Procedure for MMed Submissions to the Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine.

1. Outline:

1. Should be registered for a MMed at UP.
2. Preferably within your first year, discuss a study concept with your supervisor/HOD, and prepare a draft protocol.  
3. Complete a research writing course and finalise protocol.
6. Have a meeting with statistician and incorporate into protocol.
7. Submit to MMed Committee.
8. Once approved, submit to Ethics Committee.
9. Once approved, submit to other bodies that require approval. (eg. NHRD)
10. Study may commence.
11. HOD to submit examiner nominations for approval when study is nearing completion.
 

2. MMed Committee meeting dates and proceedings:

The student and supervisor do not attend the MMed Committee meeting.

The dates and submission deadlines can be viewed here.

Committee members will review the protocol before the meeting. At the meeting, members will discuss their comments and come to a consensus. At the end of the meeting, the chairperson will summarise the committee’s opinion and deliver an outcome. A formal decision letter and reviewer comments will be sent to the candidate and supervisor after the meeting.

3. Documentation to submit to MMed Committee:

1. Application form
2. Supervisor form
3. Protocol
4. Statistician letter
5. Proof of research writing course attendance/academic record.
6. Review guideline
 

4. Revision submission

Revisions should be done as soon as possible to avoid delays for the candidate.  There is however no deadline.  Revisions received after a year of initial submission, will be treated as new. Revisions which a re-submission to the meeting was not specifically requested, will be reviewed online, and the outcome thereof communicated.  It will either be approved, or further corrections may be requested. Feedback/approval may take a couple of weeks, so kindly submit well in advance of your desired ethics submission deadline.

For revisions which a re-submission was requested, the submission deadlines for a specific meeting should be adhered to.

Documents to submit for revisions:
1. Protocol with track changes indicated
2. Clean protocol
3. Rebuttal letter (a reply to each comment, stating what has been changed and where in the protocol, or motivating for changes not made)
4. Any other documents which changes were requested for in the feedback letter.    

6. Amendments / Supervisor changes

Amendments / supervisor changes should be submitted to the MMed Committee for the record, however approval is not needed.  Amendments and supervisor changes should however be submitted to the ethics committee for formal approval.

7. Examiners

The HOD should submit examiner nominations for approval when study is nearing completion.

NB: Do not copy in the candidate on the submission.

Examiner approval guidelines

1. Short CVs indicating previous examination and supervision experience as well as research track record
2. CV cover

 

8. Contact details

For any queries directly related to the MMed Committee (submissions, amendments, revisions, examiners etc.), please contact Franco Meintjes: [email protected], 012 354 4513, Room 51238, level 5, bridge C, Department of Ophthalmology, Steve Biko Academic hospital.

For any queries that are not directly related to the Committee (registrations, graduations, finances etc.), please contact the Post Graduate Office: Karin Fortune: [email protected] , 012 356 3044, Room 3.34, Floor 1, Tswelopele Building, Prinshof Campus.

9. Other documentation

SOP