It is full steam ahead for SA’s 10th medical school, located at Nelson Mandela University’s Missionvale Campus in Port Elizabeth.
This was announced on Monday by NMU vice-chancellor Prof Sibongile Muthwa and follows the approval and registration by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) for the university to offer the MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) qualification.
The medical school is set to enrol its first intake in March, with applications opening on January 6.
The SAQA approval was the final step in the lengthy accreditation process in the journey towards Nelson Mandela University’s medical school.
It follows a visit by representatives of the Health Professions Council of SA and the Council on Higher Education a year ago, when the university’s readiness to offer the six-year medical degree was assessed in terms of curriculum, infrastructure, equipment, staff, the necessary student support and agreements with stakeholders.
“It gives me the greatest pleasure to announce that Nelson Mandela University has received the final approval to offer the MBChB in the country’s 10th medical school and the Eastern Cape’s second, with effect from the 2021 academic year,” Muthwa said.
“I wish to extend a hearty word of gratitude and appreciation to everybody in the university community, and beyond, who has played a crucial role in making our dream for a medical school a reality.”
NMU gets final approval for SA’s 10th medical school
Image: SUPPLIED
It is full steam ahead for SA’s 10th medical school, located at Nelson Mandela University’s Missionvale Campus in Port Elizabeth.
This was announced on Monday by NMU vice-chancellor Prof Sibongile Muthwa and follows the approval and registration by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) for the university to offer the MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) qualification.
The medical school is set to enrol its first intake in March, with applications opening on January 6.
The SAQA approval was the final step in the lengthy accreditation process in the journey towards Nelson Mandela University’s medical school.
It follows a visit by representatives of the Health Professions Council of SA and the Council on Higher Education a year ago, when the university’s readiness to offer the six-year medical degree was assessed in terms of curriculum, infrastructure, equipment, staff, the necessary student support and agreements with stakeholders.
“It gives me the greatest pleasure to announce that Nelson Mandela University has received the final approval to offer the MBChB in the country’s 10th medical school and the Eastern Cape’s second, with effect from the 2021 academic year,” Muthwa said.
“I wish to extend a hearty word of gratitude and appreciation to everybody in the university community, and beyond, who has played a crucial role in making our dream for a medical school a reality.”
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Muthwa said the final accreditation came at a significant time, as SA grappled with the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic that has placed even greater pressure on the health system.
Having obtained the SAQA registration, the university can now officially open applications for its first cohort of students.
“The collaborative engagements with our colleagues at Walter Sisulu University and the support we have had from all the other medical schools across the country enabled us to be ready to launch the new programme successfully,” the deputy vice-chancellor for learning and teaching, Prof Cheryl Foxcroft, said.
“We look forward to collaborating with all our partner institutions, provincially and nationally, in producing fit-for-purpose, service-oriented and civic-minded medical professionals committed to making a difference in the lives of the disadvantaged.”
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