Completing An Undergraduate Medical Degree In South Africa

Becoming a doctor is a passion driven profession, and it shouldn't be sought after to gain riches and fame. That should be reserved for other careers.

When wanting to study medicine in South Africa, you have to aware that you will be exposed to many acute illnesses which include tuberculosis, hepatitis B, HIV, as well as injuries from trauma caused by violence and motor vehicle accidents. Medicine needs to be a calling and you need to be a hard and smart, not necessarily clever (as the medical schools want you to be), worker.  

The South African undergraduate medical degree

The undergraduate medical degree in South Africa is abbreviated as M.B.,Ch.B., which stands for the latin Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae (translated as Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery). This is the exact same qualification as the American M.D. (Medical Doctor) and the British M.B.,B.S. 

Studying straight after school

Unlike the American system, where students need to complete a pre-med course or part of one, South African learners can be accepted into medical schools across the country when they have completed high school. There are those learners who take a year off to complete post-matric studies by taking part in subjects that they need in order to be accepted into medicine which are; Mathematics, Physical Sciences and Life Sciences (previously known as biology); or they can enter a Bachelor of Science programme if they are not accepted into medical school immediately after school.

The criteria for acceptance into a medical school includes doing exceptionally well in the mentioned subjects, and also passing the National Benchmark Tests (NBTs) on a proficient level.

Nowadays, the Faculty of Health Sciences at the universities with medical schools have a B.Med.Sc. (Bachelor of Medical Sciences) course. This is chosen by prospective medical students, who haven't been accepted into medical school, as the subjects in this programme are similar to those in the first year of medicine. These students then use the marks from their first semester to apply to the medical school for the following year.

How long do you have to study

All the undergraduate medical degrees in South Africa are 6 year programme, except for the University of the Free State which has a 5 year medical degree programme. Many of the medical schools also have what's called an Extended Degree Programme, where students have 2 years to complete the first year of study. This is usually reserved for students from historically disadvantaged backgrounds who just need extra time in order to catch up with the work.

How good of a degree is the South African M.B.,Ch.B.

South African medical schools are known for providing excellent theoretical and practical training to their medical students who end up with excellent skill-sets. These medical schools are at the fore-front of clinical research and technological advancements, and these students are exposed to all these aspects.

South African doctors are sought after all over the world, and this degree in internationally recognized on the same level as the American, British and Australian medical degrees.

The Components Of The South African Medical Degree

How is the medical degree divided up

There's a slight difference in the format of this degree among the different medical schools.

In general, the first 2 years of the medical degree are theoretical and most of the time is spent in the lecture halls. The classes cover subjects in statistics, sociology, basic sciences and academic writing. There is also an introduction to pharmacology and pathology in the course of the first year. In the second year, organic systems are introduced where the focus lies on each one's physiology and anatomy.

During the second year, there is an introduction to cadavers where they are dissected in order to aid with knowledge in anatomy. There are also histology practicals so that tissue is evaluated on the cellular level.

From the 3rd year, medical students are exposed to being taught about and performing clinical skills in a practical lab. This is the perfect opportunity to practice intramuscular injecting, taking blood pressures and putting up intravenous lines on plastic models, and even each other, before patients are expected to let medical students perform these procedures on them.

The clinical years

As mentioned, practical skills are taught at the skills lab. You will start rotating through different disciplines at the hospitals and clinics in order to consolidate your theoretical knowledge and improve on your practical skills.

The main rotations that are covered in the 3rd year are Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Obstetrics, Paediatrics, Family Medicine and Trauma.

From the 4th up to the first semester of the 5th year you will continue with the mentioned rotations, and some others will be added that include Gynaecology, Neonatology, Psychiatry, Dermatology, Radiology and Forensic Pathology.

From the middle of the 5th year to the end of the 6th year you are regarded as a 'student intern' and you should start preparing yourself to be a doctor who will be responsible for someone's life. Theory is still being taught at this stage but there are many more clinical rotations rather then theoretical classes at this stage. New disciplines such as anaesthesiology, orthopaedics and urology will be rotated through here.

What happens when you obtain your degree

Congratulation, you are now a doctor. During your final year you would have been requested by your medical school to make choices regarding where you would like to perform your internship.

Now, an internship in South Africa is a paid position where you are functioning as a newly qualified doctor. There are still restrictions to your license such as not being allowed to practice privately. You work as a junior doctor who consults with patients, but this is done under the supervision of a medical officer, clinical assistant or consultant. 

As an intern, you will rotate through most of the medical and surgical disciplines over the following 2 years. Part of your job description, if you are working at a training hospital, is to look after and train medical students.

After the internship is done, you will then perform your community service, or 'Zuma' year, in an area that requires medical services. This is another compulsory year and is a paid position where you will function as a more senior doctor. You will now also be responsible for the training of interns as well as medical students. You will now function on a level of a senior medical officer, which means more responsibilities, and you will answer to the consultant in charge of the specific department.