In a significant milestone, the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Gregory University Uturu (GUU) has been officially registered as the newest member of the Association of Medical Schools in Africa (AMSA).
This prestigious membership is a positive affirmation of the college's commitment to excellence in medical education and its dedication to improving healthcare outcomes in Africa.
The Provost of the GUU College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Prof. S.A.U Offiah, has been formally invited to attend the 2025 AMSA annual conference, hosted by the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, in September 2025.
This conference will provide a platform for the college to engage with other leading medical schools in Africa, share best practices, and collaborate on initiatives to advance medical education and healthcare in the region.
To qualify for AMSA membership, the GUU College of Medicine and Health Sciences underwent a rigorous evaluation process, demonstrating full Council accreditation of Medical Schools in Africa and meeting stringent criteria for curriculum content, training modules, and relevance to Sub-Saharan Africa's medical needs.
As a member of AMSA, the GUU College of Medicine and Health Sciences will benefit from:
- Opportunities to improve health systems through education, research, and service
- Promotion of evidence-based healthcare practices and decision-making
- Strengthening of medical schools to improve standards and sustainability
- Facilitation of exchange visits for medical educators and students between member schools and countries
- Advancement of equity and social responsiveness in medical education and healthcare
- Access to a network of leading medical schools in Africa, enabling the exchange of teaching, research, and evaluation materials.
This milestone achievement underscores the college's commitment to excellence and its dedication to making a positive impact on healthcare outcomes in Africa.
In another recent development, the Primary Medical Qualification (PMQ) awarded by the Gregory University Uturu College of Medicine and Health Sciences was recognized by the General Medical Council (GMC) of the United Kingdom as meeting the criteria for an acceptable overseas qualification.
This recognition enables doctors awarded the PMQ by Gregory University Uturu to apply to sit the Professional and Linguistic Assessments Board (PLAB) Test and for GMC registration without individual assessment.
According to the GMC, "This means that any doctor awarded a Primary Medical Qualification from Gregory University Uturu will be able to apply to sit the PLAB Test and for GMC registration without having their qualification individually assessed."
Speaking on the significance of these laudable achievements, Vice Chancellor of GUU Prof. Cele Njoku paid tribute to the Founder of the institution, Prof. Gregory Ibe, who she said is "constantly driven by an overwhelming desire to improve the doctor to patient ratio in Nigeria in supporting the medical programme of our university."
According to her, "Prof. Ibe's inspiring leadership continues to catalyze growth in the university in general and particularly in the College of Medicine, which started by inducting a pioneering set of 19 doctors in 2023, improved to 26 doctors in 2024, while planning to release more than 80 doctors to the labor market during the induction ceremony of 2025."
By Sleek Ogwo, ANIPR
