SAQA

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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

REGISTERED QUALIFICATION:

Master of Medicine in Anaesthetics

SAQA QUAL ID	QUALIFICATION TITLE
81309	Master of Medicine in Anaesthetics
ORIGINATOR
University of KwaZulu-Natal
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	128	Level 8 and above	NQF Level 09	Regular-Provider-ELOAC
REGISTRATION STATUS		SAQA DECISION NUMBER	REGISTRATION START DATE	REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered		EXCO 0733/25	2024-06-30	2027-06-30
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT		LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30		2031-06-30

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 replaces:

Qual ID	Qualification Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Replacement Status
16308	Master of Medicine: Anaesthetics	Level 8 and above	NQF Level 09	128	Complete

This qualification is replaced by:

Qual ID	Qualification Title	Pre-2009 NQF Level	NQF Level	Min Credits	Replacement Status
110865	Master of Medicine in Anaesthetics	Not Applicable	NQF Level 09	180	Complete

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION

Purpose:
The purpose of the qualification is to prepare the learner for practice as a medical specialist. This qualification will allow the learner to apply for registration as a medical specialist, primarily with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), but also with the health regulatory agencies of other countries, who may place additional requirements on the learner. The target learners are medical practitioners with a basic medical qualification and at least three years post-qualification experience. The learner will wish to complete this qualification to be registered as a specialist. This qualification will benefit the learner in that they will be eligible for registration and practice as a medical specialist.

The academic and professional pathway is via an undergraduate medical degree and registration as a medical practitioner with the HPCSA, followed by this master's-level qualification, which qualifies the learner to register and practice as a specialist. After achievement, the learner will have the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to practice as a specialist in the field of Anaesthetics and will be responsible for exercising this knowledge and skill in the capacity of a medical specialist.

A qualified learner will be able to:

practise as a medical specialist in the field of Anaesthetics,

understand and conduct research in the biomedical field,

embark on an academic career as a medical academic.

In addition, the following learner attributes will be integrated into the learning process: knowledge literacy, ability to solve complex problems in the medical domain, respect for ethics and professionalism in practice, management of information and knowledge production via research, professional communication in the context of medical practice and research, management of learning and accountability.

Rationale:
The healthcare systems of all countries, including South Africa, require medical specialists in specific disciplines to apply a standard of care above that which the generalist practitioner can offer. Such specialists will provide patient care personally but are also responsible for raising the level of knowledge in their discipline amongst generalists, as well as being able to subspecialise further or to take responsibility for the teaching and training of undergraduate and postgraduate learners in the healthcare disciplines, and for the generation of knowledge via published experience and research. There is no similar qualification already registered on the SANQF.

The practice of a healthcare profession benefits society directly by promoting, maintaining and restoring health, and benefits the economy by contributing to the maintenance of a healthy workforce. The medical specialist has a critical role to play in the provision of healthcare. South Africa is under-supplied with medical specialists when compared with international norms. Medical specialisation may, therefore, be seen as a scarce skill and is remunerated as such in the public service. The qualification was developed in concert with all other South African universities offering specialist training, the HPCSA, the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, the Medical Association of South Africa, the national and provincial departments of health, and with reference to international organisations responsible for the training of medical specialists in other countries.

The typical learner for the qualification is a medical practitioner with at least a bachelor's degree in medicine registered with the Health Professions Council, has at least three years of post-qualification experience, and wishes to train and practice as a medical specialist. Most qualifying learners will embark on specialist medical practice in the public or private sectors in South Africa, in the medical workforce of neighbouring and foreign countries, while some will enter academia as medical academics, undertake a full- or part-time research career, embark on medical administration in the public, private and corporate sectors or into the commercial sector, utilising their specialist medical knowledge in the context of the pharmaceutical industry or in areas of innovation in other industries, or join not-for-profit philanthropic organisations as providers of healthcare, advocates for healthcare or project managers.

The HPCSA, the professional body governing the health professions, cooperates with the relevant QC with respect to the qualification and quality assurance and conducts five-yearly on-site visits to evaluate the programme leading to qualification. Successful learners are immediately registrable with the HPCSA as medical specialists. They are, in principle, eligible for registration with the health regulatory bodies of other countries, though they may be subject to additional requirements.

The qualification is linked to a single profession: that of a medical specialist. The learning/work pathway is via an undergraduate medical degree followed by prescribed experience (in South Africa, internship and community service), which then articulate vertically with the Master of Medicine qualification. The successful learner is then eligible for admission to the specialist register of the HPCSA. In the South African public health sector, this permits the learner to progress from medical officer to specialist rank. Successful learners may also enter subspecialist training with subsequent admission to the subspecialist register of the HPCSA. This qualification, therefore, has important implications for career progression and mobility within the work environment.

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):

The institution has Approved Guidelines for the Recognition of Prior Learning (2024), which are applicable in respect of equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. RPL for access and exemption will not apply to this qualification, given its narrow focus. All learners must complete the prescribed modules or comparable modules at another institution via credit accumulation and transfer.

Entry Requirements
The minimum academic competencies and knowledge required for entry is the ability to practice medicine at the level of an unspecialised medical practitioner accompanied by at least three years of practice: two, supervised, as an intern and one, unsupervised, in community service. Specifically, a candidate is eligible to apply for selection to register for the qualification if they:

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, NQF level 8
Or recognised equivalent degree.
And

Have held such qualification for at least two years prior to registration, satisfy the require-ments of the HPCSA to enter specialist training, are appointed to a specialist training "(regis-trar" post)" by the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Department of Health or, in the case of foreign-qualified doctors who do not hold full South African registration, are given limited registration for training purposes by the HPCSA and may only be employed in unpaid specialist training posts designated as "supernumerary", have twelve months of full-time experience in anaes-thesia.

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING?

QUALIFICATION RULES

This qualification comprises six compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 9, totalling 360 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 9, 360 credits.

Research Methodology, 14 credits.

Research Project, 90 credits.

Anaesthetics Clinical and Professional Practice 1, 64 credits.

Anaesthetics Clinical and Professional Practice 2, 64 credits.

Anaesthetics Clinical and Professional Practice 3, 64 credits.

Anaesthetics Clinical and Professional Practice 4, 64 credits.

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES

1. Apply knowledge, skills and attitudes required for specialist practice in the discipline, rec-ognise the limits of their expertise and seek assistance when required, utilise finite healthcare resources appropriately and understand practice in contexts other than the training institution (Professional competence),
2. Understand professional behaviour, ethical behaviour and medical ethics and practise med-icine professionally and ethically (Professionalism),
3. Establish effective and ethical therapeutic relationships with patients, families and commu-nities; communicate efficiently and appropriately with patients, families, communities, health professionals and external organisations and institutions; and keep adequate records (Com-munication),
4. Incorporate the knowledge, skills and perspectives of other health professionals into the management of patients to improve outcomes and demonstrate appropriate interpersonal skills and personal behaviour in their interactions with seniors, juniors, peers and colleagues from other disciplines and professions (Partnership),
5. Manage their work, career and practice effectively, manage a care team effectively, under-stand the strengths and weaknesses of the health care system and factor this into their prac-tice, and promote the success of health care and health education in the context in which they work (Management and leadership),
6. Respond to the needs of their patients and the communities they serve, and promote their interests (Advocacy),
7. Maintain and enhance professional competence through a commitment to lifelong learning, practice medicine in a spirit of enquiry, contribute to a general improvement in practice within a particular context, understand the research process, initiate and conduct a research project, and facilitate the learning of others (Scholarship).

ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Associated assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

Practise the standard appropriate to an entry level specialist.

Demonstrate the competencies required of an effective specialist in the South African context, and the specific competencies required of the discipline.

Manage generic problems which are not specific to the discipline but are commonly encountered, effectively.

Associated assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:

Practises medicine with an understanding of professional behaviour, ethical behaviour and medical ethics.

Associated assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:

Establishe effective and ethical therapeutic relationships with patients and families and, where appropriate, communities.

Accurately elicits and synthesises relevant information from patients, families and other health professionals.

Communicate efficiently with patients, families and communities.

Communicate effectively with other health professionals in the course of clinical care.

Communicate efficiently with organisations and institutions.

Keeps effective records.

Communicate in an appropriately professional manner.

Associated assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:

Incorporate the knowledge, skills and perspectives of colleagues and members of other health professions into the management of patients to improve outcomes.

Work effectively with seniors, peers and juniors within the immediate working environment.

Demonstrate appropriate interpersonal skills and personal behaviour in their interactions with colleagues.

Associated assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:

Promote the success of health care and health education in the context in which they work.

Explain the strengths and weaknesses of the healthcare system.

Manage career and practice effectively.

Associated assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:

Identifie the health needs of the community they serve.

Acknowledge the contribution of institutional partners in the health of our communities, and exploits these to improve both individual patient care as well as to promote health more generally.

Recognise vulnerable or marginalised populations, adapts clinical management to their needs, and works to improve their condition.

Speak knowledgeably in support of efforts to promote health in whichever context the oppor-tunity arises.

Apply the ethical and professional principles inherent in health advocacy, including altruism, social justice, autonomy, integrity and idealism.

Associated assessment criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:

Maintain and enhances professional competence through a commitment to lifelong learing.

Practice medicine in a spirit of enquiry.

Contribute to a general improvement in practice within a particular context.

Apply appropriate research principles.

INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT
The assessment strategy is comprehensive and integrated. Knowledge and its application are assessed via formal written and oral examination. Practical skills and procedures are assessed via live clinical examination, portfolios, logbooks and formal sign-off of entrustable professional activities (EPAs). Behavioural and attitudinal aspects are assessed along with general competence in clinical supervisor reports, mid- and end-of-block comprehensive evaluations, and professional portfolios. The understanding of research methodology is assessed by evaluation of a research protocol developed by the learner. Understanding and ability in research is assessed by submission of a Master's-level dissertation formally examined by external or internal and external examiners.

Unless otherwise indicated, all assessments are integrated and do not focus exclusively on a single learning outcome.

Formative Assessments:
Semesterised comprehensive evaluation
These competencies are assessed on a 6-monthly basis by a discipline-based assessment panel, which consists of the academic head of discipline and other staff members in the discipline. The learner is assessed in terms of all the exit-level outcomes, including their progress in the academic, professional and research domains. Although this assessment is essentially formative, the rules for the programme allow the School Examinations Board to place learners with a poor record on probation, impose probationary conditions and to recommend subsequent academic exclusion where these conditions are not met, or performance remains unsatisfactory.

Logbooks, clinical supervisor reports and portfolios
Learners maintain an electronic portfolio consisting of a logbook of case records and a record of all other educational activities, including self-reflection on their learning. The academic head of discipline and clinical supervisors have electronic access to inspect these portfolios at any time. Clinical supervisor reports are completed at the end of each six-week or three-month block. These are electronically completed, feedback given to the learner and collated at a departmental level.

Oral and clinical assessments
These are used to assess holistic competence, including knowledge, practical skills , behaviours and contextualisation of health in the local community.

Summative Assessment:
Knowledge, understanding, and clinical skills are assessed through the national summative examinations for the Fellowship of the College of Anaesthetists of South Africa, administered by the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa on behalf of the University and are prescribed by the Health Professions Council of South Africa. These examinations are:

Part 1(a) of the Fellowship Examinations

Scope of assessment: the examination consists of the following three subjects with emphasis on those general principles relevant to anaesthesiology and analgesia:
i) Physiology and chemical pathology
ii) Pharmacology
iii) Physics and the principles of clinical measurement and data management

Format of assessment: The examination is conducted as an integrated online electronic assessment comprising the following: two three-hour online written papers comprising a minimum of one hundred and twenty multiple choice/single best answer questions with a minimum of three choices per question, and two three-hour online written papers, comprising a minimum of twenty questions requiring short answers.

Part 2 of the Fellowship Examinations

Scope of assessment:
General principles:

The history, principles and practice of anaesthesiology and analgesia, including pre-operative evaluation and preparation and post-operative care

Clinical medicine and surgery related to the practice of anaesthesiology

The application of anatomy, pathology and pharmacology to the speciality of anaesthesiology

Principles of continuous learning and quality assurance

The following general competencies: communication, collaboration, leadership, health advocacy. professionalism, scholarship and knowledge integration.
Anaesthesia in the setting of:

Airway management problems

Ambulatory/Day case surgery

Cardiac surgery

Conscious sedation

Endocrine surgery

General surgery

Gynaecological surgery

Hypotensive anaesthesia

Interventional radiology

Neurosurgery

Obstetric procedures

Ophthalmological surgery

Orthopaedic surgery

Otorhinolaryngology surgery

Paediatric Surgery

Patients in remote situations

Plastic and maxillofacial surgery

Robotic surgery

Thoracic surgery

Transplant surgery

Trauma surgery and resuscitation

Urological surgery

Vascular surgery

Other

General management of patients with cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, metabolic, hepatic, neurological, neuromuscular, gastro-intestinal, musculoskeletal, and renal disorders

Critical and intensive care medicine

Ethics and medico-legal issues

Conscious sedation

Acute and chronic pain management

Format of assessment:
The examination comprises two components, which must each be passed independently.
A: Written

One online written paper of three hours comprising a minimum of one hundred and twenty multiple choice/single best answer questions with a minimum of three choices per question.

One online written paper of three hours comprising a minimum of 20 short answer questions.

One online written paper of three hours comprising a minimum of 20 questions requiring short answers with an emphasis on data interpretation.
An objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) consisting of a minimum of 12 stations. The OSCE may be split into multiple parts, run over multiple days, for logistic reasons, and to ensure standardisation.

INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY

South Africa is unique in that a formal university-run master's qualification is required to register as a specialist. Only two other institutions offer a Master of Medicine: Singapore and Malaysia. Neither country requires this qualification for specialist registration: it is one path often recommended for learners with more academic aspirations. The standard path to specialist registration is via examinations offered by prestigious but non-official institutions such as the Royal Colleges of Medicine, Surgery and others, or their derivatives in Commonwealth countries such as the Royal Australasian College. This was formerly the requirement of South African specialist training as well, by the examinations of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA). Currently, the CMSA is the designated examining body for the HPCSA and conducts summative exit-level assessments on behalf of the universities, but the Master of Medicine qualification is required for specialist registration.

(Paragraph 2) The local qualification's professional component is regarded as equivalent to that of the international examination bodies. South Africa has strong historical ties, via its Commonwealth heritage, with the United Kingdom and Australia, and many of those holding a medicine qualification will practice as specialists in those countries in one context or another. Comparison of the Master of Medicine qualification with the equivalent professional qualifications of the United Kingdom and Australia is as follows:

All share common goals of producing highly qualified specialists but differ in structure, duration, and international recognition. All three programmes are academic and professional, but South Africa's MMed is university-administered, while UK and Australian programmes are run independently, often with university affiliations. Entry requirements for all include a medical degree, completed internship, and professional registration with the relevant professional council as a medical practitioner. Preparation for such registration in the UK is more structured in the UK than in South Africa, requiring completion of a formal foundation programme which replaces the South African internship. The Master of Medicine qualification integrates clinical competence and mandatory research, emphasising local health priorities with coursework, rotations, and a thesis. The UK and Australian programmes emphasise clinical competencies with research optional. South Africa uniquely awards academic credits (360 credits, NQF Level 9) and requires research and submission of the thesis, whereas UK and Australian training is competency-based. Assessment methods include clinical written and clinical assessments in all three systems, strongly emphasising continuous evaluations.

Training durations vary: 4 years in South Africa, 4-6 years in Australia, and 5-8 years in the UK, which divides its specialist training programmes into core and higher specialty phases, which may overlap with some specialist training undertaken by South African learners after completion of the Master of Medicine qualification. Graduates qualify for specialist registration through their respective regulatory bodies and gain varying levels of international recognition. UK and Australian qualifications often have stronger reciprocity agreements, while South African qualifications may require additional examinations in some countries. While the qualification matches the quality of UK and Australian programmes, international recognition also depends on factors such as immigration policies and reciprocal agreements.

Therefore, although South African qualification is essentially unique, its core purpose is the same as that of other countries, including those described above: namely, to produce competent medical specialists for deployment in their healthcare systems. When the professional aspects of the training programmes in South Africa and those utilised elsewhere, the training and standard of training is found to be equivalent.

ARTICULATION OPTIONS

This qualification allows possibilities for vertical articulation. Horizontal and diagonal articulation are not possible given the qualification's highly specialised nature.

Vertical articulation:

Doctor of Philosophy, NQF Level 9.

Diagonal articulation:

Diagonal articulation to the OQSF is not possible.

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 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015.

LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION:

When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced 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 KwaZulu-Natal