Admission Requirements of the School of Medicine

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences Health Sciences University

Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University (SMU) offers opportunities to Southern African and
Southern African Development Community (SADC) nationals an opportunity to undergo a career in
medicine. SMU in keeping up with international standards, bases selection on academic and non‐
academic measurable variables and ensures that selected students have the ability/ potential to
successfully complete their studies in the requisite minimum time. SMU endeavours to attract
talented students from all demographic groupings in South Africa whilst prioritising transformation.
In this regards, a quota system based on a principle that promotes equitable chances and fairness to
students from all population groups (Indigenous Africans – 80.2%; Coloureds – 8.8%; Whites – 8.5%;
Indians/Asians – 2.5%) is applied in all selection process excluding the special foundation medicine
programme. This proportion is based on the census demography of the SA population and will apply
from one census to the other annually.

The selection process is done in three phases.

Preselection (will usually be completed by end November of year before admission)
Students are offered a provisional place based on their final Grade 11 results. Pre‐selected Grade 11
students are expected to have attained an admission point score (APS) of at least 35.
Students will be preselected based on the performance in the following four subjects: English, Life
Sciences, Physical Science and Mathematics (shown in Table 1).
A preselection offer is withdrawn if the applicant’s performance in these four subjects drops below
their performance in the Grade 11 results. The application is then returned to the general pool of
applicants in which applicants will be considered on the basis of their Grade 12 performance only using
the four subjects previously listed.
Table 1: Pre‐Selection Criteria

Proposed APS SMU Admission Score

Subjects Minimum Points for preselection
English 6 6
Mathematics 6 6
Physical Science 6 6
Life Sciences 6 6
Additional subject 1 5
Additional subject 2 4
Life Orientation 4
Total 35 points 24 points

Table 2 Admission Point Score Conversion Table (These scores represent a basic minimum entry.
Selections are usually made at a much higher competitive level)

NSC – National School Certificate South Africa

IGCSE/GCSE/NSC HIGCSE
AS ‐
APS NSC A ‐ Level IBHL IBSL APS
Grade 11 Grade 12 Level

10 A 7 10

9 9

8 B 6 8

7 80‐100% 7 1 A C 5 7 7

6 70‐79% 6 2 B D 4 6 6

5 60‐69% 5 7 3 C E 3 5 5

4 50‐59% 4 6 D 2 4 4

3 40‐49% 3 5 4 E 1 3 3

2 30‐39% 2 4 2 2

1 0‐39% 1 3 1 1

IGCSE ‐ International General Certificate of Education

NSSC – Namibian Senior Secondary School Certificate A Level – Advanced Level
O‐level – Ordinary Level
AS‐level – Advanced Subsidiary Level
IB – International Baccalaureate Schools (higher levels and standard levels)

Phase 2 Final selection (to be completed and communicated in late January)

The second phase of selection is done soon after the GRADE 12 results have been released. Pre‐
selected students who either maintained or improved their Grade 11 SMU selection score are given
substantive offers. Those whose scores fall below the level at which they received a pre‐selection offer
are then included in the general pool of applicants for consideration.
In order for students to be selected from the main data pool they should comply with the following
admission requirements:
a) Must achieve the minimum APS score of 35 as described above in Table 2
b) Compete on the basis of the four subjects in the preselection criteria. Students will be selected
by order of merit using the percentage marks in these subjects: Mathematics, Physical Science,
Life Science, English Language. These will be done on a demographic basis using the census
data.
c) A first degree in a profession or natural sciences. An applicant with a degree may not be
admitted into the ECP (extended curriculum programme)
d) Have excelled in First year BSc courses at SMU. Eligibility means the attainment of at least
three distinctions during their first year.
e) A relevant matriculation or examination process that qualifies enrolment into a degree
programme (for SADC nationals mainly Lesotho and Swaziland, with an APS to be determined
by the enrolment committee on basis of Table 2)

A total of 250 spaces are offered during the second phase of selection based on the following
distribution:
 155 (One hundred and fifty) students
 this number comprises of pre‐selected students now given substantive offers on
grounds of either having maintained their performance in the SMU Admission Score
 Students selected from the remaining pool of applicants from other school leaving
assessments.
 Five (5) students from SADC sponsored by their governments (in term of governments
agreements preference to Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia
 Thirty (30) who have competed their First Degree at SMU. This includes students who have
health professional degrees such as nursing, physiotherapy, dietetics and occupational
therapy. Selection will be based on a calculation of points for each symbol.
 Five (5) students who have completed a first degree at another university.
  Five (5) sponsored by the South African National Defence Force
 Five (5) students who have excelled in BSc or equivalent first year courses at SMU. These will
be assessed on the basis of at least three distinctions and then in merit order. For general BSc
(first year subjects) and for applicants from the extended curriculum programme in BSc using
both ECP 1 and 2 averages. Please see detailed comments below.
 50 MBChB‐ECP 1 students who passed all the six Foundation Modules

Note:
1. Due to the limited number of places available and the competitive nature of the degree
programme attainment of the minimum requirements stated in Table 1 does not guarantee
admission.
2. Students attaining high SMU Admission Score not selected in among the top 150 are placed
on a waiting list.

Phase 3 : Selection into Medicine Foundation (MBChB‐Extended Curriculum Programme)

Non‐quantifiable measurable variables that include social background (schooling and rural origin i.e.
quintile 1 and 2 schools, rurality and socioeconomic circumstances) form the core policy of selection
of MBChB‐ECP students. The MBChB‐ECP programme is meant to address historical inequalities with
regard to access to a medical career. Students are selected from all disadvantaged schools country
wide such that selected candidates reflect the demographic (socio‐economic) profile of the country.
However, students from quintile 1 and 2 have equal chances of being selected to the six year
programme if they meet the requirements presented in Table 1.

The Medicine Foundation Programme at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University is a one year
course that prepares students for entry into the six‐year medicine degree course offered by the
university. The foundation programme focuses on developing the students’ knowledge in the sciences
and study skills required when studying towards a medicine degree. The following modules are
offered:

• Medical Foundation Biophysics and Numeracy

• Medical Foundation Biology
• Medical Foundation Biochemistry
• Medical Foundation English for Medicine.
• Medical Foundation Introduction to the Human Body (Anatomy and Physiology)
• Medical Foundation Study Skills and Information Management.
Eligibility
This programme is only available to students from disadvantaged schools who are South African
citizens and are currently enrolled in quintile 1 and 2 schools during time of application who do not
achieve direct entry into the six‐year medicine degree programme. Applications that do not meet
these criteria will be declined. The minimum academic requirements are presented in Table 3.

Table 3 MBChB‐ECP academic requirements

Subjects Proposed Minimum Points

Mathematics 5
Physical Science 5
Life Sciences 5
English Language 5
Life Orientation 4
Additional Subject 1 4
Additional Subject 2 4
Total 32

A student may be selected with a score of 4 in either English or Life Sciences provided that the overall
score is still competitive.

Duration: 1 year
Progression rule to the six‐year medicine programme (MBChB)
The student must pass all the six foundation modules with a minimum of 50%.
Note: A student who fails any of the six foundation modules cannot repeat. There is no credit offered
to such student.

Procedure for an applicant who has already completed a degree or will complete the degree in the
year of application.

Applicants with a previous degree will be selected to fill the allocated quotas referred to in the list
above. Matric will be used to look at certain/specified subjects. Applicants must have done
Mathematics (not Mathematical Literacy) and Physical Science/Life Sciences at Matric level.

A basic calculation will be applied to the performance of these applicants. The resultant score will be
used in descending order to select applicants from this pool.

The process of the calculation will be as follows:

  Each subject is awarded a score based on the percentage achieved as per the table below. The
percentage will be rounded off to the nearest decimal
 In the event a subject has been completed as a supplementary result, the score awarded will
be 0
 In the event of year of study being repeated or a subject being repeated in a subsequent year
of study, all attempts at the subject are scored and each counts as a course for the purposes
of this calculation.
 These are then added together and divided by the number of subjects included
 The minimum score which will be considered eligible is 12

Table 4: Points awarded for particular scores on academic transcript

≥ 75% 24
70 – 74% 16
65 – 69 12
60 – 64 8
55 – 59 4
50 – 54 0
Fail 0
A subject passed after a supplementary examination 0

Table 5: Additional points to be awarded:

Completion of a BSc, BDS or other science based degree completed in minimum 2

time
Honours degree in minimum time with distinction 3
Honours degree in minimum time without distinction 2
Four year professional degrees will be awarded points 2
Masters degree 2
Doctoral degree 2

Consideration of students from BSc 1 from SMU only

 Selection is on a competitive basis and only the top five places will be offered for this group of
applicants.
 The top 5 students will be selected based on the total aggregated marks from BSc 1 or a
combination of the ECP 1 and 2.
 Only BSc First Year students with3 Distinctions in full year courses will be considered.
 Students from professional degree programmes at SMU will not be considered for admission at
 the end of their first year. .
 Applicants will only be considered for MBChB I.
 Such a student must have distinctions (> 75%) in three full year courses (e.g. Chemistry I) to be
considered for selection. The successful candidates in the past have had an average of at least
70%.