Training
NMU's medical school gears up for first intake in 2021
October 23rd, 2019 The Nelson Mandela University Medical School is gearing up to open in 2021. It is the culmination of a journey that started in 1946. Nelson Mandela University health science dean Dr Lungile Pepeta writes in a Weekend Herald report: When I am at...
Reduced residency hours did not hurt quality of care by young doctors
July 24th, 2019 When new rules capped training hours for US medical residents at 80 hours per week in 2003, critics worried that the change would leave physicians-in-training unprepared for the challenges of independent practice. Now, research led by scientists in...
Academic medicine must step up with LGBTQ patients
March 13th, 2019 Medical schools have failed to include in their standard medical curricula training on hormone therapy, gender-affirming surgeries, or even the basics of sexual orientation and gender identity, argues an Association of American Medical Colleagues...
Are doctors turning down rural community service posts being 'picky'?
January 23rd, 2019 After turning down placements at rural hospitals, hundreds of newly qualified doctors remain unemployed while the country’s rural state hospitals remain desperately understaffed because of a complex – yet fixable – situation. Amy Green writes...
Foreign-trained SA doctors head to court over lack of internships
January 9th, 2019 Some 105 foreign-trained medical doctors battling for internship placements are heading to court, claiming they are being side-lined, reports The Times. The Health Department, however, denies there are students who have not been placed. The...
DA demands action on University of Limpopo MBChB
July 4th, 2018 In the light of the Public Protector’s report on on the ‘improper’ alteration of the University of Limpopo's MBChB curriculum, its council must consider seriously whether UL has the capacity to mount a medical degree, says Professor...
UK’s disadvantaged students match those from top schools in medical training
May 30th, 2018 Disadvantaged students from the UK’s worst performing schools do just as well or better in medical degrees as students from top schools, even when their A-level results are worse, The Independent reports a major study has found. These pupils...
Motsoaledi is 'crippling' SA's ability to train enough doctors
May 23rd, 2018 'Is anyone surprised that the programme that trains South Africans as doctors in Cuba has been a catastrophic failure?' asks Jasson Urbach of the Free Market Foundation. Urbach writes: “Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi was quoted in Business...
SA-Cuba medical training programme: Flawed but successful
May 16th, 2018 After more than 20 years, the contentious SA-Cuba medical training programme is being downscaled. Business Day's Tamar Kahn assesses the situation as the largest ever cohort of 720 students prepares to return to embark on local clinical...
'Gender paradox' of more women taking STEM degrees in unequal countries
February 28th, 2018 Countries with greater gender equality see a smaller proportion of women taking degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), a new study has found. Policymakers could use the findings to reconsider initiatives to increase...
Online TB-HIV post-grad diploma from UCT
December 20th, 2017 The Desmond Tutu HIV Centre at the University of Cape Town has developed an exciting and pioneering model for training doctors and nurses in the complicated management of HIV and TB infected patients. In under-served areas where HIV and TB are...
Opportunism and crude populism lie behind claims of racism at Wits — Habib
December 6th, 2017 Opportunism and a 'crude populism ... informed by racial chauvinism' underlies claims that the University of Witwatersrand medical faculty is racist, says Vice-Chancellor Adam Habib. He was responding to a Sunday Times report claiming that of...
2018 internships: Motsoaledi promises all will be placed. Or else
November 29th, 2017 SA’s Health Department says all qualified final-year medical students, including those in ancillary services, will be get internships. However, the SA Medical Association remains 'concerned' about the lack of funded posts and Health Minister Dr...Wits denies owing Gauteng Health billions for training
The University of the Witwatersrand has denied owing any funds to the Gauteng Department of Health. Business Day reports that the university was responding to statements reportedly made by the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH)‚ alleging that...
New SA medical schools, but employment prospects remain uncertain
November 15th, 2017 SA is launching new medical schools but ironically may have no hope of employing all of their graduates, writes Dr Farah Jawitz of the Junior Doctors Association of SA in a Bhekisisa report. One of the first lessons taught in medical school is...