This post is about the 9 WAEC Subjects for Medicine and Surgery. It is specifically for WAEC candidates who intend to join the College of Medicine to study Medicine and Surgery and therefore wish to know which 9 subjects they must register in their WAEC. They wish to know so that they won’t fill and write the wrong subjects in their SSCE and jeopardize their chances of becoming medical doctors. Hence, I’m going to enlighten you on what the course Medicine and Surgery is all about. I will also give you the 9 WAEC subjects that are accepted in the Faculty of Medicine in various universities.
Table of Contents
What is Medicine and Surgery?
Medicine and surgery is a course of study that prepares students to become medical doctors.
There are many universities in Nigeria with accreditation to offer Medicine and Surgery as a program. But no matter where you choose to go to do the program, it will involve a combination of classroom lectures, laboratory work and clinical posting/training.
The course covers a wide range of topics related to health and medicine. Such topics include:
- anatomy
- physiology
- pharmacology
- pathology
- microbiology
- medical ethics
During the course, you will learn how to diagnose and treat a wide range of medical conditions. You will make diagnosis and offer treatments using a combination of medical knowledge, surgical techniques and other interventions.
You will also learn how to manage patients’ health over the long term. This is because there are many diseases that can only be managed because they currently do not have cure.
More so, you will be taught how to communicate effectively with patients and their families. And how to work collaboratively with other healthcare professionals.
In Nigeria, the duration of the course can vary slightly depending on a student’s mode of entry. All things being equal, it typically takes around 6 years to complete a medicine and surgery course. After this six years, the student goes for internship and residency training. Upon completion, graduates get their license to practice medicine and surgery
What are the Compulsory Subjects for Medicine and Surgery in WAEC?
In order to meet the O’level entry requirement for Medicine and Surgery, there are 5 subjects a science student MUST register.
These 5 subjects are the core subjects for any science student with the dream of ever becoming a doctor. Otherwise, they won’t stand a chance.
The following are the 5 compulsory subjects for Medicine and Surgery in WAEC:
- English Language
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Mathematics
This means that any student who wishes to study Medicine and Surgery in the university must offer the above 5 subjects and write them in SSCE.
They are both compulsory and enough to fetch the student a slot in the College of Medicine, other things being equal. All the student requires is to get a credit level pass in each of the subjects. In addition, most universities require that the prospective medical student must credit the five compulsory O’level subjects in one sitting.
However, WAEC always requires that their candidates should register and sit for 9 subjects in their SSCE. On account of that, I will give you a list of the 9 WAEC Subjects for Medicine and Surgery in the next section.
Is Further Maths Compulsory for Medicine and Surgery in WAEC?
Further Maths, otherwise referred to as Additional Mathematics, is one of the elective subjects for secondary school students. The subject seeks to bring advanced level Mathematics down to Ordinary level students. The goal is to make them naturally good with Math and to prepare them for tertiary education. This is especially good for those that will pursue a career in Engineering and Physical Sciences.
Further Maths is NOT compulsory for Medicine and Surgery in WAEC. It’s not even part of the 9 WAEC Subjects for Medicine and Surgery. The ordinary general Mathematics that every O’level student offers is also enough for aspirants of Medicine.
So feel free if you are not too comfortable offering Further Math. But if you must offer it, don’t forget to ensure that you include all the core subjects necessary for admission into Medicine and Surgery.
Is Agric Compulsory for Medicine in WAEC?
Agric is not a compulsory subject for Medicine in WAEC. Many students have been asking questions in this regard.
However, you may choose to register Agric as one of your 9 WAEC Subjects for Medicine and Surgery. But that does not mean that it fulfills any requirement for your admission into Medicine because it is not one of the five core subjects.
Is Economics Compulsory for Medicine and Surgery
Economics is purely a social science subject. And although a science student aspiring for Medicine may choose to offer it to broaden their knowledge, it is not one of the SSCE subjects required for admission.
Economics is not compulsory for Medicine and Surgery. It is not one of the 9 WAEC Subjects for Medicine and Surgery. So as an aspirant of Medicine, you may decide to have nothing to do with Economics if you really don’t have a flair for it. The decision won’t cost you any other thing apart from the knowledge you will miss.
Is Geography Compulsory for Medicine and Surgery
Just like Economics, Geography is a social science subject. Many science students offer Geography for one reason or the other. Maybe because it is a very fascinating subject that exposes students to the entire universe in terms of weather, climate, topography, vegetation, population, water bodies, mineral resources and so on.
Again, as a science student aspiring for Medicine, you may choose to offer Geography to broaden your knowledge. But it is not one of the SSCE subjects required for admission.
Geography is not compulsory for Medicine and Surgery. So as an aspirant of Medicine, you may decide to have nothing to do with the subject if you really don’t like it. The decision won’t cost you any other thing apart from the knowledge you will miss.
The 9 WAEC Subjects for Medicine and Surgery
Here are the 9 WAEC Subjects for Medicine and Surgery:
- English Language
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Civic Education
- Agricultural Science or Food and Nutrition
- Geography
- A Nigerian Language
Therefore, in order to register for 9 complete subjects in WAEC, you must supplement your 5 core subjects with these four: Civic Education, Agricultural Science, Food and Nutrition, Geography, A Nigerian Language and so on.
Mental Requirements to Study Medicine and Surgery
I feel that this article would not be complete if I don’t include this section. The reason is because the requirements for studying medicine and surgery go beyond WAEC subjects.
Medicine and Surgery is a very challenging program and places rigorous academic demands on the students. So it requires a significant level of mental aptitude and commitment. And you must be sure that you possess that level of mental aptitude and commitment before venturing to study the course. Otherwise, you may not come out successful.
Here are some mental requirements that can help you succeed in studying medicine and surgery:
Strong Academic Skills
This is very important. If you are below average academically, you have no business desiring to study Medicine and Surgery. The course requires that you have excellent academic skills not only in biological sciences but also in other fields of science. More so, you need a strong foundation in Math, writing and communication. With these, you are bound to succeed in medical school.
Critical Thinking
As a medical student, you will need to be able to analyze complex medical problems and come up with effective solutions. Critical thinking skills are crucial in diagnosing and treating patients.
Resilience and Determination
Going through medical school in Nigeria can be extremely challenging physically and emotionally. You will face many institutional and human obstacles along the way. so you will need to be able to handle stress, pressure and difficult situations effectively. Otherwise, you may lose focus on your goals to succeed.
Empathy and Compassion
Many people I see today claiming that they are wired to study Medicine and Surgery have no business with the field. The reason is because they lack empathy and compassion.
Listen friends, if you don’t have empathy and compassion for people around you who are going through extreme situations, you may not succeed in the medical field. This is because Medicine is a humanistic field and you will need to have empathy and compassion for your patients.
When you start practicing, you will be working with people from all walks of life. And you must be able to connect with them on a personal level. Otherwise, you may not be able to provide effective medical care.
Conclusion of the Article on “9 WAEC Subjects for Medicine and Surgery”
In this post, we set out to explore the 9 WAEC Subjects for Medicine and Surgery and we did justice to that. If you are still in secondary school but nurture the dream of becoming a medical doctor someday, you must register and sit for your core subjects.
However, since your core subjects are just 5 and not up to the required number of subjects, you must add four more to supplement them.
That’s all for O’level SSCE requirements.
However, I also told you that studying Medicine and Surgery requires a high level of mental aptitude, dedication, and perseverance. It also requires that you have a passion for helping others, otherwise, pursuing a career in medicine and surgery may not be a great fit for you.
I trust that this post has been very helpful. If you still have questions or just wish to share your thoughts with me on this subject, use the comments section below.
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For information WAEC as an examination body, visit the Board’s Official Website
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Can I swap Nigerian language with data processing and what can I swap geography with?
The 5 compulsory subjects for Medicine and Surgery in WAEC are English Language, Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics.
You can swap any other subject outside those five.
Is the Nigerian language compulsory?
Not necessarily.
This was really inspiring
I love hope it would help me a great deal
Can I swap Geography with economics
Yes, both are not compulsory O’level subjects for Medicine and Surgery.
can I swap Agric Geography and Physics with Further Mathematics, Computer and Food and Nutrition
If the course in question is Medicine and Surgery, you cannot swap PHYSICS for anything. It’s compulsory.