Overview

Rationale: The Bachelor of Clinical Medical Practice undergraduate degree began at Wits University in 2009 with the first cohort graduating in 2011. This created the first group of medical professionals with the title Clinical Associate, registered to practice medicine under a doctor’s license as designated by the Health Professions Council of South Africa. The Clinical Associate is a competent, knowledgeable, procedural oriented health professional established to help reduce the disease burden of South Africa. Historically, there has been no post-graduate course or career progression for continued training to advance the clinical associates’ level of education, training and experience. This Honours degree will provide for a 4^th year of an academic programme to continue the student’s learning in the area of clinical associate medical practice. The Honours is then a means to continue with a Post-Graduate Degree, Masters Degree and PhD studies.

Career Advancement: Work opportunities post-graduation will be based on additional depth of clinical knowledge and practice in the emergency department, trauma units and intensive care units during the study programme. There is no increase in the scope of practice, as this is an academic degree with the advancement of theoretical and clinical medical practice focused on emergency medicine for the practicing clinical associate.

Course Aims:  The purpose of this Honours qualification in emergency medicine is to produce graduates who are well equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to continue a career as clinical associates in a demanding emergency focused clinical discipline in a teaching or district hospital environment. The postgraduate degree provides a platform for progression towards further study such as Masters and PhD degrees. The qualification will provide BCMP graduates from South African universities, many of whom are from rural communities in underserved areas, with the opportunity to advance their development academically and professionally in the area of emergency medicine. It will assist in promoting and sustaining the clinical associate profession, thus contributing to improvement of health care in areas of need.

Course Structure:

Year 1: during 2020 academic year

• SCMD4006A – Advanced Clinical Medical Practice in Emergency Medicine I: Adult Medical and Trauma medicine [48 credits]
• SCMD4009A – Theory and Methods in Clinical Research [22 credits]

Year 2: during 2021 academic year

• SCMD4007A – Advanced Clinical Medical Practice in Emergency Medicine II: Paediatrics, Intensive Care, Anaesthesia and Obstetric Emergencies [48 credits]
• SCMD4008A – Clinical Medical Research Essay [22 credits]

Curriculum

The BCMP Honours in Emergency Medicine will consist of four courses for 140 credits

Course Objectives: The curriculum is designed to provide advanced theoretical knowledge and practical application of emergency medicine relevant to the common diseases and trauma experienced in South Africa. The programme will provide a high level of emergency skills training within the discipline so that the learner will gain confidence and competence in adult and paediatric emergency patient management. Students will also be prepared for the intellectual challenges of clinical medical research, with requirement to produce a research report in relevant emergency medicine topic. Advanced aspects of research will be covered including essential knowledge and practical experience of research methods, data collection and analysis of findings. Further academic and practical learning will include trauma patient management, intensive care patient management, obstetric emergency management, emergency department coordination and facilitation along with ethics, professionalism and healthcare systems integration.

Specific Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Apply comprehensive, integrated knowledge and critical understanding of emergency medicine in order to analyse the burden of medical disease and trauma within the community and to contribute towards the improvement of health care in urban and underserved areas.
• Identify, analysing and address complex clinical problems, specifically within the South African context of emergency medicine, using conceptual or evidence based solutions and theory driven arguments.
• Demonstrate and execute a comprehensive approach to treat, stabilse and manage adult and paediatric medical emergency patients in an emergency unit setting
• Demonstrate and execute a comprehensive approach to treat, stabilse and manage adult and paediatric trauma emergency patients in a trauma unit setting
• Demonstrate and execute a basic approach to manage obstetric patients in an emergency unit setting
• Demonstrate and execute a basic approach to manage adult medical emergency and trauma patients in an intensive care unit setting
• Perform a range of routine and advanced emergency medicine focused clinical skills in adults and paediatric patients in academic teaching and district hospital settings
• Demonstrate proficient use of electronic information sources, data collection devices and applications for gaining medical knowledge, skill performance and research activities
• Identify, analyse, synthesis and evaluate quantitative and qualitative clinical data.
• Review current literature critically and making sound theoretical and clinical judgments based on evidence.
• Apply knowledge of clinical research methods and techniques appropriately within the context of a clinical research project.
• Present academic and professional ideas and research results in writing and orally.
• Communicate clearly and accurately with colleagues, associates, patients and families, irrespective of gender, age, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual identify or political persuasion.
• Work effectively within a team, offering professional insights, interpretations and solutions to problems and issues, as appropriate to the context.
• Demonstrate knowledge and practice of emergency department facilitation and management including human resource issues and practices.
• Explain and support the implementation of health promotion and prevention practices within the South African healthcare system.
• Incorporate ethical and legal considerations in the application of health care delivery and clinical medical research.

Course Outline: BCMP Honours degree in Emergency Medicine is offered as a two year, part time degree from January to December. All academic and clinical hours are required to be completed in accredited training sites, in required timeframe, to achieve expected exit outcomes and clinical competence.

1. SCMD4009A – Theory and Methods in Clinical Medical Research. 22 Credits. Students required to attend and participate in 2-week long academic sessions during the year to identify a topic for a Research Project focused on emergency medicine, draft and submit a protocol to the Wits Human Research Ethics Committee. Students will participate in class and conduct self-study to understand theory and methods in clinical medical research. Students will participate in research oriented short courses, work with a supervisor, co-supervisor and statisticians to achieve course requirements. Students must achieve a minimum 60% mark to pass this course. This course is completed during Year 1.

Course Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Summarise and describe relevant research methods appropriate to emergency medicine
• Discuss pros and cons of research methods appropriate to emergency medicine
• Assess and compare relevant research methods appropriate to emergency medicine studies
• Demonstrate ability to develop, draft and implementing a research project
• Demonstrate ability to prepare research study protocol outline and timeline for execution
• Demonstrate ability to conduct literature review relevant to emergency medicine studies
• Plan and prepare a research protocol with ethics application

2. SCMD4008A – Clinical Medical Research Report. 22 Credits. Students required to have successfully completed course SCMD4009A, with submission of Protocol and approved Clearance Certificate for a Research Project. In course SCMD4008A, students will continue research project with collection and analysis of data for a research report. Produce a Final Research Report and Research Presentation working independently through class participation, self-study and collaboration with Research Supervisor, Co-Supervisor and statisticians. Focus of topic is within emergency medicine. Students must achieve a minimum 60% mark to pass this course. This course is completed during Year 2. 

Course Learning Objectives: By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify appropriate research topic relevant to emergency medicine with practical application to enhance and inform emergency medicine practice in South Africa
• Demonstrate ability to conduct data collection
• Demonstrate ability to perform data analysis
• Compose and prepare  a final research paper
• Compose and present a final research oral report

3. SCMD4006A – Advanced Clinical Medical Practice in Emergency Medicine I- Adults. 48 Credits. This course consists of two Emergency Medicine Clinical Rotations, each 7 weeks in length. One clinical rotation focuses on Adult Medical Emergencies in Emergency Medicine Unit with student placed at Tertiary level emergency department of either Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Teaching Hospital (CHBAH), Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital (CMJAH) or Helen Joseph Hospital (HJH). The second clinical rotation focuses on Adult Trauma Emergencies in Trauma Medical Unit with students placed at Regional level emergency department of either Thelle Mogoerane Regional Hospital (TMRH), Tambo Memorial Regional Hospital, or Helen Joseph Hospital (HJH).  Students must achieve a minimum 60% mark to pass this course. This course is completed during Year 1. 

Competencies: Clinical training and evaluation for SCMD4006A – Advanced Clinical Medical Practice in Emergency Medicine I - Adult will include the following five broad competencies

• Medical Knowledge; applying systems based integration to undifferentiated patients
• Practice Based Learning and Improvement; integration of theory and practice
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills; demonstrating growth and cooperation
• Professionalism, Ethics and Facilitation; acting as patient advocate and manager

Course Learning Objectives: Following the completion of each clinical rotation, the student will be able to analyze, synthesize and evaluate the performance of the following six learning objectives for each undifferentiated ADULT patient encountered in the emergency department:

• Identify and treat Adult emergency medical and trauma conditions and/or patient complaints requiring immediate resuscitation or stabilization
• Synthesize all available data, including patient histories, physical exams, laboratory, investigative and relevant study data to define each patient’s central clinical problem
• Formulate an appropriate differential diagnosis listing life threatening and/or common, or most likely condition(s)
• Develop and implement a strategy of investigation and treatment options appropriate to the patient’s presenting complaint(s)
• Modify differential diagnosis, investigations and treatment based on clinical course
• Apply clinical reasoning in the application of pharmacological, non-pharmacological and procedural management of the undifferentiated emergency and/or trauma patient

4. SCMD4007A – Advanced Clinical Medical Practice in Emergency Medicine II- Paediatrics and Obstetrics with introduction to Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit. 48 Credits. This course consists of two Emergency Medicine Clinical Rotations. One clinical rotation, 7 weeks in length, focuses on Paediatric Medical Emergencies in Emergency Medicine Unit with student placed at Tertiary level emergency department of either Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Teaching Hospital (CHBAH), Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital (CMJAH) or Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital. The second clinical rotation is a Mixed Rotation 9 weeks in length with three areas of focus, each 3 weeks in length, consisting of Obstetric Emergencies with students placed at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital (CMJAH), Anaesthesia with students placed at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Teaching Hospital (CHBAH) and Intensive Care Unit with students placed at Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital (CMJAH). Students must achieve a minimum 60% mark to pass this course. This course is completed during Year 2. 

Competencies: Clinical training and evaluation for SCMD4007A – Advanced Clinical Medical Practice in Emergency Medicine II - Paediatrics and Obstetrics with introduction to Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Unit will include the following five broad competencies:

• Medical Knowledge; applying systems based integration to undifferentiated patients
• Practice Based Learning and Improvement; integration of theory and practice
• Interpersonal and Communication Skills; demonstrating growth and cooperation
• Professionalism, Ethics and Facilitation; acting as patient advocate and manager

Course Learning Objectives: Following the completion of each clinical rotation, the student will be able to analyze, synthesize and evaluate the performance of the following six learning objectives for each undifferentiated PAEDIATRIC patient encountered in the emergency department:

• Identify and treat Paediatric emergency medical and trauma conditions and/or patient complaints requiring immediate resuscitation or stabilization
• Identify and treat obstetric emergency medical and trauma conditions and/or patient complaints requiring immediate resuscitation or stabilization
• Identify and treat intensive care conditions and/or patient complaints requiring intensive care medical management
• Apply anaesthesia medicine principles and practice to patient complaints requiring anaesthesia medical management
• Synthesize all available data, including patient histories, physical exams, laboratory, investigative and relevant study data to define each patient’s central clinical problem
• Formulate an appropriate differential diagnosis listing life threatening and/or common, or most likely condition(s)
• Develop and implement a strategy of investigation and treatment options appropriate to the patient’s presenting complaint(s)
• Modify differential diagnosis, investigations and treatment based on clinical course
• Apply clinical reasoning in the application of pharmacological, non-pharmacological and procedural management of the undifferentiated emergency and/or trauma patient.

Entry Requirements

Application Requirements:

• Bachelor of Clinical Medical Practice (BCMP) Undergraduate Degree with minimum 65% aggregate mark, no other bachelor degree accepted at this time
• HPCSA Registration – current and in good standing, submission of proof of registration
• Six months full time employment as a Clinical Associate post qualification, prior to start date of Honours programme, submission of letter from employer to demonstrate work experience
• Submission of academic transcript(s)
• Submission of Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Submission of a motivation letter for Honours application
• Submission of three references, one must be from academics and one from clinical work place

Applications are still being accepted for 2020. Closing date is 12 December, 2019.

Use the following codes when applying to the BCMP Honours in Emergency Medicine

• Degree code: MH0-A
• Program code: MHA01
• Plan code: MFABCMP41

University Application Process

University Fees and Funding

Click here to see the current average tuition fees. The Fees site also provides information about the payment of fees and closing dates for fees payments. Once you have applied you will be able to access the fees estimator on the student self-service portal.

For information about postgraduate funding opportunities, including the postgraduate merit award, click here. Please also check your School website for bursary opportunities. NRF bursaries: The National Research Foundation (NRF) offers a wide range of opportunities in terms of bursaries and fellowships to students pursuing postgraduate studies. External bursaries portal: The Bursaries South Africa website provides a comprehensive list of bursaries in South Africa.