2 Medical Licenses

Section 1: General Information1.1  Overview

Any physician who plans to participate in clinical work, see patients for clinical or non-clinical reasons, and/or visit clinical areas of the hospital campus during their visit to AMPATH Kenya must obtain a temporary Kenya medical license prior to arrival. Licenses are issued by the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC) upon submission of the required documents and payment of prescribed fees. Depending on the visitor’s level of training and duration of stay, they may be eligible for a temporary license (valid for the dates of one’s stay) or a renewable, one-year license.

It is recommended that you complete the application process no later than six weeks prior to your travel date.

1.2  AudienceThe audience for this document includes any physician visiting AMPATH Kenya whose planned activities include clinical work, seeing patients for clinical or non-clinical reasons, and/or visiting clinical areas of the hospital campus; and includes both first-time visitors and returning visitors who may or may not have obtained a temporary or annual license during a previous visit.

Section 2: General Procedures for Visiting Physicians

2.1  License Eligibility

1.    Returning visitors who obtained an annual KMPDC license and certificate via the KMPDC registration process in 2021 or Peer Review process are only required to renew their license annually via the KMPDC website.

a.    Please note that this does not apply to most returning visitors. Visitors who received annual licenses prior to 2020 and who do not have an online account with the KMPDC are not included in this group.

b.    For guidance on the KMPDC renewal process, please see Section 7.

2.    All other physicians, whether they are first-time or returning visitors, must apply for the appropriate license type based on their level of training and length of stay.

a.    Physicians and residents who expect to participate in clinical work for less than 60 days are eligible for a temporary license, which is valid for the dates of the visitor’s stay. For guidance on this process, please see Section 3.

i.    Please note that this does not apply to interns, who are considered a separate category.

b.    Physicians who have completed residency and who expect to participate in clinical work for greater than 60 days must apply for Peer Review. This process results in a KMPDC license that is valid for one year and renewable annually.

i.    For guidance on the Peer Review process, please see Section 4.

ii.    For guidance on the KMPDC registration and renewal processes, please see Sections 6 and 7.

c.     Residents who have completed their intern year and who expect to participate in clinical work for greater than 60 days are required to complete a pre-registration exam in order to obtain a KMPDC license.

i.    As this is an arduous process, please contact the AMPATH Visitors Team if this situation applies to you.

ii.    For guidance on the Pre-registration Exam process, please see Section 5.

d.    Interns/first-year residents.

i.    This will involve securing an internship letter from the Kenya Ministry of Education, as well as research approvals from NACOSTI and the relevant Institutional boards.

ii.    As this is an arduous process, please contact the AMPATH Visitors Team (visitors@ampathkenya.org) if this situation applies to you.

3.    Please note that regardless of the license type, visitors are only permitted to practice at the facility (e.g., Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital) associated with their license.

2.2  Application Pathways

Table 1 below is provided by KMPDC to determine the initial license pathway, with the second column added to translate the Kenyan terms to their North American equivalents. A flowchart (Figure 1) has also been developed to guide visitors through the application process.

Table 1: Licensing Requirements by Level of Training

Physicians and residents who expect to participate in clinical work for less than 60 days and who do not already possess an annual KMPDC license are eligible for a temporary license, which is valid for the dates of the visitor’s stay.

3.2 Application Process1.    To apply for a temporary license, the visitor must begin the AMPATH Visitor Information Form. Once they indicate in the form that they plan to apply for a medical license, they will receive an email with the link to begin the online application.

2.    Visitors will be required to upload the following documents:

1.    Application for Temporary License for Foreign Doctors

2.    Copy of Passport or Alien Card

3.    Current colored passport photo (jpeg format)

4.    Copy of medical school diploma

5.    Certificate of status (3 reference letters)

1.    Letters of reference should be on letterhead and addressed to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Council. See this folder for sample letters of reference.

6.    Copy of board certificate; or, if the applicant is still in residency, a letter from the residency program on letterhead and addressed to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council stating that the applicant has completed their intern year and is in good standing in their program.

7.    Copy of current state license

8.    Copy of current CV

3.    An application fee of $195 will be due at time of application submission. Payments can be made via PayPal and are payable to iigh.kenya@gmail.com.

3.3 Submission and Approval Process1.    Once the visitor has submitted their application, the IU House Program Administrator will:

1.    Have the relevant documents notarized by Kenyan advocate

2.    Obtain an application cover letter signed by the CEO of MTRH

3.    Submit all application materials and fees to the office of the MTRH CEO, who then forwards the application to the KMPDC on behalf of the visitor

Physicians who have completed residency and who expect to participate in clinical work for greater than 60 days and who do not already possess an annual KMPDC license must apply for Peer Review. This process results in a KMPDC license that is valid for one year and renewable annually.

4.2 Application Process1.    To apply for peer review, the visitor must begin the AMPATH Visitor Information Form. Once they indicate in the form that they plan to apply for a medical license, they will receive an email with the link to begin the online application.

2.    Visitors will be required to upload the following documents:

a.    Peer Review Form

b.    Copy of Passport

c.     Colored passport size photo (jpeg format)

d.    Copy of medical school diploma

e.    Copy of current CV

f.      Evidence of postgraduate qualifications (valid medical license, residency certificate and/or fellowship certificate from home country)

g.    Certificate of status from current regulatory authority (medical board certificate)

h.    Certificate Of Status (3 reference letters)

i.    Letters of reference should be on letterhead and addressed to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Council. The content of these letters should address the applicant’s specialty (examples).

i.      ECFMG Verification Form, if applicable

j.      Completed Peer Review Data form

3.    An application fee of $835 USD will be due at time of application submission. Payments can be made via PayPal and are payable to iigh.kenya@gmail.com.

a.    Please note that once the applicant’s peer review application has been approved, they will be required to pay an additional 20,000 KES for KMPDC registration and 20,000 KES for their annual medical license.

4.3 Submission and Approval Process 

1.    Once the visitor has submitted their application, the IU House Program Administrator will:

1.    Have the relevant documents notarized by Kenyan advocate

2.    Obtain an application cover letter signed by the CEO of MTRH

3.    Submit all application materials and fees to the office of the MTRH CEO, who then forwards the application to the KMPDC on behalf of the visitor

2.    The Peer review panel will be constituted by the KMPDC and will depend on the number of applications received. This process can take up to one month, and the interview may be held via Zoom. The applicants will be contacted via email with the interview link several days before the review.

3.    Once the registration certificate is issued, the visitor must complete the steps listed in Section 6 in order to create their online KMPDC registration and obtain their license for the current calendar year.

1.    Residents who have completed their intern year, expect to participate in clinical work for greater than 60 days, and do not already possess an annual KMPDC license are required to complete a pre-registration exam in order to obtain a KMPDC license.

2.    Completion of this application pathway requires that the visitor submit a pre-registration application; sit for a written and practical exam in Nairobi (offered only in January, April, and September); and, if the applicant passes the exam, register in the KMPDC portal and obtain an annual license.

3.    As this is an arduous process, this pathway is not recommended. Visitors who fall under this category should email the AMPATH Visitors Team (visitors@ampathkenya.org) to confirm whether this is the most appropriate pathway for their visit.

5.2 Application Process1.    To apply for pre-registration exams, the visitor must begin the AMPATH Visitor Information Form. Once they indicate in the form that they plan to apply for a medical license, they will receive an email with the link to begin the online application.

2.    Visitors will be required to upload the following documents:

1.    Application for Pre-registration Examination

2.    Copy of Passport

3.    Current colored passport photo (jpeg format)

4.    Copies of medical school diploma

5.    Evidence of appropriate linguistic skills in English and/or Kiswahili for non-Kenyans (not required for individuals coming from English speaking countries)

6.    Academic transcripts or evidence of internship (medical diploma will suffice)

7.    Curriculum Vitae

8.    Certificate Of Status (3 reference letters)

2.8.1    Letters of reference should be on letterhead and addressed to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Council. See this folder for sample letters of reference.

9.    A letter from the residency program on letterhead and addressed to the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council stating that the applicant has completed their intern year and is in good standing in their program.

10.  Must be attached at a Ministry of Health approved internship centre for a period of 4 months (applicable for residents who have not completed an intern year)

11.  Letter from Commissioner for Higher Education (CHE) confirming recognition of the medical/dental school (for individuals who completed medical school outside of the United States; AMPATH will provide)

3.    An application fee of $475 will be due at time of application submission. Payments can be made via PayPal and are payable to iigh.kenya@gmail.com.

1.    Please note that once the visitor has completed and passed the pre-registration exam, they will be required to pay 20,000 KES for KMPDC registration and an additional 20,000 KES to obtain their license for the current calendar year.

5.3 Submission and Approval Process1.    Once the visitor has submitted their application, the IU House Program Administrator will:

1.    Have the relevant documents notarized by Kenyan advocate

3.    Submit all application materials and fees to the office of the MTRH CEO, who then forwards the application to the KMPDC on behalf of the visitor

4.    Once the registration certificate is issued, the visitor must complete the steps listed in Section 6 in order to create their online KMPDC registration and obtain their license for the current calendar year.

6.1  EligibilityOnce a visitor has completed either the pre-registration exam or peer review process, they will be required to register with the KMPDC in order to obtain and renew their annual license.

6.2  Registration Process1.    Once the visitor has been approved for KMPDC registration, they will be notified via email. The visitor should then complete the Temporary Registration as a Medical or Dental Practitioner form and email it to the IU House Program Administrator (iuadmin@iukenya.org).

2.    A registration fee of 20,000 KES is due at the time of Temporary Registration as a Medical or Dental Practitioner form submission. Payments can be made via PayPal and are payable to iigh.kenya@gmail.com.

3.    Once approved, the applicant will receive an email with a copy of their registration certificate, which will include the registration number required for online registration.

6.3  KMPDC Account Creation1.    The user portal will be created as below:

1.    Visit the KMPDC portal website

2.    Click on “Create account”

2.    A drop-down menu will appear with below options:

1.    Select cadre (e.g., Student, Medicine, Interns, Temporary License)

2.    Registration (enter the certificate of temporary registration as a foreign medical practitioner number; this number is located at the right top of the certificate)

3.    ID/Passport number

4.    Email address

3.    Click on “Register online services”

4.    Proceed as will be directed online

5.    Note: if the individual runs into any technical difficulties using the website, they should contact John Oguda (joguda@iu.edu).

6.4  License Application Process1.    Once an account has been created, the visitor may then apply for an annual license via the online portal. If the visitor encounters technical difficulties, hard copy forms may be obtained from the IU House Program Administrator (iuadmin@iukenya.org).

2.    An application fee of 20,000 KES is due at the time of annual license application submission.

1.    If the visitor is based outside of Kenya at the time of submission, the invoice number should be forwarded to the IU House Program Administrator (iuadmin@iukenya.org) for payment. Payments can be made via PayPal and are payable to iigh.kenya@gmail.com.

2.    If the visitor is based in Kenya at the time of submission, the visitor may pay the application fee directly on the KMPDC website via MPESA.

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