Undergraduate programme
The Department of Paediatrics and Child Health is responsible for training undergraduate medical students during their clinical phase. The department is passionate about educating future doctors and prides itself on maintaining excellent teaching standards.
The programme aims to ensure that students attain the outcomes expected of a UFS medical school graduate, specifically, to be competent to examine, diagnose and treat neonates and children as a medical intern. In the third year, students receive a series of lectures that form the foundation of their knowledge in paediatrics. In both the fourth and fifth year, students spend six weeks in paediatrics following a structured programme that includes clinical work and lectures. Students rotate through the various wards and clinics at Pelonomi Tertiary and Universitas Academic hospitals during each six-week clinical block. Here, they gain clinical exposure and learn to integrate practical and theoretical knowledge. At the end of each six-week block, students are assessed on theoretical knowledge and clinical skills to ensure they have achieved the required competencies to manage paediatric patients safely.
Students are expected to be part of the team and are given supervised duties in the wards, including after-hours calls. Emphasis is placed on the most common and dangerous paediatric conditions to ensure students are prepared to manage them, as well as manage the burden of disease in the South African context.
Postgraduate programme: MMed & FCPaed
Duration
The training course duration is 48 months, including annual vacation leave and up to 4 months additional leave (Maternity, Sickness).
Rotation
The training programme provides for a system of rotation to a variety of learning sites (Universitas Academic Hospital and Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital) so that the trainee gains exposure to and experience working in the following circumstances:
- General inpatient paediatrics and acute care
- Neonatal paediatrics and intensive care
- Ambulatory paediatrics and chronic care
- Community and regional paediatrics
- Subspecialty Paediatrics – Cardiology, Oncology, Nephrology, Critical Care,and Pulmonology.
Curriculum
Apart from the work experience described above, the training programme provides for exposure to and training in:
- Basic Sciences (curriculum on Website MMed I)
- Research methodology:Compulsory module.
Where appropriate and necessary for adequate training, arrangements may be made for the secondment of trainees to training experiences outside of the University Teaching Hospitals, subject to compliance with regulations laid down by the Health Professions Council of South Africa.
The College of Medicine SA syllabus must form the basis for training and examination. The research project must be completed to obtain an MMed (Paeds).