# University of Zambia > University of Zambia's School of Medicine began instruction in 1966 and runs an English-medium, direct-entry Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) programme explicitly open to both Zambian nationals and international students. The programme is listed in the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools with ECFMG-certification eligibility for graduates from 1967 onward, and degrees are noted as acceptable to Canadian provincial and territorial medical regulators. - Canonical page: https://www.studentstraffic.com/university/university-of-zambia - Last reviewed: 2026-07-12 - Publisher: Students Traffic (https://www.studentstraffic.com/) ## Key facts - Location: Lusaka, [Zambia](https://www.studentstraffic.com/countries/zambia) - Type: Public - Established: 1966 - Official website: https://www.unza.zm/medicine - Published programmes on Students Traffic: 1 ## Recognition and approvals - World Directory of Medical Schools (WDOMS/FAIMER) — listed (School ID F0001674), currently operational - ECFMG Certification — graduates eligible to apply, graduation years 1967-present - Medical Council of Canada (MCC) — degree acceptable to Canadian provincial/territorial medical regulatory authorities, per WDOMS Sponsor Notes - Verify: [World Directory of Medical Schools — University of Zambia School of Medicine listing](https://search.wdoms.org/home/GetSchoolDetail/F0001674) - Verify: [University of Zambia — official School of Medicine page](https://www.unza.zm/medicine) ## Programmes | Programme | Course | Duration | Medium | Tuition per year | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB)](https://www.studentstraffic.com/university-of-zambia-mbchb) | MBBS | 7 years | English | ZMW 77,943 (2026) | ## Why students choose it - Listed in the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools (FAIMER School ID F0001674), currently operational, with ECFMG-certification eligibility for graduates from 1967 onward and Canadian medical-regulator acceptability noted in the same record. - A long-established public medical school (instruction since 1966) explicitly open to both Zambian and international applicants, with the same academic entry bar applied to both. - No separate English-proficiency test (IELTS/TOEFL) is required for admission, since English is verified through the required secondary-school English credit. ## Things to consider - The most recently published application cycle (for the 2027 intake) closed on 17 April 2026; the university had not yet announced its next intake cycle at the time of research, and historically does not open a new cycle until around January of the year before intake. - WHO/FAIMER's record states an entrance exam is required, but the university's own admissions documents describe only grade/credit-based competitive selection with no standalone written exam -- this discrepancy is unresolved and worth confirming directly with admissions. - The university's own pages give conflicting founding dates for the School of Medicine (1965, 1966 and 1968 appear across different official pages); 1966 is used here as it matches the WHO/FAIMER record. ## Best fit for - Students who meet the standard secondary-school science entry bar (five O-Level-equivalent credits including English, Mathematics and Biology) and are comfortable with a grade-based, competitive selection process. - Applicants prioritizing a lower overall cost and direct clinical access to a large national teaching hospital. - Families able to confirm the next application cycle's dates directly with the university, since a new cycle was not open at the time of this record's research. ## Campus and city The School of Medicine is based at UNZA's Ridgeway Campus, roughly half a kilometre from University Teaching Hospital, with the Dean's Office and clinical departments physically located within the hospital and its consultants holding honorary lecturer appointments. English is the medium of instruction and examination across the university, and international applicants are explicitly told they do not need to submit separate English-proficiency test scores. Lusaka is Zambia's capital. University Teaching Hospital, a roughly 1,800-bed facility next to the Ridgeway Campus, anchors clinical training for the School of Medicine, with Chainama Hills Hospital and unnamed urban clinics as additional sites. The MBChB is a seven-year programme, confirmed both by the university's own programme page and by the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools; a claim that the duration was recently shortened to six years could not be independently verified and should not be relied on. Clinical training is anchored at University Teaching Hospital, supplemented by Chainama Hills Hospital and other urban clinics; a detailed year-by-year clinical curriculum breakdown was not published on the university's current site. Graduates receive the MBChB and, for those pursuing US or Canadian pathways, benefit from the school's ECFMG-eligible and Canada-MCC-acceptable WHO listing status. ## Hostel, food and safety The Ridgeway Campus, which hosts the School of Medicine, has 442 beds available, in shared two-student rooms, at an official rate of ZMW 5,850 per year; placement is not guaranteed for all students. The university's published international-student information is oriented mainly toward short-term exchange students, with full-degree international applicants directed to apply for housing through the Dean of Students' Office or the International Link Office on a first-come, first-served basis. No specific on-campus meal plan or dining-cost figure is published. Food costs should be planned as part of an independent living-cost budget alongside accommodation. No university-published campus-safety statistics were found. International students arrange a required Zambian student (study) permit before travel, which includes a medical report and police clearance as part of the process. International applicants can direct queries to the Dean of Students' Office or the International Link Office, and the university offers three levels of remedial English courses for students who need additional language support after admission. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is the MBChB programme direct-entry after high school? Yes. Admission requires five O-Level-equivalent credits (English plus four others including Mathematics, Biology and Science, or Physics and Chemistry), with no separate bachelor's stage required first. ### What qualification is awarded on graduation? Graduates receive the MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery), a joint degree confirmed as a 7-year programme by both the university and the WHO World Directory of Medical Schools. ### Do I need to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores? No. The university explicitly states international applicants do not need to submit English-proficiency test scores, since English proficiency is assessed through the required secondary-school English credit. ### What is the current tuition fee? ZMW 77,943 per year for international students, per the university's official fee schedule, paid in four installments of 25% each across the academic year. ### Are there additional fees besides tuition? Yes -- a non-refundable ZMW 150 (about USD 60) international application fee, plus various annual and first-year-only administrative fees (registration, examination, recreation, medical, technology, library, student ID and a one-time non-refundable caution fee). ### When does the academic year start and when can I apply? The most recently published application cycle (for the 2027 intake) closed on 17 April 2026. The university had not yet published its next intake cycle at the time of research; historically, a new cycle opens around January of the year before the intake. ### What is the application process for international students? Applicants apply online via the university's official portal, pay the international application fee, and submit a Zambia Qualifications Authority (ZAQA) equivalence certification for foreign secondary results. Separately, international students must apply for a Zambian student permit before travelling, initiated while still outside Zambia. ### Do Indian students need NEET to join this programme? The university's own admissions criteria do not reference NEET. Separately, India's National Medical Commission requires Indian citizens and OCI holders who obtain a primary medical qualification abroad to have qualified NEET-UG, whose result serves as the mandatory Eligibility Certificate. ## Sources - [World Directory of Medical Schools — University of Zambia School of Medicine listing](https://search.wdoms.org/home/GetSchoolDetail/F0001674) (checked 2026-07-25) - [University of Zambia — official Admission Requirements page](https://www.unza.zm/academics/undergraduate/requirements) (checked 2026-07-25) - [University of Zambia — 2027-intake Online Undergraduate Admission Advert (PDF)](https://www.unza.zm/sites/default/files/article_files/2026-01/2026%20JANUARY%20ONLINE%20UNDERGRADUATE%20ADMISSION%20ADVERT.pdf) (checked 2026-07-25) - [University of Zambia — official Undergraduate Fees page](https://www.unza.zm/academics/undergraduate/fees) (checked 2026-07-25) - [University of Zambia — official International Students page](https://www.unza.zm/academics/international-students) (checked 2026-07-25) - [National Medical Commission of India — for students to study abroad](https://www.nmc.org.in/information-desk/for-students-to-study-in-abroad/) (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