Top 10 (Lucrative) Medical Courses To Study In Nigeria 2023

Before I got into the University, I only knew about Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy; I wasn’t aware that there are other top medical courses in Nigeria.

And guess what? There are numerous medical courses you can study in Nigeria. Not four, not five, they’re plenty!

But here’s the deal;

In this post, we’ll give you the list of the best medical courses to enroll in Nigeria. First of all, we’ll discuss what medical course is, then the similarities and career opportunities for these courses!

And lastly, we’ll give you some good tips and advice concerning choosing a medical career in Nigeria!

If you’re ready, then grab a coffee, and let’s get to it immediately!

What Is A Medical Course? 

Life after secondary school in Nigeria can be quite challenging. You’re at crossroads where you’re inundated with plenty of career options, and in this case, choosing one becomes difficult.

Some go into engineering, arts, commercials, and yes, some choose to study medical course. A Medical course is one that’s related to medical and health sciences.

It’s a field that deals with the human body’s science to bring better health in individuals. Most people do assume that Medicine and Surgery is the only worthwhile medical course, which is not true. But as far as a field is related to the health sector, it’s a medical course.

Now, they’re plenty of medical courses in Nigeria. If you choose one, you’ll acquire good knowledge and skills to practice the arts and science of Medicine in various aspects, be it health career, research, or lecturing.

Medical courses allow you to work in hospitals, pharmacies, medical laboratories, clinics, and research establishments.

The Health Sector- Where Everything Boils Down To

All medical courses all boil down to the health sector. If you love helping sick patients get well, you’ll need to pursue a career in the health sector for you to practice.

Among other industries giving services, the health sector is one of the biggest and most cherished because of it’s delicate nature.

We don’t pray on our kneels for people to fall sick or get injured from an accident, but eventually, it still happens. So who’ll take care of those people? Health care professionals! You get the gist?

Top 10 Best Medical Courses In Nigeria

There’s no ranking whatsoever to determine the best medical courses in Nigeria. But according to demand and competition, here is the list of medical courses to study in the Nigeria:

1. Medicine and Surgery- Best Medical Courses In Nigeria

The first course that comes to mind to study if you want to work in the health sector is Medicine and Surgery. And it’s very popular, because it’s one of the highest paid medical courses in Nigeria.

This 6-year course deals with studying the human body, functions, metabolic activities, and the diseases that can spring up.

If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a Doctor, this is the course to study. When you get into the best medical schools in Nigeria, you’ll learn all the knowledge and skills to practice Medicine and treat sick people in the hospital.

You’ll become acquainted with anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, Pharmacology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Pediatrics, Community medicine, Medicine, surgery, Otorhinolaryngology, Dermatology, and venerology, etc.

As a Doctor, you have numerous opportunities at your feet. You can decide not only to work in the hospital, but also do medical journalism, lecturing, or even sports Medicine!

However, let me make it clear; studying Medicine and Surgery doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be super successful.

Many folks think that graduating with an MBBS degree is a straight ticket to financial success because of doctors salary, but this is derailing. What matters is how you strategize your career.

2. Dentistry

When most folks hear about Dentistry, what comes to their mind is that they’re Doctors that treat the teeth only, but this is not always true!

Even in Nairaland Forum, there have been numerous debates about which is better between Medicine and Dentistry.

Well, the thing is that Medicine and Dentistry are fantastic courses in their unique ways! Dentistry is a medical science that focuses on treating diseases relating to the mouth, teeth, and oral cavity.

Dentists don’t only deal with the mouth. They can still perform surgeries relating to the temporomandibular joint, craniofacial complex, and other general diseases involving muscular, nervous, vascular, and other systems.

Since they have a good knowledge of some courses like Pharmacology and Microbiology, they can diagnose general medical problems. But note that they’re not licensed for that, so they mainly focus on teeth, which is their specialty.

As a Dentist, you can get to work in hospitals or even set up a private clinic attending to patients, which is even very lucrative and one of the highest paid medical courses in Nigeria!

3. Pharmacy– Top 10 Medical Courses in Nigeria

When I first heard about Pharmacy, I thought it only deals with buying and selling drugs ( Little me 🙂), but this is not true.

Pharmacy is a science that deals with the study of drugs and its effects on different medical conditions and ailments to the human body.

Pharmacists sell drugs, but they also diagnose diseases and prescribe the best possible solutions using the recommended drugs.

This course is very lucrative in Nigeria because you can choose to set up a large store, diagnose and sell drugs, and get profits.

Or, using your knowledge and skill, you might bring up solutions to trending infections, and who knows, you might be the next big guy?

4. Nursing

Nursing is another “hot cake” medical course to study in Nigeria due to jobs’ availability. From diagnosing patients to meeting their health needs, Nurses work to save lives in the hospital.

Nursing is both a science and art of taking good care of sick and injured people. They’re the ones that nurse sick patients, after spending much time to make them comfortable in such periods till they recover to a good quality of life.

Although most people who go into the school of Nursing are females, it’s not restricted to them alone as males can also apply. As a Nursing graduate, you can be guaranteed to practice because they’re lots of opportunities.

Also read: An updated Guide on Nurses Salary in Nigeria

5. Medical Laboratory Science

Another highest paid medical course In Nigeria to opt-in for render service in health care is Medical laboratory science. MLS is the science that deals with the analyses of human body fluids.

When you study this course, you’ll be able to carry out many important tests relating to human blood. Your knowledge and skill will be super helpful in diagnosing patients’ illnesses.

For example, suppose a malaria patient comes to your clinic and presents certain symptoms as a medical laboratory scientist. In that case, you will be required to test the blood sample before making conclusions about the ailment.

Asides from that, you’ll also perform chemical, hematological, microscopic, immunologic, and bacteriological analyses on different body fluids like sputum, urine, stool, pericardial, peritoneal fluid, synovial, and cerebrospinal fluids.

And the amazing part is that there are numerous job opportunities for lab scientists. You get to work in hospitals and medical, biotechnology, reference, and biomedical laboratories.

6. Radiography/Radiology

If you’ve been frequent in the hospital, you should have noticed some health care professionals who take x-ray scans of sick and injured people- these professionals are the Radiographers.

Radiography is the branch of medical science that uses x-ray scans of anatomical structures to diagnose and treat illnesses like fractures, injuries, etc.

Anytime a patient gets injured, leading to fracture of bones, one of the most important steps to cure is for a radiologist to diagnose the degree of injury.

And not only that, but Radiographers also use x-rays to detect tumors, calcifications, foreign objects, pneumonia, cancer, etc. You’ll also interpret the information for better treatment.

In all, Radiography is one of the best medical courses in Nigeria and you’ll enjoy a career in this field if you land a fulfilling role. It’s also very lucrative due to the popular demand for professionals.

Learn all about Radiography in Nigeria, their work-life, salary, and lifestyle!

7. Optometry 

Optometry is also one of the top 10 medical courses in Nigeria. This health care course deals with the study of the eyes and the related diseases that can be corrected with glasses.

Optometry primarily focuses on different eye abnormalities like shortsightedness, Longsightedness, Cataract, refractive index errors, and several other complications.

Let’s take an example:

Abimbola, a second-year medical student, after correct observations, realized that he could not see the writings on the board by the lecturer. He then heads to the hospital for health care. Upon arrival, since it’s an eye problem, as an Optometrist, your job will be to diagnose, treat, and give Abimbola a recommended spectacle that will correct his eye deformity.

So, Optometrists’ major concern is on primary eye-care, you get the gist? In the hospital setting, you’ll work hand-in-hand with eye specialists (Ophthalmologists) to solve patients’ eye-related problems.

The body responsible for regulating Optometry in Nigeria is the Optometry and Dispensing Opticians Regulation Board of Nigeria. The degree also lasts for six years, like Medicine and surgery. And yes, it’ll require your dedication to come out successful.

8. Physiotherapy/ Medical Rehabilitation 

When you hear the term “Physiotherapy,” it’s super simple to decipher that it arrives from two words- Physical and Therapy.

So basically, Physiotherapy is another lucrative medical course in Nigeria that studies the provision of quality health care remedies to the sick and injured people.

It mainly focuses on patients who have musculoskeletal injuries and pains to ensure sick people get well. Physiotherapists encourage the healing process and help sick people to live a healthy life.

This course is a 5-year course that you can study at a Nigerian University. However, you’ve got to be careful to select a medical school that offers Physiotherapy.

9. Veterinary Medicine – Top 10 Medical Courses in Nigeria

Another hot cake medical course you can study in Nigeria is Veterinary Medicine. In this course, you’ll learn about how to diagnose, prevent, and treat diseases and injuries related to Animals.

Most folks do assume that veterinary doctors only deal with Dogs, but this isn’t true. They treat a wide variety of animals with cats, horses, chickens, and many others.

As a Veterinary doctor, there are numerous job opportunities. You can work in hospitals, national parks, animal shelters, Universities, farms, zoos, laboratories, etc.

10. Anatomy 

Last but not least, on this list of best medical courses in Nigeria is Anatomy.

Anatomy is a Medical science that studies the structures of the human body. This health care course is also lucrative as you can work in the hospital and laboratories.

However, not that because other medical courses study anatomy as a subject, it might be difficult for anatomy graduates to get jobs compared to others.

Unlike others, it’s a 4-year course, and upon graduation, you’ll receive a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy.

List of All Accredited Medical Courses in Nigeria

Here’s the full list of all accredited medical courses in Nigeria:

• Anatomy
• Medical Biochemistry
• Physiology
• Medical laboratory Science
• Medical rehabilitation (Physiotherapy)
• Dentistry
• Dental technology and Therapy
• Nursing/ Nursing Science
• Nutrition and Dietetics
• Pharmacy
• Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Medicine and Surgery
• Prosthesis and Osteopathic technology
• Radiography
• Veterinary Medicine
• Optometry
• Public health technology

Medicine better than Dentistry, or Otherwise? 

Many folks go debating that Medicine is better than Dentistry, Pharmacy is better than Nursing, Radiography better than Medicine, or any of such comparisons.

The thing is, in choosing the perfect medical career, you’ll need to be aware of some things and put down others. There are several options to dive into, but you’ve got to believe in your capability and each career path.

Little wonder Sophia Loren said,

“getting ahead in a difficult profession requires ardent faith in yourself. That is why some people with average talent, but with tenacity, succeed much further than those with superior talent.”

There are myths that some medical courses are better than others. But in reality, it’s not always true. Instead, people who fall into such a line of thought either learned a craft but didn’t like where they practice.  

But here’s the truth: You can derive joy and satisfaction from any career path you love and are interested in. Be it Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Anatomy, or just any medical course; if you truly go all the way, throwing yourself into the craft, you’ll become a wonder!

Choosing From the Top Medical Courses in Nigeria (A Guide)

Here are some tips and guides in selecting a course to work in the health care sector:

1. Every Medical Course Meets A Need 

What do you consider valuable?

Something that provides good services that people want, right? And that’s the same with all medical career paths.

If someone gets fractures, who has a good knowledge of radiological equipment and will help check the degree of damage? A Radiologist!

What about sick patients in the hospital? Who’ll attend to them and meet their health need? A Nurse. Let’s talk about people with eye defects who have a good knowledge of eye care and will recommend the perfect lens to correct the defect? An Optometrist!

The list is never-ending; we could proceed on and on. But the point is that every medical course meets a need. So in selecting the best medical courses in Nigeria, don’t get overwhelmed by others’ opinions but understand that each course meets a need and is hence, valuable.

2. All Medical Courses are Hot Cakes

Doctors get a lot of reputation, and some folks have it that they earn the highest among other health care professionals. While this might be true, it’s not the case every time and everywhere.

For example, in Canada, there’s a lot of demand for Nurses, Pharmacists, and Physiotherapists.

But in the United States, it’s different…

So each medical profession is lucrative, but it differs based on location and some other factors. Whatever one you love and are interested in, go after it because it’s worth it.

3. Each Course Option has a different Difficulty Level.

Before you head straight up to choose a medical course, you need to calculate and estimate the work that you’ll be required to do.

Some courses don’t require much load. You could hang out, have fun, play away time, and still crash-read and do amazingly well. While in some, you’ll need to work your socks off unless you’ll get dropped.

For example, Medicine and Surgery is a 6-year course that entails many other courses like anatomy, biochemistry, and many more. And as such, there’s more workload to cover under a short period. So you’ll need to work harder than the rest.

Asides from that, there’s also a difference in competition levels among courses. Some have many students filing in their application each year and hence high competition, while others have low competition.

Also Read: The Best 20 Medical Schools in Nigeria

Final Words On The Top Medical Courses in Nigeria

You can be anything you want to be, practice in any craft, enter any field, render quality services as you please, so why let superstitions, popular beliefs, and opinions of other people hinder your success?

You might have heard that “there’s no much money there” or ” this course isn’t lucrative'” or any of those junks. However, the main deal is if you love that field and are interested in it, you’ll shine as a light in no time!

There are several options in the health sector, and we’ve discussed the top 10 Medical courses in Nigeria. You’ve also learned some tips that’ll help you reach your medical career dreams!