Housemanship also known as internship, is the compulsory one-year clinical training for newly graduated medical doctors in Nigeria.
Housemanship also known as internship, is the compulsory one-year clinical training for newly graduated medical doctors in Nigeria.
During this period, these doctors, referred to as house officers, work under supervision in accredited hospitals using a provisional license issued by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
This transitional phase allows house officers to apply their medical school knowledge in real-world settings, build clinical confidence, and prepare for full registration before proceeding to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
HOSPITALS WITH THE HIGHEST SALARY CURRENTLY
House officers rotate through four essential departments:
Each posting lasts at least three months. For a hospital to be accredited, all four departments must be present and led by consultants.
House officers are the backbone of hospital operations. Their duties include:
Despite their critical role, house officers face systemic challenges that hinder their growth and efficiency.
Nigeria’s growing population of medical graduates far exceeds the number of accredited housemanship centres. This mismatch leads to long waiting periods—sometimes years—before placement.
If a house officer fails to secure placement within two years of graduation, they must revalidate their provisional license through the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN). If the delay extends beyond three years, they may be required to retake the MDCN qualifying exam to obtain a new provisional license—a stressful and dreaded process.
Compounding the issue, over 70 hospitals across Nigeria are not listed on the MDCN portal, despite having the capacity to train house officers. Ironically, many of these unlisted centres offer better remuneration than MDCN-accredited ones. For example, LASUTH pays ₦336,000 monthly, significantly higher than the average ₦267,000 paid by portal centres.
This disparity not only creates confusion but also discourages transparency and equitable access to quality training.
Due to understaffing, house officers often manage overwhelming patient loads. The physical and emotional toll contributes to physician burnout, affecting both care quality and personal well-being. This year, we record over 4 doctors death.
Verbal abuse and public humiliation from senior doctors are rampant. Being shouted at in front of patients erodes house officers’ confidence and undermines patient trust.
House officers earn approximately ₦267,000 per month, which is less than $200 USD at current exchange rates. Despite their demanding workload, salaries are typically paid three months after resumption, leaving house officers financially stranded during a critical adjustment period. In some centres, they are denied pay under the claim that they are “still in training,” fueling industrial actions by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD).
Frequent strikes disrupt training, extending housemanship beyond the standard 12 months. These delays also postpone NYSC eligibility, with no compensation for lost time.
Favoritism and bribery plague the placement process. Apart from the centers that can easily but got from the portal, Other centers are very difficulty to get like LASUTH, HSC ODAN, HMB ABUJA, NHA, FMC JABI, FMC EBUTE METTA etc
A lot of doctors therefore remain unplaced due to lack of connections. This undermines meritocracy and worsens the bottleneck.
Government and private sector investment in healthcare infrastructure is essential. More accredited centres will absorb the growing number of house officers and reduce burnout. Secondly increase the quota of the centers in the portal to like 100, to enable these centers accommodate more house officers.
The MDCN’s online portal for housemanship placement is a step forward. thise housemanship portal came in on April 2021, Since then it has helped a lot in making doctors get hous job fast. But the portal is now congested and needs improvement.
Partnerships among MDCN, NMA, NARD, and hospitals can streamline postings, monitor progress, and centralize payments to prevent delays.
Government engagement with health unions is crucial to resolving the root causes of strikes and ensuring uninterrupted training.
House officers deserve professional respect and mentorship—not intimidation. Standardized, timely salaries and supportive work environments will enhance their competence and morale.
Housemanship is a pivotal phase in the journey of Nigerian doctors. It’s where theory meets practice, and where future healthcare leaders are shaped.
Yet, systemic issues—limited centres, poor pay, delayed salaries, strikes, and workplace hostility, threaten the integrity of this process. By investing in infrastructure, reforming placement systems, and prioritizing house officer welfare, Nigeria can build a resilient healthcare workforce and deliver better outcomes for all.
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Occupational Health Physician, Blogger, Docpreneur. Beyond my professional role, I am the founder of Doclumina.org (formerly TheyHaveLeftYouBehind.net), a platform supporting thousands of Nigerian medical graduates with housemanship and career guidance. I am passionate about digital health, workplace wellness, and advancing public health practice through innovation, mentorship, and global collaboration