SAQA All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Master of Medicine in Emergency Medicine 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
122883  Master of Medicine in Emergency Medicine 
ORIGINATOR
Walter Sisulu University 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Master's Degree  Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services  Curative Health 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  180  Not Applicable  NQF Level 09  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered  EXCO 0527/24  2024-10-03  2027-10-03 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-10-03   2031-10-03  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification. 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
The primary purpose of the Master of Medicine in Emergency Medicine qualification is to train specialist medical staff with the capacity to offer state-of-the-art emergency medical care at prehospital and district, regional and tertiary hospital levels of care. Candidates with this qualification will be capacitated to teach both undergraduate and postgraduate learners in the emergency medicine and emergency medical care fields and conduct and supervise research in the Emergency Medicine field.

The qualification intends to produce emergency medicine specialists capable of functioning clinically and independently to an acceptable standard in all aspects of the speciality and with a particular mastery of the diagnosis and treatment of emergency conditions. This specialist Emergency Medicine knowledge will apply, teach, create systems around, and critically appraise that knowledge. Doctors who have qualified with qualification, when added to the Fellowship of the College of Emergency Medicine, are then registered with the professional body, the Health Professions Council South Africa (HPCSA), and will be employed and function as Emergency Medicine Specialist Physicians (Specialists). Candidates currently registered in this qualification are called registrars.

The qualification will support the provision of quality health care to South African society as it aims to deliver candidates who can address the dire need for specialist emergency skills. The specialists, in turn, can go on to expand Emergency Medicine training programmes throughout the Eastern Cape and the rest of the country. Candidates will be able to act ethically and professionally, think analytically and portray a critical awareness of current problems and new in the Emergency Medicine field. The qualification is unique to other medical qualifications as it focuses on leadership, management, systems building, and the critical analysis required to solve the problems associated with Emergency Medicine. The qualification will provide training in specific emergency skills, with emphasis on life, limb, and sight-saving emergency procedures.

The qualification will develop:
  • Specialists who can teach others how to access Emergency information including critical appraisal, lifelong learning, and evidence-based medicine.
  • Specialists should be able to recognise indications for these procedures, act decisively, and train other doctors, including registrars to be able to perform these procedures.
  • Specialists with values and attitudes unique to Emergency Medicine, including resilience, ethical decision-making, compassion, flexibility, adaptability, integrity, and patient advocacy.
  • Specialists in their capacity to lead, especially regarding initiating and managing emergency care systems, both pre- and in-hospital.
  • Specialists with the capacity for research, including planning, producing, disseminating, and supervising research.

    Rationale:
    The World Health Organisation notes emergencies occur everywhere, and every day they consume resources regardless of whether there are systems capable of achieving good outcomes. Likewise, emergencies occur every day throughout South Africa, and Africa, where there is a quadruple disease burden (non-communicable disease, infectious disease, trauma, and maternal and child health) and the qualification is strategically structured to improve emergency medicine systems to achieve these exact good outcomes. Emergency Medicine is a right as per the Constitution of South Africa, and Emergency Medicine is intrinsically related to the Sustainable Development Goals, especially 1-5 (No poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, education, and gender equality). The local and regional needs of the Eastern Cape of poverty, hunger, and unemployment are complex, with relation to historical inequalities. All three go together with access to health care - without health, how can an individual seek employment? Access to emergency care depletes families of income as they gather money for transport or pay upfront for private care. Rapid, equitable, and rural access to Emergency Care is at the forefront of the qualification.

    Nationally, the speciality of emergency medicine has rapidly grown over the past 15 years. Whilst well established in the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal provinces, the speciality is still not developed in the Eastern Cape. There is a need for Emergency Departments in local hospitals to expand into sophisticated, specialist-run units, which provide high-quality, evidence-based urgent and emergency care. The qualification will train specialists to address the provincial and national shortage of specialist emergency medicine physicians and to capacitate emergency departments to provide high-quality care. The qualification will provide and ensure the development of analytical thinking and competency skills required to function as an emergency medicine specialist and provide competent and efficient services in the prehospital and in-hospital domains.

    Currently, there is only one hospital in the Eastern Cape with an Emergency Medicine specialist running the Emergency Department. There is a shortage of Emergency Medicine specialists in South Africa especially in the Eastern Cape Province. In addition, there are no Emergency Physicians practicing in the public health sectors of the Northern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga, or Limpopo, with only one Emergency Physician in the Northwest Province This shortage has a direct impact on the morbidity and mortality of patients presenting to Emergency Departments across the country, as well as the overall access to care.

    Training and equipping the Emergency Medicine trainees with the necessary skills will greatly reduce hospital in-patient admissions, reduce the length of stay in the Emergency Department and hospital, reduce the requirement for Intensive Care Unit admission, reduce morbidity and mortality and reduce hospital litigation and complaints.

    The qualification is targeted at the young previously disadvantaged doctors who will be qualified and remain in the Eastern Cape without having to travel to other provinces to specialise. The qualification will respond to Maslow's hierarchy of needs by facilitating career development and access to specialist-level employment in alignment with a Professional Master's to the self-actualisation that comes with the qualification resulting in increased purpose to community and patients. Potential employment with a qualification in Emergency Medicine abounds, particularly in the Eastern Cape, where currently there is only one hospital with any qualified doctors.

    The major stakeholders in the qualification are the patients, those who benefit directly from the decreased morbidity and mortality related to increased access to excellent emergency medicine systems. Other stakeholders include institutional learning sites such as tertiary, regional, and district hospitals. Various disciplines benefit from the application of the qualification in their institution; public and private partnerships to improve clinical governance; African Medical Journals where current research in Emergency Medicine can be disseminated; National and Provincial Government policies regarding emergencies, mass gatherings, disaster medicine, gender-based violence, and other multiple topics; and many more stakeholders. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
    RPL for access:
    RPL may be used to grant access to the qualification to learners who do not meet the minimum entry requirements.

    Prior learning will be recognised in candidates who have:
  • Passed the relevant Part I Emergency Medicine exam of the College of Emergency Medicine (SA) [FCEM Part I). Part I examinations from other colleges/disciplines or Emergency Medicine Universities in other countries will not be recognised.
  • Successfully completed the registrar training in Emergency Medicine of one year (120 credits) or more in an accredited institution or hospital elsewhere in South Africa.
  • The assessment of Part I of the Fellowship of the College of Emergency Medicine is via the College Examination and is nationally constant.
  • Assessment of 1 year or more of Emergency Medicine training at other Universities will be done by assessing:
  • The Critical Performance Portfolio of the trainee to date (nationally constant via the Colleges of Emergency Medicine of South Africa)
  • A letter of recommendation/certification of training from the Divisional Head of the Emergency Medicine Programme.
  • Certificates for short courses done.
  • A letter of motivation as to why the trainee is changing institutions.

    Entry Requirements:
    The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, NQF Level 8.
    And
  • Post Internship training.
  • Post-community service.
  • Independent registration with the HPCSA.
  • To have an accredited post of registrar by the HPCSA. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at NQF Level 9 totalling 480 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, Level 9, 120 Credits:
    Foundation Modules (Basic Medical Sciences):
  • Clinical Anatomy, 20 Credits.
  • Physiology, 20 Credits.
  • Microbiology and Immunology, 20 Credits.
  • Anatomical and Chemical Pathology, 20 Credits.
  • Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 20 Credits.
  • Biostatistics and Research Methodology, 20 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, 360 Credits:
    Clinical Medical Sciences
  • Aetiological factors in disease, 20 Credits.
  • Pathology and pathophysiology of diseases, 20 Credits.
  • Acute Clinical manifestations and complications of diseases in adults and paediatrics, 50 Credits.
  • Investigations and Diagnostics, 20 Credits.
  • Prehospital Emergency care, 20 credits
  • Resuscitative problems and techniques, 20 credits
  • Clinical management of emergency conditions (medical, surgical, trauma, paediatric, obstetric, psychiatric, gynaecological), 100 Credits.
  • Critical care, 20 Credits.
  • Anaesthesia and application in Emergency care, 10 credits
  • Palliative care and Prevention of disease, 10 Credits.
  • Ethics and Medicolegal aspects of Emergency Medicine, 10 credits
  • Research and dissertation, 60 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Manage all common emergency conditions occurring both in the pre-hospital setting and in-hospital emergency department, in familiar and unfamiliar contexts, by applying learned cognitive, procedural, and value-driven specialist knowledge of the theory and practice of Emergency Medicine.
    2. Manage patients with unselected conditions which initially do not clearly fall within the field of one of the other medical disciplines, co-ordinate and oversee the treatment pathways of patients with multiple conditions.
    3. Effectively judge when to seek the help of another medical discipline.
    4. Appraise current knowledge by accessing evidence-based medicine, demonstrating the ability to apply this knowledge to patient care, and advocating for translation of knowledge to clinical practice.
    5. Act as the patient's advocate, advisor and guide within the discipline of Emergency Medicine.
    6. Teach and support the learning of colleagues, registrars, and all members of the multi-disciplinary team including undergraduate learners, and principles of Emergency Medicine.
    7. Effectively co-operate with other colleagues in the emergency medicine discipline and across medical and other health disciplines as a member of an emergency medicine team to optimise patient outcomes.
    8. Plan for, mitigate, and manage Disasters as an Emergency Medicine specialist.
    9. Form a proactive and effective part of the disaster management team in any institution.
    10. Plan, supervise, and carry out appropriate and ethically sound research in emergency medicine and complete a Research Project and Mini Dissertation. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • Manage common emergency conditions occurring in all contexts according to local and international best evidence and guidelines.
  • Apply learned cognitive, procedural, and value-driven specialist knowledge of the theory and practice of Emergency Medicine.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
  • Appropriately manage patients with unselected, undifferentiated conditions.
  • Appropriately assess and manage patients with multiple conditions in line with local and international best evidence and guidelines.
  • Manage the individual patient as well as the overall patient flow in a timely manner which is dependent upon available resources, accepted medical standards and public expectations.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
  • Facilitate consultations with relevant medical disciplines.
  • Provide and balance the different care processes between the individual patient and the total case mix.
  • After primary and secondary assessment, refer a patient to another point of contact within the health care or social network.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
  • Collect and integrate new knowledge, attitudes, values, and skills, and implement these into daily practice.
  • Appraise current knowledge accessing evidence-based medicine.
  • Apply this knowledge and translation of knowledge through appropriate patient care.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
  • Conduct advocacy and provide advice and guidance during a patient's emergency journey.
  • Provide clear guidance to those patients discharged without formal follow-up.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:
  • Train colleagues, registrars, and all members of the multi-disciplinary team principles of Emergency Medicine and model ethical and value-driven behaviour.
  • Mentor and coach undergraduate and postgraduate learners through bedside, didactic, and skills teaching and feedback.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:
  • Cooperate effectively as a member of a team with other colleagues in the emergency medicine discipline and across medical and other health disciplines to optimise patient outcomes.
  • Share information on patient care, work as a member or the leader of a team, refer and transfer patients.
  • Explore the role of colleagues in other specialities and lead or work effectively in a new or large team often under considerable stress.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:
  • Design and modify disaster plans, both pre- and in-hospital.
  • Describe aspects of crisis and disaster management methods and practices, specifically those related to health and healthcare delivery including triage procedures and practices.
  • Apply the incident and unified command and control methods and practices.
  • Develop management plans for routine and extreme condition methods of operations as they relate to crisis management planning, response, recovery, and mitigation.
  • Prepare risk communication messaging that includes an understanding of the psychological and sociological impacts of the crisis.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9:
  • Become a proactive and effective part of the disaster management team in any institution.
  • Communicate efficiently and effectively with the patient and other healthcare workers as a team.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10:
  • Conduct all research with due regard for the moral, legal and ethical accountability and requirements of the profession.
  • Complete research in Emergency Medicine by means of a mini dissertation. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The qualification aligns with the International Federation of Emergency Medicine's Model Curriculum for Emergency Medicine Specialist Qualifications as well as the European Curriculum for Emergency Medicine.

    The qualification was compared with similar qualifications offered by the following international countries.

    Country: Australia
    Institution: University of Sydney
    Qualification Title: Master of Medicine (Critical Care Medicine) Advanced
    Credits: 60 Credit points
    Duration: 1 year full-time

    Purpose:
    The Master of Medicine (Critical Care Medicine) Advanced has been designed by critical care clinicians for doctors interested in emergency medicine, anaesthetics and intensive care medicine. Learners will have a range of subjects to choose from as they develop skills in teaching, simulation and research.

    The qualification is a postgraduate coursework degree which can develop knowledge of anatomy, pathology, physiology and pharmacology to help you prepare for college barrier examinations.

    The qualification will improve your critical care knowledge by completing core units in critical care medicine, along with stream-specific units in emergency medicine, anaesthetics and intensive care medicine. Graduates of this program can be recognised by the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine (trainee research requirement) and learners who graduate from the advanced stream can be recognised by the College of Intensive Care Medicine (formal project requirement).

    Qualification structure:
    The qualification consists of the following compulsory and elective modules.

    Compulsory Modules:
  • Introduction to Clinical Epidemiology comparable to Clinical Anatomy.
  • Evidence and Ethics in Critical Care comparable to Ethics and Medicolegal aspects of Emergency Medicine.
  • Anatomy for Critical Care comparable to Anatomical and Chemical Pathology.
  • Pathology for Critical Care comparable to Pathology and Pathophysiology of Diseases
  • Pharmacology for Critical Care comparable to Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
  • Physiology for Critical Care comparable to Physiology Microbiology and Immunology.
  • Clinical Reasoning and Communication.
  • Retrieval Med - Operational Environment.
  • Clinical Retrieval Medicine.
  • Teaching with Simulation.
  • Point of Care Ultrasound.
  • Extracorporeal Life Support.
  • Major Trauma Management.
  • Introduction to Clinical Toxicology.
  • Advanced Trauma Management
  • Neuromonitoring in Anaesthesia is comparable to Anaesthesia and application in Emergency Care.
  • Cardiology.
  • Cardiovascular Resuscitation is comparable to Resuscitative problems and techniques.
  • Paediatric Emergencies comparable to Acute clinical manifestations and complications of diseases in adults and paediatrics.
  • Project (Advanced Masters) (Part A) comparable to Research and Dissertation.
  • Project (Advanced Masters) (Part B) comparable to Research and Dissertation.

    Elective Modules
  • Complexity of Critical Illness and Injury.
  • Creating a Culture of Safety and Quality.
  • Introductory Biostatistics comparable to Biostatistics and Research.
  • Pain Treatment and Management Principles.
  • Pain in Children.

    Further study options:
    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Master of Philosophy (Medicine and Health)
  • Master of Surgery

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine and Health)

    Similarities:
  • The University of Sydney (US) and the South African (SA) qualifications are intended for doctors and medical practitioners looking to develop the knowledge and skills needed to become more well-rounded, informed and analytical clinicians.
  • The US and SA qualifications culminate in the research project and a dissertation.
  • Both qualifications articulate vertically to the Doctoral degree in the cognate field.

    Differences:
  • The US qualification takes one year of full-time study whereas the SA qualification takes four years of full-time study.
  • The SA qualification has 480 credits while the US qualification has 60 credits.
  • The US qualification consists of compulsory and elective modules whereas the SA qualification consists of compulsory modules and no electives.

    Country: Malaysia
    Institution: Universiti Malaya
    Qualification Title: Master of Emergency Medicine
    Duration: Four-year full time
    Entry requirements:
  • Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery of the University or an equivalent medical qualification approved by the Senate.
    and
  • At least one year of post-full registration clinical experience approved by the Senate.
  • Qualified for registration as a medical practitioner under the Medical Act 1971 (Act 50) of Malaysia.

    Purpose:
    There is a great need for Emergency Physicians in Malaysia. The aim of the qualification is to prepare our future Emergency Physicians for the trends and changing milieu of the 21st century, to provide training opportunities for future Emergency Physicians with a diversity of talents and characteristics to acquire the necessary knowledge, technical skills, good judgement, maturity, attitude, and values for the quality practice of Emergency Medicine. The qualification provides opportunities for future Emergency Physicians to contribute to the improvement of emergency medical services in Malaysia.

    The qualification provides:
  • Specialist training in pre-hospital care, disaster management, emergency department care, intensive care and trauma care. Subspecialty exposure in Emergency Medicine.
  • Experience in community-based programmes to promote health and prevent disease and injuries.
  • Exposure to research methodology.

    Qualification structure:
    The qualification of study comprises three stages which are stage I in the first year, stage II in the second year and the third year and stage III in year the fourth year. These three stages are as follows:

    Stage I is to be carried out at the University of Malaya. It comprises:
  • The study of basic sciences relevant to the practice of Emergency Medicine
  • Clinical postings under supervision with an emphasis on emergency situations in the specialities of Anaesthesia and Emergency Medicine.

    Stage II is to be carried out at the University of Malaya or other centres recognised by the Master of Medicine Conjoint Committee (Specialty). It comprises clinical postings in second year and third year:
  • Clinical postings in the second year comprise postings in internal medicine, general surgery, emergency medicine and paediatric.
  • Clinical postings in the third year comprise postings in emergency medicine, obstetrics and gynaecology, radiology, elective, orthopaedics and neurosurgery.
  • A Research Project must be started during the early phase of Stage II.
  • Must pass the Advanced Cardiac Life Support Course (ACLS), Advanced Trauma Life Support Course (ATLS), Paediatric Advanced Life Support Course (PALS) and/or equivalent courses recognized by Faculty.

    Stage III comprises of posting in Emergency Medicine at the University of Malaya.
  • Each candidate is required to keep a logbook throughout their period of study to document tasks undertaken.

    Year 1:
  • Internal Medicine.
  • General Surgery.
  • General Paediatric.
  • Emergency Medicine is comparable to Critical Care Medicine.
  • Specialist Examination Part 1.

    Year 2:
  • Cardiology.
  • Critical Care and Anaesthesia comparable to Critical Care Medicine and
    Anaesthesia and application in Emergency Care.
  • Trauma Surgery is comparable to Clinical management of emergency conditions (medical, surgical, trauma, paediatric, obstetric, psychiatric, gynaecological.
  • Paediatric Intensive Care is comparable to Acute clinical manifestations and complications of diseases in adults and paediatrics.
  • Neonatal Intensive Care.
  • Emergency Medicine II is comparable to Critical Care Medicine.

    Year 3
  • General Orthopaedic.
  • Minor Trauma.
  • Neuromedical and Neurosurgery.
  • Ophthalmology.
  • Otorhinolaryngology.
  • Mental Health.
  • Emergency Ultrasound.
  • Emergency Medicine III is comparable to Critical Care Medicine.

    Year 4:
  • Prehospital Care Medicine is comparable to Prehospital Medicine.
  • Toxicology.
  • Rural Medicine.
  • Emergency Medicine IV is comparable to Critical Care Medicine.
  • Specialist Examination Part 2 .
    Similarities:
  • The Universiti Malaya (UM) and the South African (SA) qualifications are offered over four years of full-time study.
  • Both qualifications require applicants who hold the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery and must be registered as a medical practitioner with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and HPCSA in the SA qualification.
  • Graduates from the UM and SA qualification will be able to perform medical emergency medicine research with independent supervision and adhere to the laws, ethics and professional code of practice.
  • Both qualifications consist of compulsory modules.

    Difference:
  • The UM does not have a research project module whereas the SA qualification includes the research project module and a dissertation. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification allows possibilities for both horizontal and vertical articulation.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Master of Medical Science in Critical Care, NQF Level 9.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Emergency Medicine, NQF Level 10.
  • Doctor of Medicine, NQF Level 10.

    Diagonal Articulation
    There is no diagonal articulation for this qualification. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    1. Walter Sisulu University 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.