Prof. Wilson Ehidiamen Sadoh

Dean, School of Medicine

FROM THE DESK OF THE DEAN, SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

The School of Medicine was established in 1973 as Faculty of Medicine to run a 6-year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB.BS) full-time degree programme. It became a School in 1973 when the College of Medical Sciences was established.

The Dean is the administrative and academic head of the School. The first Dean of the School was Professor T. Bello-Osagie who on the creation of the College became Provost of the College and was succeeded by Professor K. Diete-Koki, since then the School has had the following Deans in the last 32 years.

Prof. J.C. Ebie

Prof. Ayo Binitie

Prof. U. Osime

Prof. L.I. Ojogwu

Prof. F.E. Okonofua

Prof. P. Abiodun

Prof. A. Isah

Prof E Oviasu

The immediate past Dean of the School was Professor M.1 Momoh. The present Dean is Professor Wilson Sadoh.

The School has 17 departments namely:

  • Department of Anaesthesiology
  • Department of Chemical Pathology
  • Department of Child Health
  • Department of Community Health
  • Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
  • Department of Ear, Nose, Throat, Head and Neck
  • Department of Family Medicine
  • Department of Haematology
  • Department of Medical Microbiology
  • Department of Medicine
  • Department of Mental Health
  • Department of Morbid Anatomy
  • Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
  • Department of Ophthalmology
  • Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma
  • Department of Radiology
  • Department of Surgery

In addition, we have the following affiliated departments:

  • Department of General Studies
  • Department of Anatomy
  • Department of Physiology
  • Department of Medical Biochemistry
  • Department of Pharmacology

The school has a robust faculty comprising:

  • 72 Professors and 3 Emeritus Professors
  • 18 Associate Professors
  • 44 Senior Lecturers
  • 13 Lecturer I
  • 1 Lecturer II

About 99% of faculty are specialists in various fields of Medicine and are also honorary consultants at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

The School has maintained a sessional undergraduate enrolment of 100 since 2007. Graduates of the School of Medicine are highly reputed nationally and internationally. The alumni continue to receive commendations and accolades in the United Kingdom and North America. This is why the School of Medicine, University of Benin is the most sought after medical school at the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board. In the 2019/2020 admission over 3600 candidates passed the Post-UTM examination out of which we admitted 160 candidates.

The School has grown in the last 5 years in areas of personnel, capacity building and in infrastructure.

The administrative office of the School is located in the College of Medical Sciences Building Complex, University of Benin.

Lecturers’ offices are located both in the building as well as in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

Recently acquired infrastructures include two ultra modern lecture theatres with a Medical sub-library (at the terminal phase of completion) and a smart classroom (with 50 computers) for E-Learning. Other areas of expansion include the Surgery department with laparoscopic surgeries now being performed and Radiotherapy units at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.

The University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), our clinical teaching and training facility has expanded tremendously in capacity and sub-specialization in the last decade. With over 800 bed capacity, it is second only to the University College Hospital Ibadan as the biggest teaching hospitals in Nigeria.

The UBTH has over 200 medical consultants, 80% of who are academic staffs of the School of Medicine with focus in virtually all sub-specialties of Medicine.

Recently we blazed the trail in the area of laparoscopic surgeries in the General sugery unit and urology units in the Department of Surgery. Our Professor of Trauma Surgery has established a Trauma Unit which includes a School of Emergency Medical Technicians – EMT, the first of its kind in Nigeria. Now renamed School of Paramedics Technology, it has built capacity with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and some teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres.

Our lecturers in Obstetrics and Gynaecology render expert services and training in In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) technology, one of only public health facilities with this capacity in Nigeria.

Academic staff of the School provides services and training in Radiotherapy with our Linear Accelerator facility and Brachytherapy. Endoscopy, Renal Dialysis, Neurosurgery, and Cardiac and Vascular surgery are sub-specialties where service and training are now routinely done by our lecturers. Furthermore very recently the Dermatology unit began electrocauteries of facial growths thus improving the cosmetic appearance of so many.

UBTH Senior Residents who on completion of their training will become lecturers in the School of Medicine are currently out of the country training in Laparoscopic Surgery and Nuclear Medicine.

With the extensive facilities including the recently acquired twin lecture theatres and huge critical expert teaching and training personnel, the School of Medicine has capacity and is set to train 250 medical students in each level from