Health Professions Council of South Africa Medical and Dental Professions Board Board Examination for Foreign Medical

Practitioners wishing to practice in SA

Scope and guidelines of the examinations
1 October 2012

1 !he examination
1 1 Scope of the examination 111 Clinical "nowledge and s"ills

Resources: i. ii. iii. i*. *. *i. A Dhai and D McQuoid-Mason. Bioethics, Human Rights and Health Law Principles and Practice, !""# B Mash, and $ Blit%-Linde&ue, 'A (amil) Practice Manual, nd Re*ised +d# , !"!B Mash, Hand.oo/ o0 (amil) Medicine ,120ord Hand.oo/-, nd +d# , !!3'tandard 4reatment 5uidelines and +ssential Drugs List 'outh A0rican Department o0 Health guidelines Merc/ Manual o0 Medical Li.rar)

4he written and practical e2amination co*ers the common .asic science, general signs, s)mptoms, management and s/ills related to the 0ollowing conditions as is appropriate in the 'outh A0rican District Health ')stem: #$hat follows ser%es onl& as a guideline and 'uestions outside

these topics are possi(le)*

6hild health: (e*er Diarrhoeal disease Respirator) illness: Lower and upper respirator) in0ections Resuscitation o0 the new-.orn Meningitis 6on*ulsions Malnutrition H78 and A7D' 6ommon childhood in0ections: measles, ru.ella etc. 6hild a.use Pre*enti*e care: 51B7((( ,5rowth monitoring, oral re-h)dration, .reast-0eeding, immunisation, 0emale education, 0amil) planning, 0eedingMaternal Health: 9ormal pregnanc) and deli*er) A.normal pregnanc) and deli*er) H)pertension in pregnanc) Ante-partum haemorrhage 1.structed la.our Post-partum haemorrhage 6ontraception A.normal menstruation +ctopic pregnanc) 7n0ectious Diseases: 4u.erculosis Malaria Meningitis 'e2uall) transmitted illnesses
2 October 2012

H78 A7D'

+mergenc) and trauma: Basic 6PR +ndo-tracheal 7ntu.ation Assessment and earl) management o0 in:uries and 0ractures 'e2ual a.use 6hronic 7llnesses: H)pertension Dia.etes +pileps) Asthma 6oronar) Heart Disease A7D' Mental Health: Assessment o0 mental health 'u.stance a.use Acute ps)chosis Depression 1ther acute mental illnesses (amil) Health: D)s0unctional 0amilies: pre*ention and management 1ther acute illnesses: Appendicitis Acute a.domen Acute mental illness Pneumonia 6oma +94: +)es: ;pper Respirator) 4ract 7n0ection 1titis Media 4onsillitis 'inusitis +pista2is 6ommon in0ections and allergies Red e)e +)e in:uries Re0raction pro.lems 5laucoma

Dermatolog) 6ommon s/in conditions 1ther issues: 6onsultation and communication s/ills
3 October 2012

 1+

Basic counselling s/ills such as 0or rape or other serious trauma, .ad news, domestic *iolence, pre and post H78 testing, etc Primar) health care approach District health s)stem 4eamwor/ (unctional Re0errals Management o0 resources Promotion, Pre*ention, 6urati*e, Reha.ilitation and Palliati*e 6are

Ethical rules and legal issues

4he 0ollowing are re&uired to .e /nown 0or the purposes o0 e2amination: Boo/lets in the 'eries <5uidelines 0or good and ethical practice in medicine, dentistr) and the medical sciences=. Medical and Dental Pro0essions Board o0 the Health Pro0essions 6ouncil o0 'outh A0rica. Pretoria. Boo/let ": Boo/let : Boo/let >: Boo/let ?: Boo/let @: Boo/let 3: Boo/let A: Boo/let B: Boo/let C: Boo/let "!: Boo/let "": Boo/let " : Boo/let ">:
Boo/let "?:

5eneral ethical guidelines 0or doctors, dentists and medical scientists. 5eneral ethical guidelines 0or health researchers. +thical and pro0essional rules o0 the Medical and Dental Pro0essions Board. Pro0essional sel0-de*elopment. 5uidelines 0or ma/ing pro0essional ser*ices /nown. 5uidelines 0or the management o0 health care waste. Polic) statements on per*erse incenti*es. 5uidelines 0or the management o0 patients with H78 in0ection or A7D'. 5uidelines on research and clinical trials in*ol*ing human su.:ects. Research, de*elopment and use o0 the chemical, .iological and nuclear capa.ilities o0 the 'tate. 5uidelines on /eeping patient records. 6an*assing o0 patients a.road. 9ational Patients= Rights 6harter.
6on0identialit): Protecting and pro*iding in0ormation.

Boo/let "@: Boo/let "3:

'ee/ing patients= consent: 4he ethical considerations. 5uidelines 0or the withholding and withdrawing o0 treatment

4he Dorld Medical Association Medical +thics Manual 7'B9 C -CC!! B-"-C Health Pro0essions Act: 9o @3 o0 "CA? 'ection >: 1.:ects o0 6ouncil 'ection ?: 5eneral Powers o0 6ouncil 'ection >3: 100ences .) unregistered persons
4 October 2012

'ection @3: Death under anaesthetic +thical Rules 0or the 6onduct o0 Practitioners Registered ;nder the Health Pro0essions Act E 9o R.A"A ,5o*ernment 5a%ette E ? August !!3Mental Health 6are Act 9o "A o0 !! : 6hapter @: 8oluntar), Assisted and 7n*oluntar) Mental Health 6are 6hoice o0 4ermination o0 Pregnanc) Act Pream.le 'ection @: 6onsent 'ection "!: 100ences and penalties 6ompensation 0or 1ccupational 7n:uries and Diseases Act: 9o ">! o0 "CC>: Purpose o0 Act ,Bold t)ping in the middle o0 0irst page.1ccupational Health and 'a0et) Act: 9o B@ o0 "CC> Purpose o0 the act ,Bold on 0irst page.6hildrens Act !!@ 9ational Health Act 9o 3" o0 !!>: Bill o0 Rights o0 the 6onstitution o0 'outh A0rica E Act 9o "!B o0 "CC3. 1,
1,1

Components of the exam

!he written examination 1.3.1.1 Length and format

4he written e2amination is a Multiple 6hoice e2amination. ,'ingle .est answer- 4here is no negati*e mar/ing. 7t has two components. 4he 0irst component consists o0 A@ items assessing clinical /nowledge, and the second component consists o0 @ items testing ethical and legal /nowledge. 4he test is set in +nglish. +2amination time is two hours. 1.3.1.2 Making the results known

4he results should .e o.tained one wee/ 0ollowing the e2am either .) phoning HP6'A, or .) re0erring to the we. page http://www.hpcsa.co.za/hpcsa/medical and dental professions board 4he candidates will .e in0ormed o0 the outcome o0 the written as deciles. 'peci0ic mar/s will not .e a*aila.le. 'uccess0ul candidates will need to phone the practical e2am co-ordinator on the same da), in order to arrange the da) and time o0 attending the practical e2am.
1,+ Practical examination 1.3.2.1 Length and format

6linical /nowledge, application, practice and s/ills are assessed using a practical e2amination, which consists o0 stations which 0ollow the commonl) used 0ormats o0 an 1.:ecti*e 'tructured 6linical +2amination ,1'6+-F 1.:ecti*e 'tructured Practical +2amination ,1'P+-. 7t consists o0 a minimum o0 "> stations o0 at least @ minutes each. 4he stations assess a sample o0 clinical s/ills needed to 0unction as a medical practitioner in the pu.lic ser*ice in 'outh A0rica. 4his e2cludes one station e2amining a.ilit) in the use o0 the +nglish language. 'ome stations are done with the e2aminer present ,GmannedH-, while others ma) .e answered on paper ,GunmannedH-. +2amples o0 manned stations include .ut are not limited to:
5 October 2012

6onducting consultations, co*ering common acute complaints such as sore throat, earache, headache, and common chronic illnesses such as dia.etes, asthma, h)pertension, epileps), ps)chiatric illness etc# 6onducting an ante-natal consultation, counselling a patient regarding issues such as H78FA7D', assault, .ad news# per0orming certain e2amination andFor procedural s/ills such as e2amination o0 particular :oints, e2amination o0 the e)e, ta/ing the .lood pressure, instructing a patient in the use o0 a meter dose inhaler, assessing pea/ e2pirator) 0low rate# per0orming mental health status assessment, per0orming cardio-pulmonar) resuscitation, endo-tracheal intu.ation, or other emergenc) procedures, etc.

+2amples o0 unmanned stations include, .ut are not limited to: writing a prescription, disco*ering errors in a specimen prescription, reading an I-ra), +65 or other la.orator) in*estigation assessing Road-to-health charts, answering &uestions on immunisation, (illing a partogram identi0)ing s/in or genital lesions e2amining a urine specimen with some related &uestions, etc.
Making the results known

4he results should .e o.tained appro2. wee/s 0ollowing the e2am either .) phoning HP6'A, or .) re0erring to the we. page http://www.hpcsa.co.za/hpcsa/medical and dental professions board 4he candidates will .e in0ormed o0 the outcome o0 the written as deciles. 'peci0ic mar/s will not .e a*aila.le. 70 the) ha*e .een unsuccess0ul, the) are also gi*en their status in regard to 0uture attempts. Dhere a candidate wants to /now in which areas sFhe needs to concentrate in the 0uture, the HP6'A=s +2ams 6ommittee 6o-ordinator ma) re0er them to the practical e2am co-ordinator, who will tell them which Practical stations the) did not pass.
-ote* !he HPCSA.s Exams Committee Co/ordinator is not sent the detailed mar" sheets of the Practical examination showing the details of the mar"s for each station

101

Disciplinar& measures and procedures 1.4.1.1 Written exam

An) irregularities, or conduct construed as dishonest, is dealt with .) the in*igilators during the e2am ,according to the standard uni*ersit) regulations-, and reported to the authorities 0or action.

1.4.1.2

Practical exam

An) irregularities or conduct construed as dishonest during the practical e2amination that is noticed .) an) e2aminer, moderator or administrati*e assistant will .e reported immediatel) to the authorities 0or action. 111 2eta"es

6 October 2012

7n April !"! the Board R+'1L8+D that candidates .e allowed not more than three ,>- attempts within two , - )ears to complete writing the Board e2amination# a0ter three ,>- attempts within two , - )ears and the) ha*e still not passed, candidates will not .e allowed to sit 0or more e2aminations.

7 October 2012