Practising in Namibia: why the statutory board exam decides most careers

Medical and health education in Namibia

For most of its history Namibia had no medical school of its own. Doctors trained abroad: in Cuba, Russia and other former Eastern Bloc countries, in South Africa, and later in a wider set of countries. The University of Namibia (UNAM) opened its School of Medicine in 2010, and it now sits beside a small number of other public and private programmes for nursing and allied health.

A medical degree is a six-year programme in most systems that Namibians have attended, followed by a supervised internship in state hospitals before full registration. Teaching in Namibia is in English. In Cuba and Russia it is not, which matters later: a graduate who studied in Spanish or Russian often has to retrain in English medical vocabulary for the board examination.

The link between graduation and registration is not automatic for foreign graduates. A UNAM graduate follows the local route through internship and council registration. A graduate of a foreign school normally has to clear the council's statutory examination first. That is the reason Namibia is a distinct preparation market, and why the numbers sit at the centre of public debate in the country.

Who needs a licensing exam in Namibia

The split is by where you trained, not just by profession.

• Locally trained doctors and dentists complete the internship and register with the council. We found no separate national MCQ licensing test for them.
• Foreign-trained doctors and dentists sit the statutory board examination before they can work as registered practitioners.
• Foreign-trained nurses are referred to a Nursing Council assessment. Press reports also describe a national assessment for nursing graduates, but we did not confirm its current form.
• Midwives, pharmacists and physiotherapists register under their respective councils within HPCNA. Our research did not confirm a national exam for these groups.

The statutory board examination for foreign-trained graduates

The Medical and Dental Council of Namibia, which operates inside HPCNA, runs the board examination. Our data describes a written part and an oral part, with questions set with support from the UNAM School of Medicine. Candidates are mostly Namibians who trained in Cuba, Russia and similar countries, and also foreign graduates seeking to practise in Namibia.

Namibian press reported that at the 2018 sitting only two medical graduates and no dental graduates passed part one, and a later headline reported hundreds of foreign-trained doctors failing the statutory exam. The same coverage records an argument over whether the board exam is equivalent to a UNAM final-year examination, and a protest by unhappy candidates. We do not have current-year figures, so use those reports only as a sign that the exam is demanding, not as a forecast of your own result.

1. Confirm your category with the Medical and Dental Council: foreign-trained doctor, dentist, or returning Namibian graduate.
2. Submit your degree and transcripts for verification and ask for the exam syllabus or blueprint.
3. Apply for the next sitting and pay the fee the council quotes.
4. Sit part one (written), then part two (oral) if you pass.
5. Complete the internship or supervised period the council requires, then register.

Why the pass rate is low: what the exam tests

A board exam for foreign graduates tests whether your training matches local practice, not whether you are a competent doctor. Namibia's disease pattern is not that of a Cuban polyclinic or a Russian city hospital. HIV and tuberculosis, malaria in the north, maternal and neonatal care in district hospitals, trauma, alcohol-related illness and non-communicable disease all carry weight. Candidates who revised from the textbooks of the country where they trained often do well on basic science and badly on management questions that follow Namibian and WHO protocols.

Practical points that help:

• Revise the Namibian standard treatment guidelines and WHO guidance for HIV, TB and malaria first.
• Practise single-best-answer questions under a clock. Many foreign courses used oral and essay assessment and give little practice in the format.
• Prepare for the oral part separately: structured case presentation in English, with a clear management plan.

Nurses

The Nursing Council of Namibia, again within HPCNA, handles nurse registration. For foreign-trained nurses our data points to a licensing exam; its format is unknown. Reports in the Namibian press also describe a national assessment of nursing graduates in which a large number failed, which suggests that the assessment is not a formality. Contact the council to ask which group you fall into and whether a bridging period applies.

Midwives, pharmacists and physiotherapists

Midwifery is regulated through the nursing council. Pharmacists and physiotherapists register with their own bodies. Our research found no national exam for these groups; registration rests on a recognised qualification, document checks and, for foreign graduates, possible local assessment. Ask the relevant council directly.

Exam comparison

Language and recognition

English is the official language and the language of the exam and the clinic. Local languages such as Oshiwambo, Afrikaans and Otjiherero are heard in every ward, and communication skills are examined orally. Recognition is by council, not by treaty: Namibia does not offer automatic recognition of degrees from any particular country, and the board exam is the main equaliser. Namibians who trained abroad often wait months between returning home and sitting the exam, so plan finances and documents early.

Graduates of Cuban schools can read our Cuba page to understand the system they trained in. Candidates considering a move to South Africa or the United States should check the separate routes there, since passing the Namibian board exam does not transfer.

Last reviewed October 2026