Visiting students usually take part in clinical training together with UCT medical students.  Such students have to be registered (by the Faculty) with the Health Professions Council of South Africa to enable them to deal with patients.  Students who wish to do research or want to observe only must indicate this clearly in advance in writing; these students will not be allowed to work with patients at all and do not need to register with the HPCSA.   They accept visiting students from other medical schools who are in their second last year or final clinical year of study only.  Furthermore, only students who can communicate effectively in English can be considered.

All visiting elective students come to the following departments and hospitals under the auspices of the University of Cape Town:

GROOTE SCHUUR HOSPITAL (Observatory, Cape Town): Medicine, Surgery, Paediatrics (Neonatology Unit), Psychiatry, Radiology, Radiation, Oncology, School of Public Health, and Family Medicine, Dermatology, Anaesthesia, Cardio-thoracic Surgery, Cardiology, Forensic Medicine, Otorhinolaryngology,  Gastroenterology, Haematology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Emergency Unit, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Plastic Surgery and the Trauma Unit. (Apply to the address given in 2.)

RED CROSS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL (Rondebosch, Cape Town): Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery and Paediatric Trauma. Please click on here to read feedback from student who attended this pediatric rotation.

SOMERSET HOSPITAL (Green Point, Cape Town): Medicine, Paediatrics, Surgery. If you wish to apply for a place at Somerset Hospital, you should write direct to, Mrs. Susan Rodriques, The Elective Officer, Somerset Hospital, Green Point, Cape Town, 8000,  Tel:(21) 593 6682,  rsusan@xsinet.co.za

VICTORIA HOSPITAL (Plumstead, Cape Town): General Surgery, Trauma and Medicine.  Elective placements are arranged by Mrs J Peare, The Elective Officer, Victoria Hospital, Plumstead 7800, Cape Town,  Tel: (21) 7941334, Cell: 0834102084,  jpeare@tiscali.co.za.

EERSTERIVER HOSPITAL (Eerstriver Cape Town): Surgery, Medicine and Trauma. Elective placements are arranged by Mercia Rinquest, The Elective Officer, Eersteriver Hospital, Humboldt Avenue, Eersteriver, Tel (21) 9028082  mercia.rinquest@westerncape.gov.za.

Contact:  All applications and correspondence for elective placements are to be addressed to The Elective Officer (Undergraduate Administration), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7925.

Tel: (021) 4066478    Fax: (021) 4047652

Email: Paschaline.Jacobs@uct.ac.za

Website

Please note, however, that the university cannot conduct correspondence by fax. If they receive a fax from you, they will respond by mail or (if you supplied an email address) by email.  Prospective applicants wishing to come to Groote Schuur or Red Cross Hospitals must please not correspond direct with departments in those hospitals. Your application will be processed only if it was submitted direct to this office.  However, in the case of hospitals other than Groote Schuur Hospital and Red Cross Hospital, applications must be submitted direct to the hospitals.

Objective:  Students rotating on the ophthalmology service will have the opportunity to rotate with the various eye subspecialties and will be able to see a wide range of ocular pathology.  Students will also be able to participate in clinical studies and will be able to accompany physicians to the operating room.