Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB)

To register as a medical practitioner, a student has to obtain an MBChB degree, followed by a two-year internship and one year of community service. In the medical profession, the health of a patient is of vital importance. Patients are treated with the aim of restoring their health. Special programmes are developed to prevent the spread of diseases and/or infections in the community. The promotion of a healthy lifestyle is also an important responsibility of medical doctors.

The University of Pretoria’s internationally comparable, problem-oriented and outcomes-based training programme is accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA), and the high standard of training is recognised locally and internationally. Exchange agreements have been concluded between the School of Medicine and similar faculties at universities abroad.

Medicine is not only a profession—it is a calling. Prospective students, therefore, have to be prepared to serve humanity in all its facets. The medical profession demands high ethical standards in practice, and the career makes heavy physical and mental demands on practitioners.

• Year 1 to the middle of year 5: Theoretical, practical and clinical training in the medical disciplines
• Second half of year 5 and year 6: Student internship, which is patient-centered and where clinical training takes place in hospitals and clinics. This is followed by two years of internship with clinical service under supervision in accredited hospitals throughout the country and a compulsory year of community service. These three years are not part of the university training.
• Community engagement: The curriculum is compiled from the viewpoint that training should take place through service delivery. In this context, the Faculty provides a comprehensive service to the broader community through several outreach programmes. Students are already involved in these programmes during their undergraduate studies. The Daspoort Clinic in Pretoria is an example of a place that serves as a service training platform where the students can work.
• Research: Advances in medical science depend on active research in the various fields of specialisation. This is the reason for undergraduate and postgraduate student training in a research environment, which promotes an enquiry-based approach to learning and skills for carrying out research.

Medicine is not only a profession—it is a calling. Prospective students, therefore, have to be prepared to serve humanity in all its facets. The medical profession demands high ethical standards in practice, and the career makes heavy physical and mental demands on practitioners. The ideal candidate should be disciplined, a problem solver, critical thinker, socially responsible, culturally competent and compassionate.

For more information, please consult the Faculty webpage.

General medical practitioners, specialists (after postgraduate training)

Important information for all prospective students for 2023

The admission requirements apply to students who apply for admission to the University of Pretoria with a National Senior Certificate (NSC) and Independent Examination Board (IEB) qualifications.?

?University of Pretoria website: click here

The suggested second-choice programme is any BSc biological sciences programme.

Applicants with qualifications other than the abovementioned should refer to the Brochure: Undergraduate Programme Information 2023: Qualifications other than the NSC and IEB, available at click here.

International Students: Click here

Important faculty-specific information on undergraduate programmes for 2023

The closing date for all selection programmes is 30 June 2022.  Applicants are strongly advised and encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible after 1 April 2022 and to check the application site (UP Student Portal) regularly.

• The following persons will be considered for admission: a candidate who is in possession of a certificate that is deemed by the University to be equivalent to the required National Senior Certificate (NSC) with university endorsement; a candidate who is a graduate from another tertiary institution or has been granted the status of a graduate of such an institution; a candidate who is a graduate of another Faculty at the University of Pretoria; and a candidate who is currently studying at a university.
• Admission to Health Sciences programmes is subject to a selection process.
• Grade 11 final examination results will be used for the conditional selection of prospective students.
• For selection purposes, the sum of the results in six subjects, including English, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, is calculated.
• Life Orientation is excluded in the calculation of the Admission Point Score (APS).
• All modules will be presented in English, as English is the language of tuition, communication and correspondence.
• Places are reserved in specific categories to ensure an equitable representation of demographically defined designated groups. Selection thus takes place in different categories.
• For purposes of selection in the Faculty of Health Sciences, the “Designated Group” category includes South African Black African or South African Coloured African candidates. The “Open” category refers to all applicants including applicants from the Designated Group who compete first in the Open category and then in the Designated Group category if unsuccessful in the Open category.
• Target numbers are specified for all categories as applicable to each programme. Where insufficient applications are received from qualifying applicants in a certain category, the selection committee may decide not to fill all places or to fill the places from qualifying applicants in another category.
• Citizens from countries other than South Africa (applicants who are not South African citizens) who come from countries that have medical schools will not be considered for placement in the MBChB programme, except where intergovernmental agreements are in place.
• If an applicant has multiple citizenships, which includes South African citizenship, he/she will be considered as a South African applicant.
• The final number of places allocated to new applicants will be determined on an annual basis taking into account the teaching facilities and resources available and, where necessary, the number of places allocated to students repeating modules in the first year of study of each degree programme.
• Only applicants who comply with the requirements set out in this document will be considered for selection. However, the achievement of the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as only a limited number of students can be accommodated.
• Selection is based on merit. The faculty does not determine specific selection cut-off values for the different categories. Such values are generated by the competing students within a particular category in relation to the number of places available.
• A Merit Point Score (MPS) is used for ranking applicants for selection purposes in all programmes. In certain programmes other criteria such as rural residence may be used as part of the selection process.
• Only first-choice applicants will be considered, except where otherwise specified, in which case second-choice candidates may be considered if there are places available.
• The top candidates will be selected provisionally up to or surpassing the allocated number, based on experience of the expected number of acceptances. A waiting list is created from the group of candidates with the next highest scores. The length of the waiting list is determined by experience of the number of places likely to become available and to prevent creating unrealistic expectations.
• All offers are provisional until the final exam results have been received. For applicants in the School leaver categories a provisional place will be confirmed as long as the NSC or equivalent scores do not fall by more than two points from the Grade 11 APS score.
• After the final NSC or equivalent qualification results are received, provisional offers will be confirmed if the applicant still meets the required criteria. The MPS of those on the waiting list will be recalculated using the NSC or equivalent qualification results and if places become available they will be made offers.
• Places becoming available in any category after selection due to cancellation or forfeiture will be filled from the waiting list for the specific category.
• This waiting list will remain active until the end of the second week after the start of lectures.
• All successful candidates are admitted to the first year of study only. Registered students in the University Experienced categories may apply for credit for equivalent modules which they have completed.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered and any false information provided by an applicant in his/her application may result in immediate cancellation of the application, admission or registration.
• Candidates should note that their conditional admission will be revoked if their APS drops by more than two points in their final school examination results.
• PLEASE NOTE that compliance with the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to any programme in this Faculty.
• Selection queries may be directed to click here.
• A student who is made an offer but does not accept it cannot defer the offer and must reapply to be considered in the following year.

Midyear intake from BSc to MBChB

A limited number of places are reserved for new first-year students in the second semester of year one.  The selection for the midyear intake is based on merit.

Learners who apply in their final school year and were not selected for MBChB, and who wish to apply for admission to MBChB in the second semester may register for any BSc biological sciences programme with the following modules: Chemistry (CMY 151), Physics (PHY 131), Molecular and Cell Biology, Science and Worldviews (FIL 155), People and their Environment (MGW 112) and Medical Terminology (MTL 180).

Note: To be eligible for the midyear selection, students must have an APS of at least 35 and a minimum of 70% for Mathematics in their final NSC or equivalent examination. Only first-year registered BSc students at UP with no previous tertiary (University, University of Technology or College) training will be considered. Students enrolled for the BSc Extended programme – Biological and Agricultural Sciences, do not qualify to apply for the midyear intake. Admission is subject to a selection process, and complying with the requirements does not guarantee admission.

Transferring students

A transferring student is a student who, at the time of applying at the University of Pretoria (UP) is/was a registered student at another tertiary institution. A transferring student will be considered for admission based on NSC or equivalent qualification and previous academic performance. Students who have been dismissed from other institutions due to poor academic performance will not be considered for admission to UP.

Closing dates: Same as above

Returning students

A returning student is a student who, at the time of application for a degree programme is/was a registered student at UP, and wants to transfer to another degree at UP. A returning student will be considered for admission based on NSC or equivalent qualification and previous academic performance.

• Students who have been excluded/dismissed from a faculty due to poor academic performance may be considered for admission to another programme at UP, as per faculty-specific requirements.
• Only ONE transfer between UP faculties and TWO transfers within a faculty will be allowed.
• Admission of returning students will always depend on the faculty concerned and the availability of space in the programmes for which they apply.

Closing date for applications from returning students is the same as the above

Selection criteria are available on the faculty's webpage at: click here.

• Three hundred (300) first-year students are selected annually.
• Only first-choice applicants are considered.
• The University considers both school leavers and applicants who have already studied at tertiary institutions.
• Compliance with the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the MBChB programme.
• Conditional selection is based on final Grade 11 results.
• Candidates must comply with the minimum admission requirements.
• Candidates are required to maintain their Grade 11 averages (in terms of which they were conditionally selected) in the final school examination and ensure that their APS does not drop by more than two points.
• The conditional selection of candidates is made strictly according to the merit list, and any places that become vacant are filled from the waiting list.
• NOTE: Based on the results of the first-semester examination, further places are allocated to new first-year students registered for a programme in the Biological Sciences field at the University of Pretoria.

The Faculty of Health Sciences continues to exemplify and build on the University of Pretoria’s vision of being a leading research-intensive university in Africa: it is recognised internationally for its quality, relevance and impact, as well as for creating knowledge, developing people and making a difference locally and globally. 

The Faculty is home to 5 500 undergraduate and 1 500 postgraduate students, including medical and dental fellowship training in more than 40 disciplines. 

The Faculty’s research output has grown, in response to the need for research that is relevant to the improvement of health and health care and advancing medicine in South Africa, Africa and globally. 

The Faculty of Health Sciences continues to exemplify and build on the University of Pretoria’s vision of being a leading research-intensive university in Africa: it is recognised internationally for its quality, relevance and impact, as well as for creating knowledge, developing people and making a difference locally and globally. 

The Faculty is home to 5 500 undergraduate and 1 500 postgraduate students, including medical and dental fellowship training in more than 40 disciplines. 

The Faculty’s research output has grown, in response to the need for research that is relevant to the improvement of health and health care and advancing medicine in South Africa, Africa and globally. 

Disclaimer: This publication contains information about regulations and programmes of the University of Pretoria. Amendments to or updating of the information may be effected from time to time without prior notification. The accuracy, correctness or validity of the information contained here is therefore not guaranteed by the University at any given time and is always subject to verification. The user is kindly requested to verify the correctness of the information with the University at all times. Failure to do so will not give rise to any claim or action of any nature against the University by any party whatsoever.