DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY MEDICINE

Vision: to become one of the top five Community medicine departments in Nigeria in terms of quality of its research, graduates and community service.

Mission: To continuously improve training, research and community service through effective and efficient mobilization and utilization of resources using appropriate technology to ensure production of highly skilled community-oriented doctors and other health workers to achieve evidence-based improvement in the health of the community in the North Central geopolitical zone of Nigeria”

Core Values:

1. Excellence: Commitment to giving the best in teaching, research, education and community service through individual and collective efforts.
2. Integrity and Professionalism: adherence to ethics, honesty, trust, and responsibility to meet our University standard

• Collaboration: Team work, multi – disciplinary/multi-sectoral approach, community engagement, mobilization of local, national and international resources for mutual benefits.

1. Knowledge and evidence‐based approach: Our activities will be guided by adapting theories, knowledge, and data to ensure effectiveness and efficiency.

• Objectives

At the end of their training in Community Medicine, the student should be able to:-

1. Explain the concept of Community Medicine and its relevance in global health and the Nigeria healthcare system.
2. Diagnose the health problems of a community, develop a primary health care plan for the defined community to close the identified gaps using the PHC approach.

• Carry out epidemiological studies to identify prevalent health problems in the community and determine the effective means of alleviating them

1. to plan, organize and evaluate appropriate health programmes
2. Mobilize communities to take responsibility for their health.
3. Develop leadership skills including team work among the members of the health team;

• Be effective and efficient leaders in the health sector
• Exhibit the highest principle of medical ethics in the promotion of health.

For the MBBS programme, Community Medicine is run throughout the years, from 200 level to 600 level. It integrates rigorous classroom, clinical and laboratory learning with field/community-based and Primary Health Care experiences. Community-orientated learning starts from 200 level in order for students to become acquainted with cultural sensitivity, community entry and diagnosis, health needs/contexts of the community by going on frequent visits to communities. A more intense exposure to clinical medicine commences at 400 level at the outpatient clinics in the Teaching Hospital, rural and urban sites, wards as well as exposure to epidemiological studies and identification of prevalent health problems in communities through community interaction and involvement.