Undergraduate Training

Ukwanda pursues an “immersion model" where students are exposed to the realities of working/caring in a resource-limited environment. Undergraduate students receive training at several rural regional hospitals, smaller district hospitals and clinics in the Western and Northern Cape. They are supported by an Ukwanda coordinator in each of the professional programmes. Interprofessional education and collaborative practice is one of the focus areas for student training and multiple opportunities are made possible at the Ukwanda sites to facilitate collaborative engagement around patient assessment, management, and community engagement. 

Students are from the following professional disciplines:

• Dietetics (Human Nutrition);
• Physiotherapy;
• Occupational Therapy;
• Speech-language and hearing Therapy;
• Medicine (MBChB).

For more information please contact:

Ms Lindsay-michelle Meyer
+2721 938 9873
​lindsaym@sun.ac.za

Mr Ruben Geweldt
+27 23 346 7809
​rgeweldt@sun.ac.za

Resources for starting a Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship​​

The following resources contain links from Google Scholar to the relevant webpages.

• Bartlett, M., Couper, I., Poncelet, A. and Worley, P., 2020. The do's, don'ts and don't knows of establishing a sustainable longitudinal integrated clerkship. Perspectives on Medical Education, 9, pp.5-19.

• Brown, M.E., Anderson, K. and Finn, G.M., 2019. A narrative literature review considering the development and implementation of longitudinal integrated clerkships, including a practical guide for application. Journal of medical education and curricular development, 6, p.2382120519849409.

• Ellaway, R., Graves, L., Berry, S., Myhre, D., Cummings, B.A. and Konkin, J., 2013. Twelve tips for designing and running longitudinal integrated clerkships. Medical Teacher, 35(12), pp.989-995.Hudson

• Latessa, R., Schmitt, A., Beaty, N., Buie, S. and Ray, L., 2016. Preceptor teaching tips in longitudinal clerkships. The Clinical Teacher, 13(3), pp.213-218.

• Pepper, J., Riegels, N.S., Ziv, T.A. and Mazotti, L., 2019. Twelve Tips for Students in Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships. MedEdPublish (2016), 8, p.59.

• Hudson, J.N., Poncelet, A.N., Weston, K.M., Bushnell, J.A. and A Farmer, E., 2017. Longitudinal integrated clerkships. Medical Teacher, 39(1), pp.7-13.

• Van Schalkwyk S, Blitz J, Couper I, De Villiers M, Muller J. Breaking new ground: lessons learnt from the development of Stellenbosch University's Rural Clinical School. South African Health Review. 2017 Dec 1;2017(1):71-5.​
  
  

Postgraduate Training

​POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN RURAL MEDICINE

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS  EXTENDED TO 22^nd  DECEMBER 2023​

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Photograph by Dr Mayara Floss​

C A L L  F O R  A P P L I C A T I O N S  2 0 2 4

We are offering a groundbreaking programme, the first of its kind in South Africa, which addresses a barrier to accessing further education in rural environments. Limited postgraduate study opportunities have often resulted in Doctors and other Healthcare professionals opting to leave rural hospitals. The programme seeks to equip doctors working or planning to work in rural and remote areas in South Africa. The Postgraduate Diploma in Rural Medicine runs over 18 months. The mode of delivery is hybrid; this means there will be a face-to-face contact session at the Stellenbosch University Worcester campus (Ukwanda Rural Clinical School) for three days, at the beginning of the first year of study, and thereafter there will be online contact sessions in real-time (synchronous), online self-driven studying (asynchronous) and work integrated learning.

The postgraduate diploma is structured over an 18-month period and consists of 4 modules.

Module 1: Clinical Skills in District Hospitals requires that students acquire competence is a range of skills relevant to rural hospitals. Students identify and negotiate with potential clinical supervisors to fulfil the requirements. These clinical skills can be completed at any institution (district hospital, regional hospital etc.) where the student can obtain adequate exposure for the determined procedures. The programme will review and accredit clinical supervisors who meet the requirements. Regular online seminars to provide practical tips in relation to procedures are offered.

Module 2: Major Infectious Diseases Challenges takes place online and is applied within the clinical setting. The intent is to ensure that students have a comprehensive basic understanding of the major infectious disease challenges they are likely to encounter in a rural district hospital with a focus on HIV/AIDS and TB. The module covers an overview of the epidemiology and diagnosis of HIV/AIDS and TB, anti-retroviral therapy, prevention of-mother-to-child transmission of HIV, management of TB in adults and children, reducing and preventing the burden of TB, and an overview of other common infectious diseases in Africa, with a focus on Southern Africa and on approaches to diagnosis and management. Learning is supplemented by face-to-face case-based seminar discussions.

Module 3: Delivering Healthcare in Rural Communities will review the unique features of healthcare delivery in rural communities, in relation to the concept of rurality and the geographic, social, cultural, and economic context of rural people. Students will learn about the specific needs of rural patients and how to provide them with effective services, considering factors such as access to care, medical referrals, culture, language, and local community structures. The module will also explore the essentials of community health and epidemiology, including the principles of community-oriented primary care. It will include the design of a primary care intervention based on the specific health needs of a local rural community.

Module 4: Clinical Governance in District Health Systems will consist of formal study, supervised application, and reflective practice in relation to effective clinical governance in district health services. Through online learning, students will study the essentials of the structure and management of district health services and core components of clinical governance such as evidence-based care, audit, and quality improvement. Students will develop and implement their own quality improvement project, with received feedback from their peers and supervisors. The module will also stimulate the thinking of students on effective leadership and management in the district health setting and how to establish a culture of reflective practice for the rural doctor.​​

Minimum admission requirements:
MBChB/equivalent degree with at least 2 years practical experience
or BCMP/equivalent degree with at least 5 years practical experience.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY​  

or Scan the QR code below

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(For more details on the admission and selection process, see the website: https://hybridlearning.sun.ac.za/pgdipruralmed/

Note: Community Service doctors and Clinical Associates are eligible to apply

​View the leaflet ​​

​For more information please contact:

Ms Lindsay-Michelle Meyer
​ +27 21 938 9873
​lindsaym@sun.ac.za

Ms Amanda A Msindwana
​ +27 23 346 7802
​amsindwana@sun.ac.za

 

Short Course:​Clinical Governance in District Hospitals

 The purpose of this short course is to provide students with an overview of clinical governance in district health services by studying, applying, and reflecting on the topic.  Students will learn about the essentials of district health services’ structure and management, as well as key components of clinical governance, such as evidence-based care, auditing, and quality improvement, through online learning. With the help of their peers and supervisors, students will implement a quality improvement project.  Additionally, the module will stimulate students' thinking about their own development as leaders and how to function as effective leaders in a district health setting.

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