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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Master of Philosophy in Vascular Surgery 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
125451  Master of Philosophy in Vascular Surgery 
ORIGINATOR
Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University 
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  180  Undefined  NQF Level 09  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered  EXCO 0638/26  2026-03-10  2029-03-10 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2030-03-10   2033-03-10  

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 does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification. 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
The primary purpose of the Master of Philosophy in Vascular Surgery is to educate and train general surgeons to acquire and illustrate updated knowledge, skills, and experience, who can further contribute to the development of knowledge at an advanced level in the subspecialty of Vascular Surgery. Subspecialists in this discipline will be positioned for advanced and specialised professional employment in South Africa. Therefore, the qualification supports the provisioning of services in a scarce healthcare field that the South African population needs.

Upon completion of this qualification, qualifying learners will be able to:
  • Analyse the complex relationships between various departments in a tertiary training hospital as well as associated secondary referral hospitals to deliver integrated services efficiently and effectively, solve challenging cases timeously, and seek opportunities that may positively impact national health.
  • Develop a sound Vascular Surgery knowledge base through applied readings, bedside teaching, related case discussions, scientific meetings, and associated research activities.
  • Develop a clinical grounding in Vascular Surgery through knowledge and evidence-based practical experience to master the requisite clinical reasoning and clinical procedural skills in diagnosing and managing patients presenting with field-specific disorders/conditions.

    Rationale:
    This qualification is intended for well-trained and experienced physicians should be able to manage the conditions and procedures related to General Surgery, however, a substantial number of conditions and therapeutic modalities require highly specialised knowledge in Vascular Surgery. As such, dedicated training for both medical/surgical subspecialists is needed to improve outcomes in serious or critically ill and/or injured patients.

    Despite the increasing burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), there is a shortage of vascular surgeons worldwide, with a higher scarcity in low- and middle-income countries.

    During the past 20 years, there has been a clear international trend toward independent certification in Vascular surgery (VS). This reflects the increased differentiation of Vascular Surgery from General Surgery and Cardiothoracic Surgery, which during the past 10 years has largely been due to the widespread adoption of endovascular procedures. There are 707 annual positions for training in vascular surgery offered by 367 training programs in 35 countries of the Americas, only 17 (48.5%) offer vascular surgery training as an independent specialty. In 1 (2.8%) country, Peru, vascular surgery is mixed with cardiothoracic surgery. There is no vascular surgery training in the remaining 17 (48.5%) countries. Brazil has the highest number of training positions, offering 292 (41.3%) positions per year, followed by the United States, with 214 (30.2%) positions per year, and Mexico, with 69 (9.7%) positions per year. The country with more positions per 1,000,000 inhabitants is Cuba (3.93), followed by Brazil (1.34) and Uruguay (0.87). Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the United States are the only 4 countries that have vascular surgery board exams. In the plurality of countries surveyed, VS certification can be obtained independently, but there are substantial geographic variations and historical differences. Furthermore, VS has been recognized as an independent specialty by the European Union and in most of the countries where VS is not a recognized speciality, active planning and negotiations are underway to develop separate certification.

    In Africa (Ghana); Vascular care capacity assessment demonstrated marked deficiencies in items for diagnosis, and in perioperative and vascular surgical care. Deficiencies were most often due to absence of equipment, lack of training and technology breakage. Risk factor reduction and management as well as optimization of current resources are paramount to avoid the large burden of PVD falling on healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries. These countries are not well equipped to handle vascular surgical care, and rapid development of such capacity is generally difficult and expensive. As example The College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA) comprises 14 countries, many of which currently grapple with an increasing burden of cardiothoracic surgical (CTS) diseases. Only 6 of 14 (43%) of COSECSA countries offered active training programs with annual intake of only 18 trainees (this includes South Africa). Significant training gaps existed in Burundi, Botswana, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Country specialist density ranged from 1 per 400,000 (Namibia) to 1 per 8,000,000 (Ethiopia). Overall, the region had 0.2 CTS and VS specialists per million population as compared with 7.15 surgeons per million in High-Income Countries. Surgical education experts proposed an action framework to address the training crisis including increasing investments in CTS and VS education, establishing regional centres of excellence, retention incentives and opportunities for women, and leveraging international partnerships.

    Roughly 8% of South Africa's gross domestic product (GDP) is expended on health, equally distributed across the public and private health sectors. This results in maldistribution in the availability of health professionals, access to health facilities, and access to high-end health services. This is also evident in the provision of vascular surgery where poor and rural communities are most disadvantaged. Moreover, South Africa's poor are also particularly severely affected by a quadruple burden of disease: high rates of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB), maternal and infant mortality, high levels of trauma, and increasing levels of non-communicable conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancers (Cassimjee, Le Roux, Pillay & Veller 2021).

    According to Tiwari, Chitke and Chu (2021), "Perioperative mortality in Africa is twice the global average. This study found that the specialist surgical workforce (all categories of surgeons) density in South Africa (SA), an upper middle-income country (UMIC), was 10.5 per 100,000 persons which falls short of the LCGS minimum standard of 20 per 100,000 for safe surgery and is lower than several other UMIC such as Peru (41.77), Mauritius (34.57), Colombia (20.33), Maldives (15.96), and Malaysia (15.58). Quality of and access to surgical care in South Africa can only improve when there is a sufficient and adequate surgical workforce.

    The HPCSA endorsed the development and implementation of the Master of Philosophy in Vascular Surgery. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
    The institution has a well-established unit that deals with RPL.
    RPL for exemption:
    Possible exemption, for a maximum period of 1 year (50% of the time), based on comparable training and experience gained at another recognized academic institution, could be granted, subject to the following conditions:

    RPL for access:
    The training periods must have occurred within at most 2 years before registering for the Master of Philosophy in the subspecialty.
  • Sufficient experience must be proven using a logbook, portfolio, and certification by the Head of the Department of Surgery where the experience was gained.
    The above information must be evaluated by the Head of the Department of Surgery of the institution and approved as equivalent with the consent of the Head of the Department of Surgery and the Executive Committee (MEDEX) of the School of Medicine.

    Entry Requirements:
  • Master of Medicine in Internal Medicine, NQF Level 9.
    And
  • Registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework, Level 9 totalling 180 Credits.

    Compulsory modules at Level 9, totalling 180 Credits:
  • Clinical Vascular Surgery, 120 Credits.
  • Research in Vascular Surgery, 60 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Analyse the complex relationships between various departments in a tertiary training hospital as well as associated secondary referral hospitals to deliver integrated services efficiently and effectively, solve challenging cases timeously, and seek opportunities that may positively impact national health.
    2. Develop a clinical grounding in Vascular Surgery through knowledge and evidence-based practical experience to master the requisite clinical reasoning and clinical procedural skills in diagnosing and managing patients presenting with field-specific disorders/conditions.
    3. Develop a sound Vascular Surgery knowledge base via applied readings, bedside teaching, related case discussions, scientific meetings, and associated research activities. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
    ELO:1 Analyse the complex relationships between various departments in a tertiary training hospital as well as associated secondary referral hospitals to deliver integrated services efficiently and effectively, solve challenging cases timeously, and seek opportunities that may positively impact national health.
  • Apply principles and good practice in managing complex Vascular Surgery patient cases within facilities where patients are being cared for e.g. tertiary, provincial and district-level hospitals and community health care centres.
  • Illustrate updated knowledge and skill to select and apply appropriate clinical procedures in the delivery of Vascular Surgery services to benefit patients and their families / significant others.
  • Lead teams and manage vascular units and wards.
  • Apply science, technology, and innovation across diverse healthcare systems and geographic regions effectively and critically, showing insight into the future of Vascular Surgery as an area of specialisation.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
    ELO:2Develop clinical grounding in Vascular Surgery through knowledge and evidence-based practical experience to master the requisite clinical reasoning and clinical procedural skills in diagnosing and managing patients presenting with field-specific disorders/conditions.
  • Illustrate updated medical knowledge and skill to identify, select and apply appropriate clinical procedures in the delivery of Vascular Surgery health care and services.
  • Provide consultative services and train medical officers, colleagues in interprofessional teams, registrars and medical students to advance Vascular Surgery and related specialist services as part of an interprofessional team.
  • Accept responsibility and accountability for performed work within the context of Vascular Surgery as an area of sub-specialization.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
    ELO:3 Develop a sound Vascular Surgery knowledge base via applied readings, bedside teaching, related case discussions, scientific meetings, and associated research activities.
  • Research and critique best evidence from literature, discuss application to own patients and report on complex Vascular Surgery cases.
  • Critically evaluate available literature from multiple sources of information on related and complex Vascular Surgery patient cases and their management.
  • Develop a research protocol, implement a full research project, prepare, present, and defend research findings at professional and scientific meetings.

    INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT:
    This qualification aligns with the Assessment Policy of the institution and uses various types of assessment that enhance student learning. The assessment plan adheres to the national requirements set by the HPCSA as the statutory professional body to ensure that graduates can register as professionals in the field.

    Formative assessment:
    Clinical Coursework module: Vascular Surgery
    Continuous Workplace-Based Assessments (WBA):
    Direct observations, based on the list of prescribed EPAs, take place in clinical settings while the student works with patients. Observers include the supervisor, but also other consultants in related disciplines as part of IPECP, colleagues, peers, nurses, and medical officers. Observers provide written feedback to the learner, and feedback are quarterly discussed with the supervisor. Feedback is provided through the use of feedback tools such as Mini-CEX, One-minute Preceptor, SNAPSS, ISBAR and other toolkits. A minimum of 10 observations is required per feedback cycle. If necessary, a remedial plan for corrective action is developed. WBAs are documented for recordkeeping, e.g. logbook with EPAs, skills and procedures is signed off by the supervisor once the student achieved competence. The logbook specifies the minimum number of patients as well as the type.

    The logbook with signatures, records of observations with its written feedback, records of quarterly feedback meetings, and remedial plans all form part of the Portfolio of Evidence (PoE), as well as any other evidence of expected work (e.g., case-based presentations, participation in morbidity and mortality meetings, ward rounds where patients are being discussed etc.).

    Summative assessment:
    Entry into the final exit level assessment:
  • In order to enter the final exit examination, an overall minimum mark of 50% is required by the institution department for the final Portfolio.
  • In addition, a sub-minimum may be required in sub-divisions of the Portfolio assessment as communicated to students as per specific programme rules.
  • The learner must be declared competent by a properly constituted departmental assessment committee meeting and signed off by the HOD and supervisors for all EPAs required for the Vascular Surgery.

    The Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA), as an appointed national assessment body, has the following additional requirements for admission to the summative examination:
  • Certification of having completed at least 18 months as a subspecialty trainee in an accredited subspecialty unit in a teaching hospital, registered and approved by the HPCSA.
  • Submission of a written report from the academic HOD in which he/s trained indicating satisfactory completion of all training requirements.
  • Logbook, List of observations/ WBAs and Portfolio of Evidence.

    Final National Exit Examination through CMSA:
    CMSA is the national assessment body that assesses all candidates in the country in the final exit examination, and it follows its own internal and external assessments and moderation in conjunction with the HPCSA prescripts. The institution is a full member of the CMSA, where the institution Vascular Surgery and course coordinators participate in the standard setting of final exit examinations for all candidates together with colleagues from other institutions in South Africa that offer this training. The institution's subspecialists participate in the CMSA final exit examination as convenors and/or examinators and/or moderators.

    The final national exit examination is the only recognized final examination for the clinical coursework module in Vascular Surgery; the institution does not set a separate exit examination and dual access therefore is not applied. The national exit examination through CMSA consists of both written and oral/practical components and contributes 100% towards the final mark for the clinical coursework module (50% for the written and 50% for the oral/practical exam). The rules for the final national exit examination are clearly described and made available to prospective candidates.

    Research module: Vascular Surgery
    Continuous Assessment:
  • Research proposal to School of Medicine Research Committee (SReC) within 9 months (not scored with marks only feedback).
  • SMUREC Research Ethics clearance within 15 months after first-time registration (not scored with marks only feedback).
  • Learner who apply to write the CMSA examination must submit a comprehensive Portfolio of learning which is reviewed and signed by the Head of the Surgery Department at the institution, who will then write a letter to the CMSA, certifying that the Portfolio of Learning was completed satisfactorily. The relevant content area of the Portfolio of Learning is prescribed by the CMSA as per Section 7: Research.

    Summative assessment:
    The final research project requirement may be met in any ONE of the following ways:
  • A research-based mini-dissertation, (the mini-dissertation is governed by General University and School rules regarding registration with SMUREC, supervisors and external assessors).
  • Publication or acceptance of a peer-reviewed original research article in a DHET-accredited journal with the student as the primary author.
  • An introduction and a conclusion must form part of the research work that has been done by the student when publishable manuscripts / published articles are submitted in the place of a mini-dissertation and as such will be assessed by two independent examiners, who will allocate a final mark.
  • The scores of the external examiners will be averaged to arrive at a final score for the research module.
  • To pass the research module a minimum mark of 50% is required. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The qualification was internationally benchmarked with the following institutions:

    Institution: Harvard Medical School (HMS), Boston, USA.
    (Beth and Israel Hospital Training Hospital.
  • Qualification: Five years for the general surgery programme and two years for training as a vascular surgeon in a Vascular Fellowship Programme.

    Qualification content.
    After completing general surgery training, surgeons may enter a 2-year Vascular Surgery Fellowship at BIDMC.
    The fellowship prepares surgeons for independent specialist practice in:
  • Endovascular surgery.
  • Open vascular surgery.
  • Aortic aneurysm repair.

    Research Component:
    The division conducts:
  • Extensive clinical outcomes research.
  • NIH-funded basic science research.
  • Numerous clinical trialsmaking BIDMC one of the most prolific vascular surgery clinical research sites worldwide.

    Entry requirements:
  • Have completed a 5-year ACGME-accredited General Surgery Residency.

    Similarities:
  • The broad overall goals of the vascular surgery residency qualification at both Harvard Medical School (HMS), and South African (SA) are to prepare subspecialists to function as qualified practitioners of vascular surgery at the high level of performance expected of a board-certified specialist by providing comprehensive clinical training in vascular surgery, basic science and clinical research experience for the resident.
  • Both the degrees at HMS and SA require a candidate to have been registered as a general surgeon with the required professional board.
  • The broad content covered at both the SA and the HMS sub-internship includes a basic understanding of the pathology, physiology and modern clinical management of peripheral vascular disease.
  • Learner from both institutions participate in daily rounds on patients undergoing surgery, balloon angioplasty, stent placement or other modern approaches to peripheral vascular disease and are actively involved in surgical and endovascular procedures.
  • Both institutions include special areas of instruction in the multidisciplinary care of elderly, high-risk patients, the relationship between blood flow disturbances and atherosclerotic plaque formation; the pathophysiology of diabetic foot lesions; the interaction of blood with artificial materials; the mechanisms of arterial graft failure, alternatives to open surgical procedures, and the response of blood vessels to iatrogenic injury.

    Differences:
  • Harvard learners are assigned to follow their patients with an emphasis on continuity of care, which is not always possible in an under-resourced training hospital in South Africa. > Harvard learners participate in weekly didactic conferences including presentations on the comparative effectiveness of alternative procedures in the management of peripheral vascular disease while SA learner present specific patient-based reviews.
  • The SA qualification is offered over two years of training as a subspecialist in Vascular Surgery, whereas at HMS year one is spent as an Endovascular Fellow and year two as a Vascular Fellow. At SMU the two years are combined without differentiation.

    Country: Australia.
    Institution: University of Sydney (US).
    Qualification: Master's degree in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery. Degree:
    Duration: (One year full-time and two years part-time.

    Purpose of the Qualification:
    The programme is designed to:
  • Equip clinicians with advanced knowledge and skills in vascular and endovascular surgery.
  • Prepare clinicians to apply best available evidence to vascular surgical patient care.
  • Build strong academic, research, and leadership capacity for clinicians who may pursue careers in academic or teaching hospitals.

    Qualification Type:
  • Master's degree (Coursework + Research Dissertation).
    Accreditation:
  • Fully accredited by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS).

    Similarities:
  • Both Australia and SA provide a working knowledge of the academic basis of contemporary vascular surgical practice, including vascular anatomy, pathophysiology, imaging and treatment options (non-operative, open surgical or endovascular) of vascular surgical disorders.
  • Both degrees/fellowships are registered by Professional boards namely HPCSA and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS).
  • The Australia Master of Surgery (Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Surgery) provides clinicians with the knowledge and skills to apply the best available research evidence to surgical patient care and broaden their knowledge base through a range of elective units of study.
  • Both the SA and Australia provide a combination of clinical coursework and require appropriate research output to augment your contextualised research, leadership development and communication skills.
  • Outcomes of the clinical coursework modules at both institutions address similar topics in an integrated manner, for example, to understand the anatomy critical to the exposure of and access to vascular structures; to describe the structure and function of normal blood vessels and explain disease processes affecting blood vessels; to identify medical therapies to treat vascular pathologies and explain the haemodynamic of blood flow, to list but a few.

    Differences:
  • Additional (contextual) module outcomes at SA include identification and treatment of causes of non-atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease (e.g. HIV associated vasculopathy) and management of primary-type lymphedema. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification provides opportunities for horizontal, and vertical articulation options.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Master of Philosophy in Trauma Surgery, NQF Level 9.
  • Master of Gastroenterology Surgery. NQF Level 9.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Doctor of Medicine, NQF Level 10.
  • Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health, NQF Level 10.

    Diagonal Articulation:
    There is no diagonal articulation for this qualification. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A. 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A. 

    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. Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University 


    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.