Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine

Purpose

The purpose of the Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine is to equip learners with specialist knowledge of the health systems and the impact of the health environment on healthcare delivery and outcomes of medical disorders. The qualification is designed for the trainees to acquire knowledge, skills, and competency in Internal Medicine. Learners will also be equipped with assessment, prevention, and management of simple and complex medical disorders skills in society. The qualification will provide a comprehensive biopsychosocial evaluation and management of patients with medical illnesses. Other skills that will be taught include dissemination of health education pertaining to medical disorders.

On completion of the qualification, qualifying learners will be able to

• Assess and manage patients.
• Acquire new information and critically evaluate its quality and utility.
• Function as an effective team member in the broad context of healthcare.
• Play an active role in training other healthcare workers.
• Design and implement a research project and write a mini dissertation.

This qualification will assist learners in writing the Fellowship of the College of Physicians Examination and the Dissertation Examination required by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), to register as a specialist physician who can practice independently.

The graduate of this qualification will be a clinician, manager, researcher and academic who has excellent skills in clinical assessment, interpretation of relevant laboratory data and therapeutic skills relevant to the management of patients in the private, public, academic and research fields with good balance and versatility of these skills across these different working environments.

Rationale

Internal medicine is a medical speciality focused on preventing, diagnosing, and treating adult diseases. Physicians who specialize in internal medicine are trained to manage a wide range of conditions that affect the internal organs, such as the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal system, dermatology system, haematology system, rheumatology system, and endocrine system. The qualification will equip learners with the requisite skills to manage complex medical conditions in both private and public settings, with a specific emphasis on communities with poor socioeconomic status. It will improve the long-term management of patients with chronic communicable and non-communicable diseases to improve their life expectancy, work productivity and livelihood in general. This qualification will help achieve the long-term goals of the National Health Insurance which is universal coverage of healthcare provision for all, irrespective of their background or socioeconomic status.

The qualification fits with the vision and mission of producing career graduates who will embrace technological advances during their learning and as future clinician experts in Internal Medicine, will be equipped with skills that will enable them to embrace and manage common and complex medical conditions encountered in the African context with an impact on the long-term health status of the societies in which they practice. The qualification is structured to produce graduates of high scholarly ability with a deep sense of ethical responsibility to their patients and workplace, who will be able and prepared to share their skills and knowledge with future generations of scholars for the benefit of society. Their learning is predominantly work-based which will ensure that they are ready to practice in an environment in which they learn on completion of their studies.

The memorandum of understanding between the Department of Health (DoH) and the institution allows for the employment of postgraduate learners as registrars in Internal Medicine, employment of DoH staff as the institution's joint staff employees and use of the tertiary hospitals within the province as satellite sites for provision on service and training for the qualification. This professional qualification is based on experiential learning in the workplace where learners are employed. The qualification was approved by the Dental Board of the HPCSA.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution has an approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy approved by the Dental Board of the HPCSA and subsequently transferred to the institution The RPL Policy is applied to qualifications for admission into the qualification to accommodate applicants who qualify. RPL thus provides alternative access and admission to qualifications, as well as advancement within qualifications.

If the candidate spends a year or more as a medical officer in Internal Medicine in a recognized training institution before they register as registrars and complete the fellowship training within 3 years of their training time, candidates may apply for recognition of that learning time to register as specialists.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery or equivalent, NQF Level 8.

And

• Completion of internship and community service training.
• Registration with HPCSA as an independent medical practitioner.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at NQF Level 9 totalling 480 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, Level 9, 480 Credits

• Basic Medical Sciences, 120 Credits.
• Principles and Practice of Medicine I, 120 Credits.
• Principles and Practice of Medicine II, 120 Credits.
• Principles and Practice of Medicine, 60 Credits.
• Mini dissertation, 60 Credits.

1. Demonstrate the ability to integrate scientific knowledge and skills to treat and manage simple and complex conditions presented by patients in the speciality of internal medicine, implement a research project and write a mini dissertation.
2. Effectively co-operate with other colleagues in the discipline and across medical and other health disciplines as a member of a team.
3. Demonstrate the ability to organize and independently manage themselves and the activities responsibly and efficiently.
4. Demonstrate the ability to acquire and create new specialized information in the internal medicine discipline.
5. Communicate effectively through all mediums to present and defend information in a scientific and accountable manner.
6. Utilize clinical practice in internal medicine to improve patient quality of healthcare, better management of resources and access to healthcare.
7. Conduct appropriate and ethically sound scientific research in the specialised field of internal medicine and complete a Master of Medicine Research Project and Mini Dissertation.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Identify, interpret and solve clinical problems in the field of internal medicine.
• Formulate working diagnosis for clinical problems by making medically grounded creative decisions using critical and creative thinking.
• Integrate scientific knowledge and skills to manage simple and complex conditions presented by patients in the internal medicine speciality.
• Identify and solve clinical problems in the field of internal medicine.
• Formulate working diagnoses for clinical problems by making creative and medically grounded decisions using critical and creative thinking.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Effectively lead colleagues in diverse teams by recognising the roles other healthcare workers play to foster cohesion and effective clinical team dynamics in the broad context of healthcare.
• Effectively mentor, teach and direct the learning of junior staff and MBChB learners.
• Apply and maintain high ethical standards in all aspects of internal medicine training.
• Effectively co-operate as a member of a team with other colleagues in the discipline and across medical and other health disciplines.
• Foster cohesion and effective team dynamics in the broad context of healthcare by recognising the distinct roles other health workers plan and effectively leading a team of colleagues in diverse settings.
• Effectively recognise the roles other health workers play in cohesion and team dynamics.
• Effectively supervise Junior Staff and MBChB learners during their clinical clerkship and training in internal medicine.
• Apply the highest ethical standards in areas of internal medicine training and practice.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Apply independent, responsible, and effective management of themselves and their activities.
• Organise and manage the activities responsibly and effectively.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Critically evaluate the quality, utility, and application of new information.
• Actively engage in continuing professional development activities.
• Critically appraise the quality, relevance, and utility of new information using electronic and traditional methods.
• Create and acquire new specialised information in the internal medicine discipline.
• Critically evaluate and apply information through the habit of frequent referral to extant literature and all other extant sources concerning internal medicine.
• Actively undertake continuous professional development activities.
• Critically appraise the use of technology and traditional methods to the quality, relevance, and utility of information.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Communicate effectively and professionally with the patient, the patient's family, the health care team, and the community.
• Use written and oral debate as a tool to communicate effectively.
• Use current information and technology to present and defend information in a scientific and accountable manner.
• Effectively and professionally communicate with the patient, patient's family, health care team and the community.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6

• Demonstrate humaneness and sensitivity to ethical issues, cultural norms, and diversity in health care concerning patients, community, and colleagues.
• Critically identify barriers to healthcare and evaluate the rationale use of resources.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7

• Create responses to abstract problems that either expand or redefine existing knowledge in the Internal Medicine practice.
• Conduct new, appropriate, and ethically sound scientific research in the internal medicine field.
• Expertly complete a research project and mini dissertation in compliance with research ethics norms.
• Create responses to abstract internal medicine problems that expand or redefine existing knowledge.