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: 

Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
67417  Postgraduate Diploma in Family Medicine 
ORIGINATOR
University of Cape Town 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Postgraduate Diploma  Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services  Curative Health 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  120  Level 7  NQF Level 08  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2031-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

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.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
Family Medicine has recently gained specialist status in South Africa; A family physician delivers competent and comprehensive (curative, preventive, promotive, rehabilitative and palliative) care to patients and families in the community (ranging from primary care to district hospital facilities) using a bio-psychosocial approach. The purpose of the Postgraduate Diploma is to enable doctors to become more competent in the practice of family medicine and in this way improve the quality of health care provided by generalist doctors in the communities in which they work.

The qualification aims to help meet the expected demand for teachers of Family Medicine. While doctors with a Diploma: Family Medicine are not given specialist status, the course prepares there for the national Family Medicine exam or provides access to the Master Degree in Family Medicine, both of which are accepted for registration as a specialist in Family medicine. We will encourage doctors in the public sector as well as private sector to enrol. Doctors doing their community service year may be keen to join the qualification, thus using the opportunity to enhance their careers while in community settings. We also envisage enrolment of doctors with a little more experience who have decided to make family medicine their career. The third enrolment group envisaged are doctors in their mid-careers who want to catch up with new developments in family medicine and interact with colleagues on meaningful learning. The mix of learners with differing levels of experience will enrich the learning environment.

Rationale:
This qualification will supply doctors with further training in Family Medicine in order to provide a high standard of cost-effective care at primary care level. Also, they will be able to train undergraduates in Family Medicine and Primary Care, supervise community service doctors more effectively and train doctors who in the future may require Postgraduate training in Family Medicine to practice independently. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
The institution conducts RPL in terms of the policy and guidelines of the institution to recognise other forms of formal, informal and non-formal learning and experience. In cases where learners do not comply with the formal admission requirements, the institution applies its RPL policy.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, NQF Level 8. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Evaluate and manage patients with both undifferentiated and more specific problems cost-effectively according to the bio-psycho-social approach.
    2. Manage him/herself and his/her practice in public or private sector effectively, with visionary leadership.
    3. Prevent illness and promote health at an individual and community level.
    4. Continually improve own practice of medicine by means of on-going learning.based on evidence.
    5. Pass on knowledge and skills regarding family medicine to patients, the community, other health-care workers and medical learners and doctors.
    6. Practice in an ethical, compassionate and responsible manner. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
  • Diagnose illness in a primary care context.
  • Formulate and implement, with the patient, a mutually acceptable, cost-effective management plan, evaluating and adjusting elements of the plan as necessary.
  • Management skills including diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
  • Utilise and integrate resources in cost effective provision of affordable and accessible health care.
  • Identify and manage problems influencing the health and quality of life in the community.
  • Ability to work with the community in this.
  • Critically read and analyse literature for professional growth and implementation in practice.
  • Implement research and literature review in the management of problems in practice.
  • Understand the principles of adult education.
  • Skills in presenting information; written and verbal to individuals and groups.
  • Manage him/herself -maintaining (in public or private sector) effectively his/her own health and fitness to practice.
  • Ability to manage resources and processes effectively. Includes cost-effective clinical care, human resources, tools and information
  • Audit practice and act on the results in order to assure ongoing quality of practice.
  • Manage people to fulfil their potential and create an optimum working environment. (leading, motivating, providing strategic input, conflict management, encouraging teamwork).
  • Understanding of human development and self awareness and understanding of own developmental issues, strengths and weaknesses.
  • Form and maintain a therapeutic relationship with a patient and deal with issues such as transference and boundaries.
  • Understand the impact of illness on the family and the impact of the family on the illness and use this understanding to promote.
  • Ability to conduct a family interview.
  • Implement opportunistic and illness routine health promotion in consultations.
  • Run health promotion and preventive interventions in the community.
  • Have an attitude of "the community at risk" i.e. Implement intervention aimed to prevent illness and detect early illness in people at risk in the community.
  • Define an ethical dilemma in practice.
  • Resolve dilemmas using ethical principles.
  • Conduct a patient-centred consultation.
  • Understanding of the doctor-patient relationship and an ability to deal with difficult relationships.
  • Establish rapport with patients, show empathy, explain illness and interventions clearly and negotiate appropriate management with the patient.
  • Understand the patient as a person within a specific context.
  • Understand not only the illness but also the patient as an individual within a specific context.
  • Understanding of the interaction within and between systems.
  • Define learning needs arising from practice and meet these needs by accessing resources such as library books, journals, internet and personal interaction.
  • Process experience in order to increase understanding and inform action.

    Integrated Assessment:
    Formative assessment will be using of assignments after specific modules as well as assignments on patient-triggered learning requiring the integration of what is learned in modules. Summative assessment will be using of role-played consultations, actual consultations, practical skills stations and oral examinations. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The qualification is similar in duration to vocational training in the United Kingdom, which all doctors undergo before they can practice independently as general practitioners. The content of these qualifications is comparable to the emphasis on aspects such as communication skills and chronic illness, but the Postgraduate Diploma: Family Medicine is specific to Southern Africa in its focus on common and relevant clinical conditions such as Tuberculosis and HIV. 

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

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Forensic Medicine, NQF Level 08.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Masters in Family Medicine, NQF Level 09. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2009; 2012; 2015. 

    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. University of Cape Town 


    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.