Master of Medicine in Chemical Pathology

Purpose

The primary purpose of this qualification is to provide practical skills and knowledge necessary to equip learners for professional service in the context of the health needs of the population. It aims to provide learners with the foundation for continued personal and intellectual growth, gainful economic activity and for contributing to society at large through advanced patient care, innovation, scholarship and leadership in the field of Chemical Pathology.

Rationale

The qualification produces learners who are socially accountable with specialised knowledge and applied competence in science and practice in specialist clinical disciplines to enable registration with the HPCSA (Health Professions Council of South Africa) as a specialist (Chemical Pathologist). It prepares learners to contribute to the development and dissemination of knowledge at an advanced level by fostering scholarship and intellectual independence equipping them with skills and knowledge relevant to the practice of research and professional communication. The qualification produces competent learners for admission to doctoral qualification preparing them for a life of self-directed continuing learning, reflective practice and professional development.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution accepts the principle underlying outcomes-based, source-based and life-long learning, in which considerations of articulation and mobility play a significant role, and subscribes to the view that Recognition of Prior Learning, whether acquired by formal education curricula at this or another institution or informally (by experience) is an indispensable element in deciding on admission to and awarding credits in an explicitly selected teaching-learning qualification of the institution.

An applicant who falls outside of the formal qualifications system, but who can demonstrate (through the production of substantial and satisfactory evidence) experiential or work-based learning or a non-formal qualification (or a combination), may be considered for admission and/or for the Recognition of Prior Learning for the achievement of the qualification in part or in full. An applicant who after such assessment, is deemed to have sufficient potential, but is in need of further academic development, must be directed to other suitable learning qualifications prior to admission or to parallel qualifications after admission.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is the

• Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, National Qualifications Framework(NQF) Level 8.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level totalling 720 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 8, 720 Credits

• Research Methodology, 16 Credits.
• Research Project, 164 Credits.
• C Pathology Clinical & Professional Practice 1, 270 Credits.
• C Pathology Clinical & Professional Practice 2, 270 Credits.

Clinical competence

1. Show clinical competence in diagnosis and management of disorders appropriate to the discipline.
2. Demonstrate competence in procedures.
3. Ensure maintenance of high ethical standards in practice and research.
4. Benchmark clinical practice against international standards, using available evidence Scholarship.
5. Demonstrate academic literacy in terms of critical thinking, the ability to access appropriate learning resources, formulate a research proposal, conduct the research and communicate the findings to the academic community.

Generic attributes competence in

1. Communication skills.
2. Creating and sustaining harmonious and effective service delivery teams.
3. Leadership in health provision.
4. Health advocacy.
5. Mentoring junior colleagues in the area of specialty.
6. Dealing with complex issues both systemically and creatively.
7. Demonstrating self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems.
8. Exercising sound judgement in the use of data and information.
9. Acting autonomously planning and implementing professional.

The following Associated Assessment Criteria will be used in an integrated manner across the Exit Level Outcomes

• Interact with text (oral and written) through critical listening/reading skills.
• Produce texts which integrate information from different sources using appropriate academic and professional conventions.
• Communicate the findings and treatment options effectively with the patient and referring doctor taken from a medical history at a level appropriate to the specialty.
• Determine signs and symptoms of disease or injury and perform advanced physical examination appropriate to the level of Chemical Pathology.
• Use cost-effective investigations which provide sufficient relevant information to aid diagnosis.
• Gather information from various sources, reflect critically on knowledge and information and in consultation with the patient and other health care professions (where appropriate) plan and implement to completion a treatment option.
• Initiate and complete a research project.

Integrated Assessment

The development of generic competencies such as communication skills, collaboration, professionalism and ethics, scholarly activity, health advocacy, leadership and management are monitored in a process of continuous formative assessment, oral interviews and in the setting of the final examination. Formative assessments include performance as a service-provider in the clinical workplace; assessment of class preparation and participation; individual and group written assignments; individual and group oral presentations; work placed based assessments; and a professional portfolio. Summative assessment is in the form of part one and two of the institution's and/or Colleges of Medicine of South Africa(CMSA) examinations as well as the assessment methodology for the research module. The part one CMSA examinations in Chemical Pathology are set by the institution and part two examinations are conducted by CMSA. In order to satisfy the requirements for the Research Methodology module, the learner is required to have produced a satisfactory research protocol ready for submission to the institution's Biomedical Research Ethics Committee. At the conclusion of the research project, the achievement of learning outcomes will be assessed through a thesis in the traditional format that will be submitted for examination on completion of the research project or by publication in a peer-reviewed South African Post-Secondary Education (SAPSE) accredited journal.