Can a Physiologist Become a Medical Doctor in Nigeria

Medical doctors in Nigeria are highly respected and are generally believed to earn well. Due to this, lots of young people in Nigeria strive to become medical doctors.

Well, due to the limited space for medical students, a lot of people that are interested in becoming medical doctors are unable to gain admission into the university to study Medicine and Surgery.

So, to a large extent, the dream of becoming a medical doctor gets replaced by something else.

To a large extent, lots of young people that aim at becoming medical doctors without any success end up settling for other related courses like anatomy and physiology.

After getting a degree in any related course, some are comfortable and work towards building a career in the field they have settled for.

Others, however, work towards becoming medical doctors even after getting a degree in a related field.

Since many people that were unable to become medical doctors on the first attempt are still interested in becoming doctors, there is a question about the possibility of a physiologist in Nigeria becoming a medical doctor.

Before anyone in Nigeria is considered a physiologist, they must have graduated from the university. So, the question “can a physiologist become a medical doctor in Nigeria” is basically about the likelihood of one becoming a medical doctor in Nigeria after a degree in physiology.

The answer to the question “can a physiologist become a medical doctor in Nigeria” is yes.

However, beyond just knowing that it is possible for a physiologist to become a medical doctor in Nigeria, it is important that you know the process through which this can be made a reality.

Who is a Physiologist?

Physiologists are individuals that have mastered the art of studying the function of human, plant, and animal bodies. These groups of people are obviously not medical doctors. However, they play an important role in the general advancement of medical science.
At the moment there are several types of physiologists. This grouping is simply based on their area of specialization. At the moment, some of the available types of physiologists are exercise physiologists, cell physiologists, plant physiologists, animal physiologists, and clinical physiologists.
In as much as every type of physiologist is generally considered a health worker, clinical physiologists are the closest to medical doctors. They play a great role in the diagnosis and treatment of health problems. Also, they work hand in hand with medical doctors in anticipating health issues.
In as much as the various types of physiologists can study medicine and surgery as a second degree, if you have plans to study medicine and surgery after a degree in physiology, it is best if you to work towards becoming a clinical physiologist as this set of physiologists are closet to medical doctors.

How can A Physiologist Become a Medical Doctor in Nigeria?

Now that you know it is possible for a physiologist to become a medical doctor in Nigeria, let’s walk you through the different routes to accomplish this.

Here are the steps on how a physiologist can become a medical doctor in Nigeria;

1. Write the UTME and Start from the Beginning:

After one gets a degree in physiology, they can purchase a JAMB form and apply to study medicine and surgery. This might seem like a very long route. Nonetheless, it is simply about following guidelines. This might look like you are belittling yourself. However, it is just the way things work.
Although you will need to write the UTME again like a student that is just getting out of secondary school and score at least 200 out of 400 in your exams, you can be certain that you will be better off than the average student applying to study medicine.
Since one already has a degree in physiology, the likelihood of performing excellently in this exam is very high. The implication of this is there is a huge likelihood that an individual that has a degree in physiology will be able to gain admission to study medicine and surgery very easily.
After writing the UTME, you will proceed to write the post-UTME and a cumulative of your scores in the two exams will be used to come up with your final score which will determine if you will get admitted to study medicine and surgery.

2. You Can Make Use of the Direct Entry Route:

This seems quite strange to some people. However, there are universities in Nigeria that admit medical students via direct entry. This might seem great for a graduate of physiology that does not want to go back to the very beginning of the journey. However, it is not as rosy as lots of people might assume. This is because of the huge competition associated with this route.
The average university in Nigeria where people can study medicine and surgery in Nigeria makes more room for students coming in through UTME. Due to this, only a few students will be able to make it in through direct entry. So, only the best out of the best get to make it through this route.
If you have plans of studying medicine and surgery after having a degree in physiology and you want to get this done through direct entry, you will need to take out time to discover the universities that admit medical students through direct entry. Also, you should confirm if the university you aim to attend has room for direct-entry students in the year in question. This is important as some universities that make room for direct entry students do not do so every year.
Although getting in through direct entry is not a very easy thing, when physiologists get into the university to study medicine and surgery through direct entry, they do not have to start from the first year. They have the liberty of beginning from the 200 level.

Do Physiologists Go to Medical School

There are various types of physiologists. These different physiologists work in different ways and differ markedly even though they have a lot in common. While clinical physiologists are allowed to deal with patients just like doctors, they are not known to go to medical school and will never pass for doctors. So, if you are a clinical physiologist and want to be treated like a doctor, you will just have to go back to school and study medicine and surgery.