Medicine Undergraduate Admission Requirements

1.1 MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery)

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) offers opportunities to South African (SA) and Southern African Development Community nationals (only Lesotho and Swaziland citizens) to undergo training in medicine, radiography and emergency care (EMC). Naturalized SADC nationals and permanent residents regardless of origin are also considered. All applicants undergo a rigorous selection process.

SMU, in keeping up with international standards, bases selection on academic measurable variables and ensures that selected students have the ability/ potential to successfully complete their studies in the requisite minimum time. SMU endeavours to attract talented students from all demographic groupings in South Africa whilst prioritizing transformation. In this regard a quota system based on a principle that promotes equitable chances and fairness to students from all population groups (Indigenous Africans (Black) – 80.2%; Coloureds – 8.8%; Whites – 8.5%; Indians/Asians – 2.5%) is applied in all selection processes excluding the special  foundation medicine program that is reserved for indigenous South Africans (Blacks) from Quintile 1 and 2 schools. The above quota system is based on the census demography of the SA population and will apply from one census to the other. The selection process is done in phases. The decisions of the School Admissions and Selection Committee are final.

1.1.1 MBChB Phase I: Pre – selection

 Students are offered a provisional place based on their final Grade 11 results. Pre-selected Grade 11 students are expected to have attained an admission point score (APS) of at least 38. In addition, students are pre- selected based on their performance in the following four subjects: English, Life Sciences, Physical Science and Mathematics and Life Orientation, refer to Table 1.

However, being pre-selected does not guarantee a place as the Grade 12 results are used to decide on final admissions. Admissions are on a competitive basis for available spaces.

A pre – selection offer will be withdrawn if either the applicant’s performance in Grade 12 in any of the four above mentioned subjects and/or total APS score drops below their performance in the Grade 11 results or is maintained but happens to be below that of other applicants. The application of such a student is then returned to the general pool of applicants in which applicants are considered on the basis of their Grade 12 performance using the four subjects previously listed.

Firm offers will be made (during the pre-selection phase) to the five top/best students who applied with final Grade 12 results achieved in the year just before the pre-selection year and also met all the admission requirements.

Table 1: Minimum requirements for pre-selection into MBChB Program

Subjects	Minimum APS Points	SMU Admission Score for preselection
English	6	6
Mathematics	6	6
Physical Science	6	6
Life Sciences	6	6
Additional subject 1	5
Additional subject 2	4
Life Orientation	5	5
Total	38 points	29 points

Table 2: Admission Point Score (APS) Equivalency Conversion Table

APS Points	NSC marks %	IGCSE symbols	GCSE symbols	HIGCSE symbols	AS – Level grade	A – Level grade	IBHL symbols	IBSL symbols	APS points
12						A
11						B
10									10
9						C			9
8				1	A		7		8
7	80-100%			2	B	D	6		7
6	70-79%	A		3	C	E	5	7	6
5	60-69%	B	7	4	D		4	6	5
4	50-59%	C	6		E			5	4
3	40-49%	D	5					4	3
2	30-39%	E	4						2
1	0-29%	F	3						1

• APS – Admission Point Score
• NSC – National School Certificate
• IGCSE – International General Certificate of Secondary Education
• GCSE – General Certificate of Secondary Education
• HIGCSE – Higher International General Certificate of Secondary Education
• AS level – Advanced Subsidiary Level
• A Level – Advanced An A-level represents a year’s extra study beyond AS level
• IB HL – International Baccalaureate (Higher levels)
• IB SL – International Baccalaureate Schools (Standard levels)

1.1.2 MBCHB Phase 2: Final Selection of Grade 12 Applicants and other applicants with equivalent qualifications

The second phase of selection is done soon after the Grade 12 results have been released. Pre- selected students who either maintained or improved their Grade 11 SMU pre – selection scores, may be given firm offers. However, this will depend on the number of available spaces. Those whose scores fall below the level at which they received a pre-selection offer or those who now score lower in comparison with others are then included in the general pool of applicants for consideration.

In order for students to be selected from the main data pool they should comply with the following admission requirements:

1. Must achieve a minimum APS score of 38 as described above in Table 1
2. Compete on the basis of the five subjects including Life Orientation (Table 1) in the pre-selection Students will be selected by order of merit using their actual percentage marks in the following subjects: Mathematics, Physical Science, Life Science, Life Orientation and English Language. Selection will be in accordance to the demographic quotas described above using current census data.
3. A relevant matriculation or examination results that qualifies enrolment into a degree program (for SADC nationals mainly Lesotho and Swaziland, with an APS to be determined by the enrolment committee on basis of Table 2). The applicants must include a matric exemption certificate issued by South African Qualification Authority (SAQA).

A total of 245 spaces offered during the second phase of selection are distributed as shown in Table 3 in addition to 5 firm offers confirmed during Phase I.

Table 3: Distribution of firm MBChB I spaces confirmed during the 2^nd Phase of Selection

Category of prospective Students	Number of allocated spaces
Matric (NSC) holders (FTENs)	145
Matric (results available by November of previous year)	5
SADC students (Lesotho & Swaziland)	5
SMU graduates	30
Relevant Sciences and Health Sciences Degree holders from other universities	5
South African National Defence Force cadets	5
SMU full BSc I; BDS I and BSc ECP II course holders	5
MBChB – ECP II	50
Total	250

Note:

1. Due to the limited number of places available and the competitive nature of the degree program attainment of the minimum requirements stated in Table 1 does not guarantee
2. All first time entering applicants who have performed well and attained high SMU Admission Scores (Table 1), but were not selected among the top 145, are placed on a waiting list. They will be considered on merit should any of those selected applicants decline the offer.

1.1.3 Criteria for selection of applicants with completed 1^st year BSc I degree courses or equivalent (into MBChB I only) (SMU full BSc I; BDS I and BSc ECP II course holders)

Five top students with completed 1^st year BSc or equivalent courses at SMU will after application be afforded an opportunity to enroll into MBChB I. The combined average percentage of all modules will be used to determine the best five students. In case of BSc – ECP II applicants, the average scores of modules done in both years (Year 1 and 2) will be considered. Only applicants who obtain a minimum of three distinctions and an overall average of 75% and above for the year will be considered. However, the requirements might be higher as only five (5) spaces are available and selection will be on a competitive basis.

* Equivalent degrees are BDS I and BSc – ECP II completed at SMU

1.1.4 Criteria for Selection of applicants with completed degrees (into MBChB I only as this may change in later years when admission into 2^nd year may be contemplated,)

Applicants with completed Natural Science or relevant Health Sciences degree(s) will be selected to fill the allocated quotas referred to in Table 3 above. A scoring system presented in Table 4 will be applied to select the best qualifying students. The resultant score will be used in descending order to select qualifying applicants from this pool. The process of the calculation of points will be as follows:

Table 4: Scoring system for candidates with completed 1^st degrees

Percentage mark achieved in a module	Points
≥ 75%	24
70 – 74%	16
65 – 69	12
60 – 64	8
55 – 59	4
50 – 54	0
Fail	0
A subject passed after a supplementary examination	0

Note:

• In the case of a student having two degrees at the same level, the best of the two degrees will be used for scoring
• Students with relevant degrees that have exceeded a prescribed shelf life of three years will be required to re-do all the MBChB I modules without any
• A student who did modules equivalent to MBChB I modules previously within the prescribed shelf life above may be exempted. However, provisional exemption will be offered if the scope of the covered module is deemed not equivalent to the year I module at SMU. Such a student will therefore need to achieve a year mark of 60% in the module in order to be exempted from the standard/summative

Additional points are awarded to applicants with post graduate degrees based on the scoring system presented in Table 5.

Table 5: Additional points awarded to applicants with post graduate and professional degree

Post graduate Degree or Professional Degree	Points
Honours degree completed in minimum time	2
Additional point for Honours degree achieved with distinction	1
A four year professional degree in Natural sciences or Health Care Sciences	2
A three year Health Sciences related degree completed in minimum period	1
Additional point for four year professional degree in Natural sciences/ Health Care Sciences with distinction	1
Masters degree	3
Additional point for Masters degree achieved with distinction	1
Doctoral degree	5

1.1.5 Phase 3: Selection into Medicine Foundation Program (MBChB-Extended Curriculum Program I)

Phase 3 selection is done after the selection and admission into the mainstream MBChB I class is completed. Fifty spaces are available for MBChB-ECP I program. Non-quantifiable measurable variables that include social background (schooling i.e. quintile 1 and 2 schools) form the core policy of selection. The MBChB-ECP I program targets talented students from quintile 1 and 2 schools who attain good passes but were unable to obtain admission into the mainstream MBChB I due to the competitive nature for available spaces.

MBChB-ECP I program is aimed at preparing talented students from quintile 1 and 2 schools for success as most come from schools that have limited budgets and resources to fulfil the core mathematics, life sciences and physical science curriculum objectives. The 1 year foundation program focuses on developing the students’ knowledge and skills in the following six foundation modules:

• Medical Foundation Biophysics and NumeracyMedical Foundation Biology
• Medical Foundation Biochemistry
• Medical Foundation English for
• Medical Foundation Introduction to the Human Body (Anatomy and Physiology)
• Medical Foundation Study Skills and Information

Eligibility for selection into MBChB – ECP I

This program is only available to Indigenous South African (Black) students from quintiles 1 and 2 schools only who have not previously been engaged in tertiary education and have not been able to get admission into the six year SMU medicine degree program. Applications that do not meet the below criteria will be declined. The minimum academic requirements for consideration into MBChB –ECP I are presented in Table 6 below.

Table 6: Minimum requirements for selection into MBChB-ECP I

Subject	Minimum APS Points
Physical Science	5
Life Sciences	5
Mathematics	5
English Language	5
Life Orientation	4
Additional Subject 1	4
Additional Subject 2	4
Total	32

A student may be selected for the MBCHB-ECP programme with a score of 4 in English provided that the overall APS points remain competitive.

Duration of MBChB – ECP I program: 1 year

The student must pass all the six foundation modules with a minimum of 50% in order to progress into main stream MBChB I. A student who fails any of the six foundation modules is not allowed to repeat. There is no credit offered to such student

B RAD (Bachelors in Radiography)

Pre-selection of prospective students is a phased process and is completed by the end of November, in the year preceding admission. Provisional admission is based on Grade 11 final results for candidates in matric. Performance expressed as AP-score must be no less than 25 and for the four subjects below, expressed as combined (CMB) score of 19, must be maintained or improved in the matric examination to secure a place (see table 6 below). The main/final selection is based on the performance in the following four subjects, each with a minimum of  4:

• English
• Mathematics
• Physical Science
• Life Sciences

In case the students’ performance in these subjects drops below that for/in the grade 11 results, the student will lose the space in the pre-selected group and will join the general pool of applicants, where the grade 12 results will be the final determinant for the selection

Table 7: Admission Point Score for B Rad

Subjects	Proposed APS Minimum points	SMU Admission Score for Preselection
English	4	4
Mathematics	4	4
Physical Science	4	4
Life Science	4	4
Additional subject 1	3
Additional Subject 2	3
Life orientation	3	3
Total	25 Points	19 Points

Other qualifying criteria

• In addition to the above, applicants from SADC (mainly Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia), as well as SANDF, have reserved 2 spaces (5%), as per university agreement with the relevant authorities. Despite this, candidates must still fulfill /meet the criteria for admission into the program compatible with those admitted. In cases where spaces in these categories are not filled, the spaces will be transferred to South African black candidates.
• Students transferring from any SMU program, completed or incomplete, as well as graduates from other recognized institutions have 2 spaces (5%) reserved. These students must obtain an average of 65% in their last summative assessment and have an overall score of no less than 8 for all their credit bearing courses. (See Table 4 for score allocation on academic transcript and Table 5 for additional points awarded)
• Students with incomplete qualification must have passed all their summative modules in the final assessments to be considered. In addition, students who were previously excluded for whatever reason, will not be considered without proof of satisfactory performance guarantee

A total of 40 students can be admitted into the program per academic year. Given the limited spaces, selection and admission into the program is highly competitive and based on merit and availability of space. Importantly, meeting the minimum criteria does not guarantee selection and admission into the program

In order to fulfil the national requirement of improving access, the following demographical data is considered during the entire selection and admission process.

Table 8: Demographics

RACE	PERCENTAGE
Black	80.7%
Indians/Asians	2.6%
Whites	7.9%
Colored	8.8%

EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE PROGRAMMES

HIGHER CERTIFICATE IN EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE (CEMC01) 

 Minimum Admission Requirements

Criteria 1: Senior Certificate (before 2010)

	Higher Grade	Standard Grade
English	E	D
Mathematics	E	D
Biology or Physical Science	E	D

 Criteria 2: National Certificate (Vocational) must have achieved a minimum pass of 50% for each of the following subjects: English, Mathematics, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences

English	50%
Mathematics	50%
Life Sciences or Physical Science	50%

 Criteria 3: National Senior Certificate with a Higher Certificate endorsement must have the following subjects and rating codes:

	Core Subjects Total	All Subjects Total
English	3	3
Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy	3 or 4	3 or 4
Life Sciences or Physical Sciences	3	3
Additional subject (1)		3
Additional subject (2)		3
	9 or 10	15 or 16

DIPLOMA IN EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE (DEMC01)

Minimum Admission Requirements

Criteria 1: Senior Certificate (before 2010) with University exemption, or its equivalent (NQF 4) as determined by an M-score of 10.

	Higher Certificate	Standard Grade
English	E	D
Mathematics	E	D
Biology  or Physiology	E	D
Physical Science	E	D

Criteria 2: National Certificate (Vocational) must have achieved a minimum pass of 60% for each of the following subjects: English, Mathematics, Life Sciences and Physical Sciences.

English	60%
Mathematics	60%
Life Sciences	60%
Physical Science	60%

Criteria 3: National Senior Certificate with a Diploma Endorsement must have the following subjects and rating codes:

NB: Mathematical Literacy is not applicable.

	1st Language	2nd Language		Core Subjects Total	All Subjects Total
English:	3	4		3/4	3/4
Mathematics			3	3	3
Life Sciences			3	3	3
Physical Sciences			3	3	3
Additional (1)			3		3
Additional (2)			3		3
				12 or 13	18 or19