Training Requirements for Paediatric Specialist Registration
This programme trains medical doctors to become specialists and are appointed as registrars and follows a 4 year training programme after which they present themselves for the Fellowship of the College of Paediatricians examinations of South Africa upon successful completion students are awarded the FCP(SA) qualification and are eligible for HPCSA Registration as a specialist.
As an interested candidate you have to apply to the Department of Health of the Western Cape Provincial Government for a vacant registrar position (this is always advertised widely in the published media).
To be considered for a post you will need:
- To be registered as a Medical Practitioner with the HPCSA and to have completed your community service post intern year.
- At least 6 months post-internship experience in academic paediatrics.
- At least 6 months post-internship experience in neonatal intensive care.
- An FCPaed I is a requirement.
To apply for postgraduate training please send us a copy of your CV and the attached application form (Z83) and forward it to Angelo.Overmeyer@westerncape.gov.za and Melissa.Williams@uct.ac.za
The Department of Paediatrics and Child Health offers Senior House Officer/Medical Officer posts based at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital, Groote Schuur Hospital, Somerset Hospital, and Mowbray Maternity Hospital. These are good places to start your training even if you already have paediatric experience, as it allows doctors the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the working of the School and its hospitals.
Programme Details
Registrars spend 4 years in the system and rotate 3 monthly.
The rotation includes:
General Paediatrics
including experience in Infectious Diseases, Nutrition,Gastro-enterology, Neurology, Nephrology and Respiratory Disease, as well as rotations in Endocrinology, Cardiology, Oncology and Intensive Care.
Neonatal Medicine
Hospitals included in rotation:
Red Cross Children’s Hospital
Mowbray Maternity Hospital
Groote Schuur Hospital
Somerset Hospital
Teaching Programme
While teaching is done on major ward rounds (2 per week) and at clinical meetings (at least 2 per week), a regular afternoon is set aside especially for registrar teaching.
This includes:
- A programme of lectures and symposia
- Regular interactive “question and answer” sessions
- A programme of case-based bedside teaching
In-course Assessments:
- Assessment and feedback from unit heads at the end of each 3 months rotation.
- 4 monthly assessment of clinical skills – a mock FCPaed case followed by interview to discuss progress and problems.
Examinations:
The Department of Paediatrics and Child Health has adopted the College of Medicine (CMSA) Paediatric examinations. The FCPaed (Part II) should be attempted in the 3rd or 4th year of registrarship. This is registerable as a specialist qualification.
Research: MMED Dissertation
In order to register as a paediatrician the registrar will have to complete a dissertation towards an MMed degree at the University of Cape Town. The registrar should aim to undertake a research project with a view to producing a 'publishable' journal article. The scope of the project should be such that it is possible to complete the dissertation prior to leaving the rotation. Retrospective studies are encouraged and case series are permitted but a case report is not acceptable.
The protocol and the ethics application, together with a comprehensive literature survey and all supporting documents (such as data sheets and questionnaires) are all elements that must be submitted together with the thesis for marking. The thesis is marked by two external examiners.
Registrar research is co-ordinated by Assoc Prof Alan Horn. Allocations should be discussed with him or requested from him via email.
Please also see this helpful website to help navigate the requirements and documentation for the MMed.
Please click here for MMED Research Process
Please click here for Notes for Researchers by David and Susan Hall.