MBChB Medicine UP
Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB)
To be allowed to register as a doctor (medical practitioner), a student has to obtain the MBChB degree, followed by in-service training as an intern (general practitioner). After that, all newly qualified doctors are obliged by law to complete at least one year of community service. In the medical profession, the health of a patient is of vital importance. People who are already ill are treated according to their needs with the aim of restoring them to health again. MBChB Medicine UP
Apart from this, special programmes are developed to prevent the spread of diseases and/or infections in the community.
The University of Pretoria has taken the lead in our country by developing and implementing an internationally comparable, problem-orientated and outcomes-based training programme. The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) has accredited the curriculum, and the high standard of training at the University is recognised locally and internationally. There are also exchange agreements between the School of Medicine and similar faculties at universities abroad.
Medicine covers a very wide professional field, but it is not only a profession; it is really a calling. That is why prospective students have to be prepared to serve humanity in all its facets. The profession demands high ethical standards that have to be applied in practice. It also makes heavy physical and mental demands on a doctor.
MBChB Medicine UP
Selection A selection process is necessary as more applications are received than are places available. High academic standards, versatility and community involvement are aspects which are taken into account in selection. Selection is based on academic merit, the National Benchmark Test (NBT) and the Value-added questionnaire. For final selection, certain minimum symbols are required (refer to admission requirements on p1) in accordance with the selection procedure.
There are two basic categories for selection: the first category is for school leavers, and the second is for those with previous exposure as students to tertiary education. Provisional selection for school leavers is made on the basis of final Grade 11 marks, the results of the NBT and the Value-added Questionnaire. A selection list and a waiting list is compiled on the basis of academic merit. Candidates are provisionally selected strictly according to the merit list, and any places that become vacant are filled from the waiting list. After the final examination for Grade 12, the provisional selection results are confirmed in respect of those applicants who have met the academic standards and criteria.
The final 10% of new first-year students are selected in July of the first year of study on the basis of their achievements in the first semester of the BSc Biological Sciences programme. Only new first-year students from the University of Pretoria may apply for this selection. Students are selected according to academic merit. Provisionally selected students must have passed the prescribed subjects for which they were registered at the time of their application before their selection can be confirmed. Further information about the selection process can be obtained from the Faculty. Only 220 students can be admitted to the MBChB first-year class.
MBChB Medicine UP
Duration of the study programme
• Year 1 to the middle of year 5 Theoretical, practical and clinical training in the medical disciplines.
• Second half of year 5 and year 6 Student internship, during which all the clinical training takes place around patients in hospitals and clinics. After this, there are two years of internship (clinical service under supervision in accredited hospitals throughout the country), as well as another compulsory year of community service. These three years are not part of the university training.
• Involvement in community service The curriculum was compiled from the viewpoint that training should take place through service delivery. In this context, the Faculty provides a comprehensive service to the broader community through several outreach programmes. Students are already involved in these programmes during their undergraduate studies. As an example of this, the Daspoort Polio Clinic in Pretoria is run and managed by undergraduate students.
• Research Advances in medical science depend on active research in the various fields of specialisation. This is why undergraduate and postgraduate students are trained in a research environment as far as possible.
MBChB Medicine UP
Career opportunities
The degree allows graduates to register as medical practitioners once they have completed their internships and community service. After that, they may practise as general practitioners (medical doctors) in hospitals or in private general practice, do research, and/or teach classes. Further postgraduate study is necessary to become a specialist. Specialists can work in hospitals and/or private practice or follow careers in academic medicine (that is, teaching and research).
Contact details
Ms Celisa Anthony Tel: +27 (0)12 354 1607 Email: celisa.anthony@up.ac.za