Master of Medicine in Ophthalmology

Apply educational knowledge, skills, principles and methods to practise as specialist Ophthalmologists.

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Bachelor of Medicine Honours, NQF Level 8.

The planned combination of learning outcomes are integrated with critical cross-field outcomes for this Qualification

Practical Competency

The demonstrated ability/skill to achieve the major Skills/Applied Competency of the qualification.

Foundational Competency

The demonstrated understanding, by the Learner, of the embedded knowledge that underpins the end result/outcome.

Reflective Competency

The demonstrated ability/skill to integrate or connect our performances and to reflect on, evaluate and adopt the above competencies.

The learner will be capable of

• Treating their patients medically as well as surgically for various eye diseases.
• Functioning as a member of a surgical team when performing eye operations.
• Joining a university to train under- and postgraduate students.
• Conducting research.

The learner will be able to

• Handle difficult diagnostic eye problems.
• Handle difficult surgical cases.
• Use specialised equipment, e.g. the Argon and YAG lasers.
• Display communication skills, respect and ethics towards patients.
• Understand research and interpret published literature.
• Utilise computer skills.
• Report research findings.

Learners will demonstrate their knowledge and skills in accordance with standards laid down by the institution and Professional Board through:

• Clinical performance.
• Written, oral, practical/clinical examinations.
• Research report.

Integrated assessment

Competence is achieved, through continuous assessment by demonstrating the ability to achieve the outcomes of the Qualification.

• Internal and external evaluation.
• Continuous, formative assessments.
• Formal end evaluations.
• Primary examination (internal) completed after 2 years ocular anatomy, ocular physiology, optics and ocular pathology.

Before the M. Med. qualification is conferred on a candidate, the institution must be convinced that he/she for a period of four or five years, according to the requirements of the department concerned, has successfully occupied a full-time training post in the training hospitals of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the institution, or another institution that is recognised by the institution as equal; received theoretical and clinical instruction; was registered as a student at the institution for the prescribed period and successfully passed the prescribed institution examinations - written, oral, practical and/or clinical, as prescribed. If a candidate attains a qualification that can be registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, the final year of residency at the institution may be completed in a specialist post. Only a registrar's post is recognised as a training post by the Health Professions Council of South Africa. The duration of the period of training is calculated from the day of registration as student at the institution. However, if a learner registers during the prescribed registration period of the institution, such registration may be deemed to be valid from the first of January.

Assessment documents are moderated to ensure that

• They conform to the scope and context of the competency as stipulated in the qualification.
• They are constructed in such a way that the Assessor assesses the critical outcomes applied, during the Learner's activity performances, towards achieving an outcome.

Assessments are

• To include confirmation of the Embedded Knowledge component to ensure that the Foundational Competency is achieved.
• To be verified by Internal Verifiers to ensure valid, credible, true and fair results.