind Nigeria. Also, the country has high-quality education, affordable schooling, low cost of living, internationally recognized faculties, and they have diverse cultures.

Most importantly, the country has grown to raise some best medical schools in Ethiopia, and we will be listing them in this article.

Best Medical Schools in Ethiopia

In as much as there are approximately 40 medical schools in Ethiopia, we decided to choose the best of the best, our list might not be as large as others, but they are the school that can give you exactly what you need and deserve.

1. Addis Ababa University

Addis Ababa University is not just one of the best Medical Schools in Ethiopia it is also the best college in this country, the 13th best in Africa and 573rd best in the world according to U.S. News and World Report. Also, the school is the oldest and largest higher learning and research institution in Ethiopia.

Due to the excellence and popularity of the school, they have grown from 33 students when established, to 48,673 students.

Their college of Health Sciences is housing lots of schools including the school of Nursing and Midwifery, School of Medicine, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nursing and Midwifery, School of Pharmacy, Preventive Medicine and so many others.

Furthermore, their school of medicine has lots of prestigious departments which are;

  • Surgery, Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, and Physiotherapy
  • Dermatovenorology, int. Medicine, Psychiatry, Neurology, and Nuclear Medicine
  • Dentistry and Ophthalmology
  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Pharmacology and Biochemistry
  • Anesthesia and Anaesthesiology
  • Faculty Profile
  • Emergency and Family Medicine
  • Microbiology, Parasitology, Immunology, and Pathology

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2. University of Gondar

The University of Gondar is another best Medical colleges in Ethiopia, and also appears to be the second-best college in Ethiopia, the 34th best in Africa, and #930 in the world according to U.S. News and World Report. Also, the college is well recognized for its Infectious Disease Research and the U.S. News ranked them #161 for their excellence.

3. Jimma University

Jimma University is one of the most prestigious universities in Ethiopia, and they are also recognized in the world for its citation prowess. They are ranked #1 in the world for Citation (Field Weighted Citation Index, FWCI) by the Time Higher Education (THE).

The Institute of Health has 3 faculties which are; Health Science, Medicine, and Public Health. And, within these faculties, you will find 22 departments, 700 academic staff, more than 3400 undergraduates, and more than 1000 master’s students. Moreover, it has students in 21 Ph.D. programs, 15 specialty programs, and 5 sub-specialty programs.

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4. Arba-Minch University

Arba-Minch University is one of the top medical colleges in Ethiopia and the recently inaugurated full-fledged university in June 2004, they started offering both undergraduate and graduate programs in the following institutes, colleges, and schools:

  • Arba Minch Institute of Water Technology
  • Arba Minch Institute of Technology
  • College of Agriculture
  • College of Business and Economics
  • College of Natural Sciences
  • College of Medicine and Health Sciences
  • College of Social Sciences and Humanities
  • School of behavioral and pedagogical sciences
  • School of law
  • Sawla Campus (a multi-disciplinary Academic areas campus)

Also, due to the standard of the school, they are currently working as one of the National Research Universities.

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5. Bahir Dar University

Bahir Dar University is one of the best Medical schools in Ethiopia that has 4 schools in their College of Medicine and Health Sciences, they include;

  • Medicine
  • Nursing
  • Midwifery and 
  • Health Officer

They also offer Medical PhDs which include;

  • Gynecology and obstetrics (Specialty)
  • Internal Medicine (Specialty)
  • General Surgery (Specialty)
  • Orthopedics and  trauma Management (Specialty)
  • Pediatrics and Child Health (Specialty)

And master which includes;

  • Medical Microbiology  (MSc)
  • Medical parasitological and vector control (MSc)
  • Epidemiology (MSc)
  • General MPH (MSc)
  • Reproductive Health (RH) (MSc)
  • Clinical Midwifery (MSc)

6. Wollo University

Wollo University is located in Dessie city in the Amhara region of South Wollo, Ethiopia, and is one of the universities recently founded in 2005. The University has two campuses, one at Dessie and the other at Kombolcha towns.

Wollo University has 7 colleges, which the college of Medicine and Health is one of them.

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7. Debre Markos University

This is one of the best Medical schools in Ethiopia that produce competent, ethical, and innovative graduates. The school also provides the best education its students would need.

8. Hawassa University

This is another Top Medical university in Ethiopia that aspires to bring a difference in the quality of training and healthcare service providers in the Country. The school prioritizes research, student-centered training, and patient-centered health care delivery.

Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, their main teaching Hospital, has been functioning since its establishment in 2003. And, they provide a wide variety of tertiary care services including, but not limited to Neurosurgery, Neurology, Oncology, Paediatric Surgery, ENT, Plastic, and Reconstructive Surgery to more than 20 million populations in Sidama and neighboring regions.

9. Wolaita Sodo University

This University also has a College of Health Sciences and Medicine that encompasses 7 schools which are;

  • School of Public Health
  • School of Pharmacy
  • School of Medical Laboratory Science
  • School of Nursing
  • School of Midwifery
  • School of Anesthesia
  • School of Medicine

Grades you need to Study Medicine in Ethiopia

To study in most Medical Schools in Ethiopia, you need to;

  • Have Completed grade 12 (high school) with a minimum of Grade C and provide the original certificate
  • Have a brilliant academic track record from a previous institute, or secondary school
  • Have passed the entrance exam

Bottom Line

There are no two colleges that are the same, even though we have listed these Top Medical Schools in Ethiopia, you also need to ensure they meet your particular needs. Location is also another thing to consider when choosing a medical school in Ethiopia.

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