To be allowed 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 was 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.

For more information, please consult the Faculty webpage.

General medical practitioners, specialists (after postgraduate training)

• 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).
• The applications of international candidates 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.
• 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.

Transferring students (university experience)

• The applications of students who are studying towards a tertiary qualification or have obtained a tertiary qualification must meet the following requirements regarding school subjects and performance levels: They must be in possession of an NSC for degree studies/full exemption certificate and must have attained a performance level of 5 (or 50% HG if completed prior to 2009) for Mathematics and Physical Sciences (or Life Sciences, if required).
• If the subjects were not passed in Grade 12, the equivalent subjects (Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics) must be completed at the tertiary level. University students do not have to submit any non-academic performance record or CV. In their case selection is based on the results attained in the qualification(s) previously completed, ie they will be considered on the basis of their results achieved in higher education.
• The completion of only a three-year diploma or certificate is not considered as university experience, but will be considered in the school-leaver category and admission will be based on the applicant’s Grade 12 results.

Qualifications from countries other than South Africa

• A limited number of places are made available to citizens from countries other than South Africa, with those from SADC countries being given preference. Permanent residents of RSA are not categorised as foreign students. Applications from citizens from countries other than South Africa may also be considered if they are:

• citizens or permanent residents of countries which have relevant government to government agreements with South Africa
• asylum seekers or refugees

University of Pretoria website click here

*  Cambridge A level candidates who obtained at least a D in the required subjects, will be considered for admission. Students in the Cambridge system must offer both Physics AND Chemistry with performance at the level specified for NSC Physical Sciences in the table above.

*  International Baccalaureate (IB) HL candidates who obtained at least a 4 in the required subjects, will be considered for admission. Students in the IB system must offer both Physics AND Chemistry with performance at the level specified for NSC Physical Sciences in the table above.

Note: If you accepted admission to BSc (Biological Sciences) with the intention to apply for MBChB or BChD in the second semester, when places become available in these programmes, you may register for BSc (Biological Sciences) modules in the first semester, replacing Mathematics (WTW 134) with Science and World Views (FIL 155), People and their Environment (MGW 112) and Medical Terminology (MTL 180) - provided that you have an APS of at least 35 and a minimum of 70% for Mathematics in the final NSC or equivalent qualification.

• 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.

As an international role-player focusing on healthcare in Africa,  the vision of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria is to maintain health standards through quality education, research and community service. Since its inception, it has grown to be one of the largest health training institutions in the country and boasts an undergraduate and postgraduate student corps of over 6 000.

Students who join this Faculty will be part of a new generation of health professionals. The Faculty’s training is outcomes-based and problem-orientated – a unique way of looking at patients and their health.