Master of Medicine in Neurosurgery

General admission and selection requirements for the MMed programmes
• The following apply to all MMed programmes:
o For admission to the MMed degree programme, you must have held an MBChB degree from this University or another qualification considered as sufficient by this University for at least three years prior to application, and must be registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as medical practitioner in the category independent practice.

o If you specialise in Anaesthesiology, Neurosurgery, Emergency Medicine, Otorhinolaryngology, Orthopaedics, and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, you must also have completed suitable courses such as ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support), ACLS (Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support), PALS (Paediatric Advanced Life Support) and APLS (Advanced Paediatric Life Support). Consult the specific requirements at each programme in the FMHS Yearbook.

o If you would like to register as an MMed student with the University, you must occupy a registrar post with the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health and Wellness or the National Health Laboratory Services. Exceptions to this rule will be considered in the following instances:
where you register as an occasional student with the University (refer also to the section on admission as an occasional student in Part 1 (General Rules) of the Yearbook) with the sole purpose of attempting the primary subjects prior to registering as an MMed student and to obtaining a position as registrar; and where you have completed your training time and you are only registering to complete your research assignment.

• If you apply for a training post at the Tygerberg Hospital, the Western Cape Provincial Department of Health and Wellness or another institution considered as equivalent by this University, you must make sure of the programme-specific recommendations which apply to your MMed programme. Direct any enquiries in this regard to the programme leader of your specific programme.

Proof of professional registration with an entity
A recognised professional body grants professional registration on the grounds of attainment of a recognised standard of competence and education that permits practice of a profession.

Document placeholder name on application portal:
Proof of professional or accredited registration

Programme content
The programme is divided into the following modules:
Primary phase
Neuroanatomy and Applied Regional Anatomy 871(20)
Physiology 872(20)
Anatomical Pathology 873(20)

Intermediate phase
Neurosurgery (Intermediate) 874(30)

Final phase
Neurosurgery 875(270)
Research Assignment 836(120)

Assessment and examination
Primary phase
• Assessment takes place by means of a written examination, and where specified, an oral examination in the basic sciences (as set out under “Primary phase” in the section “Programme content” above) and/or the Primary Examination of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (FCS Surgery Part Ia).
• This examination must be completed successfully within 18 months of residency. The successful completion of the examination is an absolute requirement to continue with the programme.

Intermediate phase
• Assessment takes place by means of the surgical intermediate examination of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and/or the intermediate surgical examination (FCS Surgery Part Ib) of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa.
• This examination must be completed successfully within three and a half years of residency. The successful completion of the examination is an absolute requirement to continue with the programme.

Final phase
• Assessment takes place by means of the final Neurosurgery examination of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences and/or the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, to be completed in the fourth or fifth year of study.
• The final Neurosurgery examination of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences consists of:
o three written papers, including questions on the basic sciences related to neurosurgery, and
o a clinical oral examination.
• You must submit an assignment to be assessed by both internal and external examiners. The assignment constitutes 25% of the final mark.
• The minimum pass mark for the examination as well as the assignment is 50%.
• If you fail the examination, you may take a re-examination, provided that it takes place in the period indicated above. In certain cases, an extension can be granted by the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, depending on the merits of the case.
• To register as a specialist, you must comply with the provisions of the Health Professions Council of South Africa, namely that you write the specialist examination of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa as the exit examination.
• The compulsory research component is administered by the Postgraduate Programme Committee of the Division of Neurosurgery.
• It remains the responsibility of the head of the Division to assess the following:
o successful completion of clinical training time;
o the candidate’s portfolio of learning (including a surgical log-book);
o completion of the research assignment according to the University’s regulations; and
o successful completion of flexible assessment.