Does a medical school ranking determine how good the doctors or students trained become?

I am from Kwara State and even though University of Ilorin is a highly competitive school in terms of admission proceedings, I chose it regardless in JAMB. I had 272 in JAMB😢and I am hoping to study Medicine and Surgery.

Now my question is, how likely is it that a doctor who went to a lower-ranked, less prestigious medical school located in Northern Nigeria such as Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto or Bayero University Kano would be just as good or better than a doctor who went to a more prestigious medical school situated in southern or western Nigeria such as University of Ilorin, University of Lagos and University of Ibadan?

Can I apply for Medicine with an awaiting result for Direct Entry?

This Post Has 16 Comments

  1. Specialsammy

    For me I will say no, some lower rank Universities are even better than those with higher rank in terms of teaching because if you ask some higher rank universities they will tell you what they are passing through. and it also depends on the person himself/herself. Some people graduated from lower ranked universities and still better than some that graduated from high ranked universities.
    What I will say is that you should be serious with what you are doing and then you do more research both offline and online.

    1. Ibrahim usman

      Thats what’s happening ah swear

  2. mootela

    I dont think so….permit me to use my mom’s experience….she told me about her secondary school classmate…when everyone was getting into federal school…he ended up Ina University in the north to study medicine….he ended up a director in a hospital in the USA…..to a point…the ranking depends on the students who come out of the school….the school could have top notch equipment and top notch teachers…but if the the students who got in…don’t steel their nerves to sit down and study the medical course they signed up for….then no.one will respect the school….but let set after set exhibit excellent results….and be excellent on the field….the schools rep will go up….if the students that came from UI were substandard….then the strict process of admission…would be a.joke…..Now….if the school you attend lacks certain facilities it might also affect…..but I don’t think any school in Nigeria is completely lacking in everything…
    If they don’t have one thing they might have another…..but ultimately what determines the ranking in my opinion….is the quality of the students brought out….then when their rep is high….they can increase their fees as more.pple.wamt to attend….them they grow in size
    Sorry for the long story…but in short..medical student in the north is just as likely to be a good doctor as medical student in the south or east

  3. ThankGod Omonu

    What is even medical school ranking? I wasn’t aware there was a body somewhere that ranked medical schools. On what criteria are they even ranked?

    Well, I’m of the opinion that how good a doctor becomes depends on that doctor, not on the school they trained. If they are passionate about learning, they will be good. It doesn’t matter if they trained in the ‘more prestigious’ schools, or even abroad.

  4. rad abdul

    Good morning, I don’t want to accept that medical schools in the north is less prestigious than those in southern or western Nigeria. Little or less is known about schools in the north for this reason we all tend to look down at schools in the north.
    I could boastfully say about the medical school in UDUS and about it medical related courses.
    Studying MBBS Nursing Radiography or any medical courses here is as good as studying it in any part of the country.
    To merit MBBS here u need nothing less than 290 in Jamb then 260 for pharmacy and nursing from the release cut off points.
    You can’t get less than ur counterparts in other part of the country.

  5. topyek

    I also have this issue. I’m thinking of switching to a private school but what I’m being told is that they are never standard and I won’t get the same training as in a federal school.

    1. Specialsammy

      Some private school have standard more than federal school in terms of facilities and conducive learning environment and in terms of teaching but because it’s not easy to gain admission into federal that’s what many people think as standard

  6. Ibn_sideeq

    Being a Good doctor depends highly on the student , the school plays it’s role but it’s more dependent on the student.

    There’s usually this saying that ukraine trained doctors are usually olodos because they don’t really have access to patients , but there was this lady from ondo she was the best the best graduating in Ukraine came home for mdcn she was the best among US , UK , Russia , Sudan trained doctors..
    And mostly you’ll most procedures after med school , so being a good doctor depends on the student .
    You can school anywhere

    1. abubakar hamisu

      But Ukraine trained doctors are not eligible to write USMLE

  7. Ibrahim usman

    No,even in same school,u will findout some are better than others,thats just individual difference.I never heard of medical school ranking before,where did you get this information?All you need is accredited medical school.
    Study hard everywhere u find urself,u will compare yourself with anybody in the world.
    Lower limb for say will be same in UK and us.Dont disturb ur self with that,some schools that are under rated even get facilities more than d ones u are mentioning.Just study hard.

  8. Waliyat ismail

    I am a medical student of Bayero Uni Kano (a physiotherapist) from Ibadan.To be sincere I also had this exact thoughts when I was first given admission but after few years when I compared myself to other medical students in other schools,i realised that there is actually no difference at all in fact I can even say it with confidence that my school is way more difficult than other schools
    At the end of the day,it depends on how you are able to build yourself

  9. Rx Alidor

    The truth is no school in Nigeria is better than another as long as it’s Federal Universities we’re talking about. All Federal
    Universities have competent lecturers.

    Apply to the school you feel can give you admission. I’m from South East but I applied BUK for Pharmacy against my initial choice of UNIBEN. My reasons: finance, easy to secure admission in BUK besides I noticed both of them offer Doctor of Pharmacy.

    I think 272 is poor for medicine and surgery in a Federal University, that’s why you should consider universities which you can easily secure admission with such score. It’s not that some universities are better than others, it’s high number of aspirants they get yearly unlike others that put them as top. The same thing happens when applying for internships; there are some regions or localities which one can easily get placement than others when he/she applies.

    I hope this helps! Thanks.

  10. Donnie001

    From my own POV,it is wrong to tag a school as less prestigious unless you have a prior experience in the institution.I don’t know the basis for rankings,but I definitely know that studying at Bayero or UDUS is as good as studying in prestigious schools in the south-western regions.It is a very wrong assumption.And with that score,it is very difficult to secure admission at those schools too.Tell me about standards!

  11. Okopi Peter

    The problem is from the country. A country where everyone feel schools in the south and west are the best. And even when it comes to employment those that went to this big schools are considered before others.

  12. Yungcaptain

    Hmm.

    Studying in a prestigious university doesn’t mean you are going to be good in the field more than a person that’s studying in a less prestigious university.

    What matters is the thing upstairs.

    U graduated from unilorin MBBS department doesn’t mean you are going to be good more than a person who graduated from Usman danfodio MBBS department in sokoto.

    Tho some hospitals has preferences for some graduates in some schools more than the other.

    My point is, what matters is the stuff upstairs.

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