Give me 3 minutes to teach you housemanship in Nigeria

What is housemanship 

Housemanship (house job) is a mandatory one-year supervised clinical training for newly qualified MBBS and BDS doctors in Nigeria. It consolidates your undergraduate learning with hands-on patient care across core specialties and is required for full registration with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

You’ll typically rotate 4 major departments — Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and Paediatrics — spending roughly 3 months in each.

Quick historical context 

Housemanship in Nigeria follows the UK model introduced mid-20th century and became a statutory requirement as medical training standards were formalized in the 1960s–1970s.

The MDCN housemanship portal — how it works 

• The MDCN portal centralizes posting of newly inducted doctors to accredited hospitals for their one-year housemanship.

• You must be inducted and have your provisional license approved on the portal to apply. Without induction and an approved provisional license, you cannot register for postings.

• New centers are typically uploaded periodically (the slide notes about every 2 months). On upload days the site can be slow — be ready, act fast, and use a reliable internet connection.

Portal URLs you’ll need:

• Registration: housemanship.mdcn.gov.ng/auth/register

• MDCN news: mdcn.gov.ng/recent-news
  (Bookmark both and check regularly.)

Creating a portal account — checklist

Before registering, prepare:

• MDCN induction completed & provisional license approved (note issue date)

• Portal email (use Gmail), password (keep it secure but memorable)

• Folio number, Bank account details and BVN

• Passport photo resized to portal specs (e.g., height ~499px × width ~476px)

• Then register on the portal and sign in on announcement days.

Tip: Watch a step-by-step portal video and practice a dry run before upload day so you’re fast when it counts.

Wards — what to expect

Typical ward exposure includes:

• Internal Medicine: male/female wards, ICU, dialysis, stroke unit, isolation, VIP ward

• Surgery: male/female surgical wards, orthopaedics, burns & plastics, pediatric surgery

• Obstetrics & Gynae: labour room, antenatal & postnatal wards, gynae emergencies

• Paediatrics: paediatric medical, surgical, neonatal/SCBU, paediatric emergency

If you’re BDS holder, your rotations include Child Dental Health (orthodontics/pedo), Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Diagnosis, Restorative Dentistry, etc. (timings differ).

 Sought-after & higher-paying centers

Popular portal centres (high demand): National Hospital Abuja (NHA), FMC Jabi, FMC Ebute-Metta, UATH, FMC Asaba, FUTH Owerri, FMC Umuahia, UPTH, FMC Keffi.
Notable non-portal centres (often higher pay or alternative routes): HSC Lagos, LASUTH, RSUTH, St. Nicholas Hospital Lagos, UNIMEDTH, Lagoon Hospital Ikeja, and others

Salary note (from portal data): Portal centers pay a standard amount (slide: ₦267,000) while a few non-portal centers may pay more (slide examples: Asokoro/Maitama ≈ ₦274k; HSC Lagos noted as higher in some lists). Always confirm current figures with the hospital and MDCN before accepting.

Essential documents (bring copies + originals)

• CV

• Degree/statement of result

• MDCN Provisional License & annual registration

• Birth certificate & LGA certificate

• WASSCE/SSCE & school testimonials

• Passport photographs

• Recommendation letters

Some centers ask for extra paperwork — check the hospital’s checklist in advance.

FAQ 

• Can I be posted without induction? No.

• Can I start at one centre and later transfer? Not directly — resigning and reapplying is usually required, and MDCN may require refund of salary if you resign (check current MDCN policy).

• How soon will I get paid? Typically around 2 months for portal centers (confirm with hospital payroll).

• How long is the fastest completion? Around 11 months in some cases (depends on rotations and leave).

How to choose the right centre — practical criteria

Decide with this checklist:

• Proximity to family & support system

• Cost of living vs. salary (Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt are expensive)

• Workload and learning opportunities (teaching hospitals are busier but richer in exposure)

• Security, commute, and on-site facilities (ICU, labs, supervision quality)

• Networking & mentoring opportunities (consultants, academics, exam prep support)

Be flexible: if you don’t have the network for a top centre, cast a wider net.

By Admin @Doclumina

What is housemanship 

Housemanship (house job) is a mandatory one-year supervised clinical training for newly qualified MBBS and BDS doctors in Nigeria. It consolidates your undergraduate learning with hands-on patient care across core specialties and is required for full registration with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

You’ll typically rotate 4 major departments — Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and Paediatrics — spending roughly 3 months in each.

Quick historical context 

Housemanship in Nigeria follows the UK model introduced mid-20th century and became a statutory requirement as medical training standards were formalized in the 1960s–1970s.

The MDCN housemanship portal — how it works 

• The MDCN portal centralizes posting of newly inducted doctors to accredited hospitals for their one-year housemanship.

• You must be inducted and have your provisional license approved on the portal to apply. Without induction and an approved provisional license, you cannot register for postings.

• New centers are typically uploaded periodically (the slide notes about every 2 months). On upload days the site can be slow — be ready, act fast, and use a reliable internet connection.

Portal URLs you’ll need:

• Registration: housemanship.mdcn.gov.ng/auth/register

• MDCN news: mdcn.gov.ng/recent-news
  (Bookmark both and check regularly.)

Creating a portal account — checklist

Before registering, prepare:

• MDCN induction completed & provisional license approved (note issue date)

• Portal email (use Gmail), password (keep it secure but memorable)

• Folio number, Bank account details and BVN

• Passport photo resized to portal specs (e.g., height ~499px × width ~476px)

• Then register on the portal and sign in on announcement days.

Tip: Watch a step-by-step portal video and practice a dry run before upload day so you’re fast when it counts.

Wards — what to expect

Typical ward exposure includes:

• Internal Medicine: male/female wards, ICU, dialysis, stroke unit, isolation, VIP ward

• Surgery: male/female surgical wards, orthopaedics, burns & plastics, pediatric surgery

• Obstetrics & Gynae: labour room, antenatal & postnatal wards, gynae emergencies

• Paediatrics: paediatric medical, surgical, neonatal/SCBU, paediatric emergency

If you’re BDS holder, your rotations include Child Dental Health (orthodontics/pedo), Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Diagnosis, Restorative Dentistry, etc. (timings differ).

 Sought-after & higher-paying centers

Popular portal centres (high demand): National Hospital Abuja (NHA), FMC Jabi, FMC Ebute-Metta, UATH, FMC Asaba, FUTH Owerri, FMC Umuahia, UPTH, FMC Keffi.
Notable non-portal centres (often higher pay or alternative routes): HSC Lagos, LASUTH, RSUTH, St. Nicholas Hospital Lagos, UNIMEDTH, Lagoon Hospital Ikeja, and others

Salary note (from portal data): Portal centers pay a standard amount (slide: ₦267,000) while a few non-portal centers may pay more (slide examples: Asokoro/Maitama ≈ ₦274k; HSC Lagos noted as higher in some lists). Always confirm current figures with the hospital and MDCN before accepting.

Essential documents (bring copies + originals)

• CV

• Degree/statement of result

• MDCN Provisional License & annual registration

• Birth certificate & LGA certificate

• WASSCE/SSCE & school testimonials

• Passport photographs

• Recommendation letters

Some centers ask for extra paperwork — check the hospital’s checklist in advance.

FAQ 

• Can I be posted without induction? No.

• Can I start at one centre and later transfer? Not directly — resigning and reapplying is usually required, and MDCN may require refund of salary if you resign (check current MDCN policy).

• How soon will I get paid? Typically around 2 months for portal centers (confirm with hospital payroll).

• How long is the fastest completion? Around 11 months in some cases (depends on rotations and leave).

How to choose the right centre — practical criteria

Decide with this checklist:

• Proximity to family & support system

• Cost of living vs. salary (Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt are expensive)

• Workload and learning opportunities (teaching hospitals are busier but richer in exposure)

• Security, commute, and on-site facilities (ICU, labs, supervision quality)

• Networking & mentoring opportunities (consultants, academics, exam prep support)

Be flexible: if you don’t have the network for a top centre, cast a wider net.

By Admin @Doclumina