Question NW596 to the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
07 April 2022 - NW596
Boshoff, Dr WJ to ask the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation
(1)What is the current total number of (a) doctors and (b) nurses that are being trained at higher education institutions in the Republic; (2) what are the requirements at the various medical schools for admission, including (a) targets for transformation, (b) academic achievements and (c) any other criteria; (3) what role does race play in relation to academic achievement for admission to the medical schools?
Reply:
(1) (a) 11 881 MBChB students (Audited figures for the 2020 academic year)
(b) 9 210 Nursing students (Audited figures for the 2020 academic year)
(2) There are ten universities in South Africa with medical schools with each of these universities having different admission criteria. As competition for places is intense, each university has its own methodology of calculating its admission scores based on a combination of academic criteria, e.g. National Senior Certificate results in compulsory subjects, National Benchmark Tests, etc., and non-academic criteria, e.g. extracurricular activities, measures of disadvantage, personal reports and interviews, etc.
(3) Universities are required to select their medical students by ensuring equitable and fair access to students from all population groups, whilst ensuring optimal student throughput and success, equity and demographic representivity, and training future healthcare practitioners who can fulfil the needs of society.