MBBCh PROGRAMME

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MBBCh PROGRAMME
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Calculation of the Academic Rating
School-leavers/applicants with no tertiary
experience

• An initial Academic Rating is based on Grade 11
  marks and is revised after the matric results.
  Provisional offers of admission are made
• Actual matric marks () are subsequently used -
  provided electronically by the Department of
  Education
• Particular attention is paid to English,
  Mathematics, the higher of Physical Science or
  Life Sciences
• 80 (0.8) of a Composite Index (CI) is made up as
  follows
• The percentages obtained for the rated subjects
  are averaged and then multiplied by a factor of
  0.4 (the Academic Rating, or AR)
• An additional 0.4 is derived from the score
  achieved in the NBT

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National Benchmark Tests

• The Faculty of Health Sciences requires students 
  to write the National Benchmark Test (NBT) in
  order to be considered for admission to our
  degree programmes
• Applicants are required to write the NBT as part
  of the Health Science Consortium agreement which
  universities in South Africa have been following
  since 2007
• The NBT average score and a secondary,
  per-student NBT ranking are calculated as part
  of the composite index (CI) that determines
  admission

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The Biographical Questionnaire (BQ)

• The purpose of the questionnaire is to quantify
  the non-academic attributes that might make an
  applicant more suited to a career in the health
  professions (ie. other than simply having the
  ability to do well academically)
• Attributes assessed are leadership, fluency in
  languages other than English, sporting and
  cultural interests, commitments to the community,
  etc
• An applicant who is a prefect, member of the SRC,
  captain of a sports team, sings in the choir,
  represents the school in debating/chess, assists
  regularly at an old age home, or works 1 day a
  week in a shop may not get as high academic marks
  as one who has done nothing but study 18 hours a
  day, and yet may well be a more rounded person
  and make a better health professional because of
  these activities

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Composite Index (CI) Formula
(AR x 0.4) (NBT x 0.4) BQ NBT Ranking
Score CI AR is based on matric marks
40 NBT is average of the marks obtained in the
NBT - 40 NBT Ranking derived from the
applicants performance against others in the
same socioeconomic group group - 10 BQ
assesses non-academic roundedness of applicants
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Selection Procedures

• Applicants are ranked according to their academic
  and non-academic scores to determine who is
  offered a place
• The system calculates the final CI score and
  ranks all applicants in descending order
• Offers are made in that order within two pools
  (White/Indian and Black/Coloured) with
  differential cut-offs on CI to compensate for
  historical disadvantage

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Number of New Admissions to MBBCh/GEMP I (3 years)
MBBCh (First Year) MBBCh (First Year) MBBCh (First Year) MBBCh (First Year)
2008 180 160 20
2009 252 187 55
2010 240 209 31
GEMP I (MBBCh 3rd Year) GEMP I (MBBCh 3rd Year)
2008 83
2009 85
2010 86
Admissions to foundation programmes
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Demographic Representation MBBCh Admissions
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Gender Breakdown of Students Admitted to MBBCh
Includes 40 students per year admitted to
foundation programme
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(No Transcript)
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Curriculum Information
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Teaching Methods

• Formal problem-based learning
• Lectures
• Theme sessions
• Small group tutorials
• Teleconferencing
• Community based projects (service learning)
• Health centre based projects (service learning)
• Skills laboratory
• Bedside teaching
• Patient care clinics and labour ward

The methods vary from year to year and block to
block. Practical and small group methods
predominate.
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Average Percentage Pass Rates of Students Who
Passed All Subjects
2009 2008 2007
84.79 81.16 82.62
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Commendations of HPCSA Accreditation Panel 2010

• The Faculty has excellent support structures for
  the medical students (psychosocial, financial,
  accommodation, mentoring, coaching, tutoring
  personal one-on-one support)
• The Facultys Centre for Health Sciences
  Education has done visible work in curriculum
  development, assessment, staff development and
  quality assurance
• The quality management processes in the Faculty
  are efficient
• The Faculty has decentralised learning resources
  and this helps students and staff to be
  self-sufficient wherever they learn
• The Faculty staff shows commitment and dedication
  to teaching at all levels
• The web-based material as a learning resource is
  commendable