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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Master of Family Medicine 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
3365  Master of Family Medicine 
ORIGINATOR
University of Cape Town 
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  Level 8 and above  NQF Level 09  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2031-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

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.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
The purpose of the qualification is to graduate family physicians capable of delivering comprehensive, cost-effective patient care using a bio-psychosocial framework in primary care contexts. Additional purposes include an ability to answer questions by means of research and to pass on the knowledge, skills and attitudes of the discipline of family medicine to future generations of doctors. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
The institution conducts RPL in terms of the policy and guidelines of the institution to recognise other forms of formal, informal and non-formal learning and experience.
In cases where learners do not comply with the formal admission requirements, the institution applies its RPL policy.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • Bachelor Honours in Family Medicine, NQF Level 8.
  • 2 years of approved clinical experience after registration as a medical practitioner. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Ability to continue life-long learning.
    2. Ability to reflect.
    3. Ability to be patient-centred.
    4. Ability to think in terms of systems.
    5. Evaluate and manage patients with both undifferentiated and more specific problems cost-effectively using a bio-psychosocial approach.
    6. Promote health and quality of life of the community.
    7. Maintain up to date, quality practice by implementing research findings and own research.
    8. Disseminate knowledge and skills to patients, the community, fellow health workers, and future generations of family physicians.
    9. Manage him/herself and his/her practice (in public or private sector) effectively with visionary leadership.
    10. Understand normal human development and counsel patients through these stages.
    11. Utilise the potential of the family to promote health.
    12. Awareness of cultural and other contextual aspects of health and illness.
    13. Able to promote health and prevent illness.
    14. Be able to solve ethical dilemmas.
    15. Be skilled to maximise the potential of the consultation. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria:
  • Define learning needs arising from practice and meet these needs by accessing resources such as library books, journals, internet and personal interaction.
  • Process experience to increase understanding and inform action.
  • Understand not only the illness but also the patient as an individual within a specific context.
  • Understandi of the interaction between systems.
  • Diagnose illness.
  • Formulate and implement, with the patient, a mutually acceptable, cost-effective management plan, evaluating and adjusting elements of the plan as necessary.
  • Utilise and integrate resources in cost effective provision of affordable and accessible health care.
  • Identify and manage problems influencing the health and quality of life in the community work with the community in this.
  • Define problems and perform research (both qualitative and quantitative) to deepen understanding and find solutions.
  • Critically read and analyse literature for professional growth and implementation in practice.
  • Implement research and literature review in the management of problems in practice.
  • Understand the principles of adult education.
  • Skills in presenting information-written and verbal to individuals and groups.
  • Manage him/herself maintaining his/her own health and fitness to practice
  • Manage resources and processes effectively. Includes cost-effective clinical care, human resources, tools and information.
  • Audit practice and act on the results in order to assure ongoing quality of practice.
  • Ability to manage people to fulfil their potential and create an optimum working environment. (leading, motivating, providing strategic input, conflict management, encouraging teamwork).
  • Understandof human development.
  • Form and maintain a therapeutic relationship with a patient and deal with issues such as transference and boundaries.
  • Understand the impact of illness on the family and the impact of the family on the illness and use this understanding to promote health.
  • Conduct a family interview.
  • Hold an attitude of respect for, and willingness to learn about, cultural beliefs of patients and communities in order to negotiate most appropriate management.
  • Understand of own cultural issues and values that impact on one's work.
  • Implement opportunistic and routine health promotion in consultations.
  • Run health promotion and preventive interventions in the community.
  • Have an attitude of "the community at risk" i.e. Implement intervention aimed to prevent illness and detect early illness in people at risk in the community.
  • Define an ethical dilemma in practice.
  • Ability to resolve dilemmas using ethical principles
  • Conduct a patient-centred consultation.
  • Understand of the doctor-patient relationship and an ability to deal with difficult relationships.
  • Establish rapport with patients, show empathy, explain illness and interventions clearly and negotiate appropriate management with the patient.
  • Understand the patient as a person within a specific context.

    Integrated Assessment:
    Observed role-played consultations.

    Demonstrate ability to form therapeutic relationships with patients, use a patient-centred approach, give clear explanations of the illness or interventions, and negotiate management with the patient. The learner is required to write up a three stage assessment which requires an ability to make accurate clinical diagnoses, show an understanding of the patient with regard to their fears, beliefs and expectations and to identify contextual factors that impact on the illness or the management. Learners are required to decide on a management plan including curative, preventive and promotive care appropriate for the patient as an individual within a particular context.

    Observed consultations with real patients-videotaped and in-vivo. Demonstrates the same as above but in a real situation. The video-recorded consultation demonstrates the learner's performance in their work situation.

    Observed structured clinical exam-tests clinical skills such as diagnostic skills, and practical skills relevant to general practice and emergency care.

    Clinical Exams-tests attitudes and ability to integrate knowledge, and skills in the consultation.

    Oral exam-Tests knowledge, understanding and problem solving ability.

    Participation in coursework including patient presentations-Demonstrates learner's understanding of the material, personal and professional development.

    Assignments:
    Audit project-Demonstrate ability to set target standards for their practice, assess how these are being met, and use this information to plan for improvement of quality of the service.

    Human Growth and Development-Learners integrate reflections from their reflective journals with theoretical knowledge of human growth and development in order to show understanding of the human life cycle.

    Principles of Family Medicine -Assesses how learners are using the principles in their practice.

    Family interview-Demonstrates ability to conduct a family interview in learner's own practice.

    Ethics-Learners define an ethical problem from their practice and demonstrate a step-by-step approach to solving it.

    Evidence-Based Medicine-Demonstrates the ability to define a problem in practice, access and critically assess the literature and implement the best evidence in practice.

    Patient Studies-Demonstrate ability to learn using resources such as journals, to solve problems in practice and continue professional and personal development. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    This qualification compares with the following international qualifications in terms of the range of competencies in the learning content offered. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification offers both possibilities of horizontal and vertical articulation.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Masters of Arts in Health Management, NQF Level 9.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Doctor of Family Medicine, NQF Level 10. 
    		•

    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. 

    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. University of Cape Town 


    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.