Master of Medicine in Neurosurgery

Purpose

The purpose of the qualification is to produce qualified learners with specialist training in the branch of Neurological Surgery, who may be registered at the level of the specialist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa. The purpose of the qualification is also to produce qualified learners with expertise in research, which includes the ability to evaluate and implement research findings in the practice of the branch of specialisation and the ability to guide junior learners if the qualified learners are in an educational setting. Hence, qualified leaners have competence in the practice of Neurological Surgery and can contribute to the need for specialist practice and research skills in the health sciences in South Africa.

Rationale

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Learners who fall outside of the regular admissions process who can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the institution that they have a qualification or experiential- or work-based learning which has taken the learner to an equivalent level of a qualification specified above (under Formally Accredited Learning), may be considered for admission and/or for the recognition of prior accredited and/or prior experiential learning. Learners who, after such assessment, are deemed to have sufficient potential but need further academic development, may be required to broaden their curriculum to include preliminary qualifications before admission or parallel qualifications after admission.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, NQF Level 8
• Register with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).

1. Show competence in clinical and surgical skills at the specialist level.
2. Show expertise in research and the ability to evaluate, and implement research findings in the practice of the branch of specialisation.
3. Show ethical, compassionate and skilled ability to conduct all aspects of specialist surgical practice, both about the care of individuals and of populations.
4. Know the principles and practice of Neurological Surgery from the basic to an advanced level and can train others in the speciality.
5. Acquire and demonstrate self-direction and independence in his or her learning in order to become a lifelong learner, and will recognise personal education needs, utilise appropriate learning situations and evaluate her or his progress.
6. Identify and solve in which responses display that the responsible decisions using critical and creative thinking have been made.
7. Work with others as a member of a team, group, organisation, community.
8. Organise and manage oneself and one's activity responsibly and effectively.
9. Collect, analyse, organise and critically evaluating information.
10. Communicate effectively using visual, mathematical or language skills in the modes of oral and written persuasion.
11. Use science and technology effectively and critically, showing responsibility towards the environment and health of others.
12. Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.
13. Contribute to the full personal development of each learner and the social and economic development of society at large, by making it the underlying intention of any qualification of learning to make an individual aware of the importance of.
14. Reflect on and explore a variety of strategies to learn more effectively.
15. Participate as responsible citizens in the life of local, national and global communities; note that the learners act following the code of conduct of the institution and, where relevant, that of the professional discipline being studied.
16. Be culturally and aesthetically sensitive across a range of social contexts.
17. Explore education and career opportunities.
18. Develop entrepreneurial opportunities.

The following associated assessment criteria apply across all Exit Level Outcomes

• Use problem-solving techniques, which draw on her or his multi-faceted knowledge, in order to arrive at a diagnosis for a patient.
• Communicate efficiently and effectively with the patient and other health care workers as a team.
• Show sustained competence in psychomotor skills necessary for the practice of Neurological Surgery.
• Use instruments and equipment necessary for this practice competently and responsibly.
• Show research mastery through the production of a research report which demonstrates skills including the ability to evaluate research, review literature, design and perform a study, collect data, perform and interpret statistical analyses on data, interpret results and draw conclusions.
• Conduct all research with due regard for the moral, legal and ethical accountability and requirements of the profession.
• Practise Evidence-Based Medicine by critically evaluating published literature in the field and applies it in practice.
• Guide junior learners who are studying or working in the same branch of specialisation.
• Show respect for patients and colleagues without prejudice, with an understanding and appreciation of their diversities of background and opportunity, language and culture.
• Refer patients to practitioners who are more appropriately qualified than he or she is to treat certain conditions.
• Demonstrate an awareness, through actions or in writing, of the moral, legal and ethical responsibilities involved in individual patient care and the provision of care to populations.
• Consider both the impact of health care on the environment as well as the impact of the environment on health.
• Strive to improve patient care, to reduce inequalities in health care delivery, to optimise the use of health care resources in our society and uses his or her professional capabilities to contribute to the community as well as to individual patient welfare by the practice of this branch of specialist Neurological Surgery.
• Teach, through clinical practice at the specialist level, the application of knowledge from the basic to an advanced level to other professionals.
• Communicate this knowledge by teaching undergraduates and supervising interns and more junior colleagues in the speciality.
• Use appropriate strategies for learning that will prepare him or her for continued professional development throughout life, both as a specialist doctor and as a responsible citizen.
• Acknowledge responsibility for continuing professional development (CPD) in order to keep up to date with new developments and to maintain accreditation and meet statutory CPD requirements.
• Identify personal limitations and develops the capacity of self -audit and participates in the peer review process, showing a willingness to seek help when necessary.

Integrated Assessment

Integrated assessment is performed continuously through evaluation of performance in clinical practice. Further, the research report that the learner submits is used in the integrated assessment of research mastery.