As an international role player focusing on health care in Africa, the vision of the School is to maintain high health standards through quality education, research and community service. It is responsible for the training of physicians, medical scientists, and for training specialists (postgraduate students). 

The School is committed to:

• producing graduates for outstanding and comprehensive health care, as well as academic medicine 
• enriching science, notably through the establishment, development and preservation of outstanding research in a proactive research climate, and 
• improving the quality of life of the population through health education, comprehensive and outstanding health programmes and sophisticated services of a high standard. 

The School of Medicine offers a modern problem-orientated curriculum complying with local and international standards, both for under- and postgraduate students. The curriculum is outcomes-based and the content is organised around body organs and systems. It contains a larger component of community health and primary health care than the former curriculum. The curriculum enables the Faculty to realise its vision of local relevance and international competitiveness.  In the context of the demand and realities of South African health care, the School produces graduates who, after completing the undergraduate course, are generalists possessing academic knowledge, skills and attitudes, and who are able to practice independently after completion of the intern years. This generalist will fit into the health care system as a general practitioner (GP) or a medical officer and will be able to grow and develop further in different aspects of health care practice. 

The School houses 28 academic Departments and seven academic Divisions. Training is offered at various training sites including the Faculty of Health Sciences facilities, the Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Kalafong Hospital, Witbank Hospital, Weskoppies Hospital and the facilities of the National Health Laboratory Service. New expanded training sites at Tembisa Hospital and Mamelodi Hospital are being planned. The training programme of the School has been accredited by the Health Professions Council of South Africa. 

A high quality research environment is critical to innovation in the medical sciences. Postgraduate students are trained on a continuous basis in a research environment. Collaborative research endeavours include industrial partnerships, as well as national and international collaborations. Students are also being exposed to other disciplines and collaborate with departments/faculties, as well as institutions at a national and international level. 
 

• Message from the Chairperson