Program Overview

Programme: MMed in Ophthalmology

The MMed in Ophthalmology is a postgraduate degree that aims to equip students with advanced knowledge and skills in the field of ophthalmology.

Programme Information

• The programme is offered by the Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Ophthalmology.
• The total credits required for the programme is 624, with an NQF level of 09.
• The programme duration is four or five years, as prescribed by the relevant department.

Admission Requirements

• General Admission Regulations:
  • Refer to the UP Institutional Admissions Policy as well as the General Academic Regulations and Student Rules.
• Minimum Admissions Requirements:
  • Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (or equivalent) degree, or a relevant medical degree with modules equivalent to at least the first two years of the Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree.
  • Currently registered as a physician with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and must have been registered for at least one year.
• Additional Requirements:
  • All applications must be accompanied by certified full academic transcripts from undergraduate to current level, a certified copy of ID or passport, and a research concept note.
  • All applicants with international qualifications must submit a SAQA evaluation of the completed qualification or a comprehensive Foreign Qualification Report, TOEFL or IELTS or Pearson Test of English or Oxford Test of English test results (if applicable), and a certified copy of passport.
  • Admissions is based on the content of and performance in the prior degree, bridging arrangements (where required), academic merit, and prior work experience (if applicable).

Programme Structure

• The programme consists of theoretical, practical, clinical, and applicable training as stipulated by the relevant department.
• Students must complete a research component, which includes a dissertation or a research article that has been accepted for publication in a subsidised periodical.
• The programme also includes a systematic literature review (Cochrane type) on an approved subject, which may be presented as an alternative to the dissertation for awarding the MMed (Public Health Medicine) degree.

Examinations and Pass Requirements

• The sequence of the examinations in the prerequisite subjects will be determined by the head of the department under which the major subject falls.
• A minimum final mark of 50% is required by all departments to pass in a subject, and in the clinical section of the examination, a subminimum of 50%.
• General Academic Regulations apply.
• A student is not admitted to the examination in a prerequisite subject (supplementary examinations excluded) more than twice, nor is he or she admitted to the examination in the major subject more than twice.

Core Modules

• ANA 876: Anatomy 876 (36 credits)
• ANP 871: Anatomical pathology 871 (36 credits)
• FSG 801: Physiology 801 (36 credits)
• GMO 800: Geometrical optics 800 (36 credits)
• MMS 890: Dissertation 890 (180 credits)
• OHK 800: Ophthalmology 800 (300 credits)
• TNM 802: Applied research methodology 802 (0 credits)

Registrarship

• Inquire at the relevant head of department regarding the availability of registrarships for the specialisation.
• Each student must prove to the University that he or she has successfully filled the required full-time training post for a period of four or five years, according to the requirements of the relevant department.

Exemption

• The Faculty Board may grant partial exemption from the training and work mentioned under par. (b) and (c)(i) and (ii) above on the grounds of comparable training and experience completed in another post or at another recognised institution.
• Exemption from a maximum period of 18 months may be granted with regard to four-year and five-year programmes.

Pass with Distinction

• The degree is conferred with distinction on a student who has obtained a final mark of at least 75% in his or her major subject.

General Information

• Registrars are expected to participate increasingly in the examining and treatment of patients in the hospital, both in-patients and out-patients, as well as performing and interpreting tests in the laboratory (where applicable).
• The faculty regulations, information on and requirements for the degrees published here are subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information.