Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
Perform surgery and related procedures on the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial regions to treat diseases, injuries, or defects.
What this career actually involves
Key tasks
- Administer general and local anesthetics
- Collaborate with other professionals, such as restorative dentists and orthodontists, to plan treatment
Skills and strengths
- Reading comprehension
- Critical thinking
- Steady hands
- Close visual accuracy
Typical work environment
Hospital/Clinic; Laboratory or treatment rooms; Community/field settings for some roles
Employment type
Public sector; NGO/Development sector
Study routes from KCSE onward
Kenya-specific pathways, drawn from KUCCPS and the relevant professional regulator.
Pathway after KCSE
KCSE → MBChB/dental degree → internship & licensing → junior practitioner → Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons → specialist/consultant/leadership
Typical training route
Professional degree + internship/licensing; postgraduate specialist training for some roles
Representative KUCCPS pathway
BACHELOR OF MEDICINE & BACHELOR OF SURGERY (MBChB)
Entry requirements
Degree mean grade C+. Minimum subjects: Biology B; Chemistry B; Mathematics A or Physics B; English or Kiswahili B.
Training duration
About 6 years plus internship before full practice licensing
Helpful KCSE subjects
Related courses
- Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB)
Institutions offering this route
Examples, not an exhaustive list.
- University of Nairobi
- Moi University
- Kenyatta University
- JKUAT
- Egerton University and other approved KUCCPS medical schools
Professional regulator
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC)
Demand and the effect of AI
Kenya demand
High - essential service sector with persistent need for trained health professionals; demand varies by cadre and public/private hiring cycles.
Future outlook / AI impact
Stable-to-strong / AI-assisted — AI will support diagnostics, records, triage and decision support, but human care, physical procedures, accountability and professional licensing keep the role strongly human-led.
Possible specialisations
- Internal medicine
- Surgery
- Paediatrics
- Obstetrics & gynaecology
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
- Pathology
Medical training institutions and practitioners are regulated/licensed by KMPDC.
Could this career suit you?
May suit you if you enjoy helping people, science and careful practical work; useful strengths include Reading comprehension, Critical thinking, Steady hands.
Weighing this against something else?
Put them side by side on subjects, entry requirements, duration and outlook.
Related careers
Roles that share skills, subjects or study routes with this one.
Sources
Occupation data: O*NET 29-1022.00. Kenya pathway: KUCCPS / regulator. Last verified 24 August 2026.
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