# Adventist University of Central Africa School of Medicine

> ASOME (the Adventist School of Medicine of East-Central Africa), the School of Medicine of the Adventist University of Central Africa, runs a direct-entry, English-medium Doctor of Medicine programme on AUCA's Masoro campus near Kigali. Officially inaugurated by Rwanda's President in September 2019, ASOME admitted its first cohort in March 2021 with curriculum support from Loma Linda University in the US, and is listed as currently operational in the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools.

- Canonical page: https://www.studentstraffic.com/university/adventist-university-of-central-africa-school-of-medicine
- Last reviewed: 2026-07-12
- Publisher: Students Traffic (https://www.studentstraffic.com/)

## Key facts

- Location: Kigali, [Rwanda](https://www.studentstraffic.com/countries/rwanda)
- Type: Private
- Established: 2021
- Official website: https://asome.health/
- Published programmes on Students Traffic: 1

## Recognition and approvals

- World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS/FAIMER) -- listed, School ID F0007209, currently operational
- Rwanda Medical and Dental Council (RMDC) -- reciprocal recognition across East African Community partner states
- Adventist Accrediting Association (AAA) -- AUCA institutionally accredited through 2030 (Level C)
- Verify: [World Directory of Medical Schools -- ASOME listing](https://search.wdoms.org/home/SchoolDetail/F0007209)
- Verify: [Rwanda Medical and Dental Council -- approved medical schools with EAC reciprocal recognition](https://rmdc.rw/spip.php?id_article=9&page=article)

## Programmes

| Programme | Course | Duration | Medium | Tuition per year |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Doctor of Medicine (MD)](https://www.studentstraffic.com/asome-auca-school-of-medicine-md) | MBBS | 7 years | English | $18,000 (2026-2027) |

## Why students choose it

- Listed in the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools (FAIMER School ID F0007209) as currently operational, with a confirmed direct-entry prerequisite (completed secondary education, no prior degree required).
- Included on the Rwanda Medical and Dental Council's list of medical schools given reciprocal recognition across East African Community partner states (Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, South Sudan).
- Curriculum and faculty development supported by Loma Linda University in the United States.

## Things to consider

- This is a newer medical school, with its first cohort admitted only in March 2021; it does not yet have a graduating class with an established track record.
- No affiliated teaching hospital is named anywhere on the university's own official pages -- confirm current clinical-training sites directly with ASOME before enrolling.
- No fixed, dated intake month or application deadline is published for the current cycle; the historical first intake was in March, but this is not confirmed as a recurring annual date.

## Best fit for

- Students seeking a WHO-listed, English-medium direct-entry medical degree with US-university-supported curriculum development, comfortable with a newer, still-establishing institution.
- Applicants able to confirm current-cycle intake dates and clinical-training-site details directly with the university given some information is not yet published online.
- Families comfortable with the bundled tuition-and-boarding fee structure rather than itemized cost breakdowns.

## Campus and city

Students train on AUCA's Masoro campus, a private Adventist university whose medical programme was developed with curriculum and faculty support from Loma Linda University in the United States, with a stated emphasis on community health integration from the start of the programme.

Kigali is Rwanda's capital, and AUCA's Masoro campus sits on its outskirts; Rwanda's national shift to English-medium higher education gives the country an increasingly international academic environment.

The 6.5-year (13-semester) Doctor of Medicine curriculum is competency-based, covering worldview, general knowledge, basic sciences and clinical sciences, with community health integration built in from the start of the programme, followed by a mandatory one-year internship before full medical registration; no specific affiliated teaching hospital is named on the university's own materials.


## Hostel, food and safety

On-campus boarding is bundled into ASOME's single annual 'Tuition and Boarding' fee, implying accommodation is included for enrolled students, though no separate room-type or amenity breakdown is published. A distinct Guest House on campus offers short-stay lodging for visitors and family, separate from regular student housing.

Boarding (which typically includes meals) is bundled into the annual tuition-and-boarding fee; no separate meal-plan cost is published.

No university-published campus-safety statistics were found during research.

International applicants apply through ASOME's own online application portal, submitting NESA-equivalency-assessed academic documents alongside standard application materials.


## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Doctor of Medicine programme direct-entry after high school?

Yes. The WHO World Directory of Medical Schools confirms admission follows completion of secondary education, with no prior university degree required.

### What qualification is awarded on graduation?

Graduates receive the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree after 6.5 years (13 semesters) of study, followed by a mandatory one-year internship.

### What is the current tuition fee?

ASOME publishes a single bundled annual 'Tuition and Boarding' fee by region: USD 18,000/year for applicants from outside Africa (which includes India), USD 16,000/year for Southern Indian Ocean and West Africa Division countries, and USD 14,000/year for East-Central Africa Division countries, plus a USD 100 application fee.

### How are foreign secondary-school qualifications evaluated?

Applicants' secondary certificates are assessed against Rwanda's National Examination and School Inspection Authority (NESA) framework, requiring Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics or Physics combinations at Grade A or B (one C accepted in exceptional cases). No explicit conversion table for Indian 12th-grade marks is published, so applicants should confirm equivalency directly with ASOME.

### What English-proficiency score is required?

A minimum of IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 75, PTE 50, or Duolingo 100.

### When can I apply and when does the academic year start?

No fixed, dated intake month or application deadline is currently published; the university encourages early application. Applicants may still apply while awaiting final secondary-school results.

### Is on-campus accommodation available?

Boarding is bundled into the annual tuition-and-boarding fee, implying accommodation is included, though no separate room-type breakdown is published. A distinct on-campus Guest House exists for short-stay visitors, separate from regular student housing.

### Can this degree be used to practice medicine outside Rwanda?

The university is on the Rwanda Medical and Dental Council's list of schools given reciprocal recognition across East African Community partner states. For India specifically, graduates would need to separately satisfy India's National Medical Commission screening requirements; this was not independently verified against an NMC source, and the programme does not yet have a graduating class.


## Sources

- [World Directory of Medical Schools -- ASOME listing](https://search.wdoms.org/home/SchoolDetail/F0007209) (checked 2026-07-25)
- [Rwanda Medical and Dental Council -- approved medical schools with EAC reciprocal recognition](https://rmdc.rw/spip.php?id_article=9&page=article) (checked 2026-07-25)
- [ASOME -- programs page](https://asome.health/programs/) (checked 2026-07-25)
- [ASOME -- admissions page](https://asome.health/admissions/) (checked 2026-07-25)
- [Government of Rwanda -- President Kagame inaugurates ASOME](https://www.gov.rw/blog-detail/president-kagame-inaugurates-the-adventist-school-of-medicine-of-east-central-africa) (checked 2026-07-25)

## Free counselling

Students Traffic offers free admission counselling for this university and its programmes.

- Contact: https://www.studentstraffic.com/contact
- WhatsApp: https://wa.me/919176162888
- Phone: +91 91761 62888
- Email: hello@studentstraffic.com