Master of Medicine in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Purpose

This qualification provides achieving learners with knowledge, skills and applied competence in Obstetrics and Gynaecology sufficiently to allow registration with the Health Professions Council of SA as a specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist. It aims to provide achieving 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 Women's Health.

Rationale

The qualification meets national requirements in that it directly addresses the need for medical specialists in the community.

The national and provincial Departments of Health have had input into the qualification in terms of desired outcomes. It meets the needs of student's in that the successful graduate is eligible for admission as a fellow of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa and registration as a specialist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). The qualification includes as outcomes competencies other than technical ones, communication skills, patient advocacy, community involvement, scholarship and research in order to ensure to ensure that the graduate has the competences required of the medical specialist by the community and prospective employers, who are the key stakeholders.

The qualification ensures a sound academic as well as vocational training, including training in the practice of research. It is designed coherently and articulates with the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) Degree prior to entry, and to Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) studies on exit, as well as with further vocational training in a sub-specialist medical discipline.

This qualification is explicitly directed towards the production of a graduate equipped with the necessary skills for a designated professional, namely for registration and subsequent employment as a medical specialist.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Learners who have accumulated professional experience in a suitably supervised environment linked to an academic institution may be credited with one year towards the qualification. The appropriateness of this experience is independently assessed by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Learners may be exempt from the Part One summative assessment for the qualification if they have successfully completed an equivalent assessment at an institution recognised by the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA).

Entry Requirements

The minimum requirement is

• Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBCHB).
• Two years' experience.
• Meet Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) requirements.

This qualification comprises of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Level 9 totalling at 720 Credits.

• Research Methodology, 16 Credits.
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinical and Professional Practice 1, 270 Credits.
• Research Project, 164 Credits.
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology Clinical and 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 in planning implementing professional tasks.

• 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.
• Interpret and generate numerical data in various formats.
• Apply numerical data to research and clinical practice.
• Take a medical history at a level appropriate to the specialty and communicate the findings and treatment options effectively with the patient and referring doctor.
• Determine signs and symptoms of disease or injury and perform advanced physical examination appropriate to the level of a specialist field.
• 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 qualification is comprehensively assessed, particularly at exit level. Examinations are independently offered by the College of Medicine South Africa (CMSA) in accordance with national practice.

Assessments address knowledge, skills and behaviours using a range of assessment modalities. Entrance to the exit examination is not permitted in the absence of a satisfactorily completed portfolio of learning covering the four years of training in detail with regular formative assessment.

Internal Assessment

The Master of Medicine qualifications are unique in that, in line with national practice and that of all health science faculties of South African medical schools, all summative assessment for the non-research component of the degree, covering the clinical and professional practice are independently undertaken by the CMSA. Internal assessment is therefore formative and is conducted by the academic staff teaching the module, which in the context of this degree, includes both the academic and those staff who supervise the work-integrated learning components of the programme, and is accredited to the University for this purpose.

The Research Methodology module is internally assessed on the basis of satisfactory completion of a project. The Research module is assessed on the basis of satisfactory publication of a research budget in a peer-reviewed journal, or by the submission of a dissertation which is examined externally.

Monitoring of Student Progress

Each student is required to maintain a personal portfolio throughout the four years of training. Parallel to this is a responsibility for the student to meet at regular intervals with those in charge of their training, who record a criterion-based evaluation of these student's progress in the portfolio and engage in a feedback session with the student. Students who fail to make adequate progress are reported to the School, placed on an At-Risk register and offered remediation.

Explicitness, validity and reliability of assessment practices

The assessment process is both formative and summative. Formative assessments comprise on-going continuous assessments by clinical and academic supervisors, clinical and theoretical presentations, grand round case presentations and professional portfolio reviews.

Summative Assessments include written papers, oral and clinical examinations. Assessments are blueprinted, and the modalities and extent of assessment are explicitly defined and visible to the student; being recorded in detail in both the programme and module templates, and in the guidelines published by the CMSA. The CMSA runs regular assessment workshops and places a strong emphasis on validity and reliability.