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Training - Veterinary Specialist

Friday, 25 September 2009 07:53

SOUTH AFRICAN VETERINARY COUNCIL

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION AS A VETERINARY SPECIALIST WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN VETERINARY COUNCIL (SAVC)

1. A prescribed academic qualification and registration as a veterinarian with the SAVC.

2. Successful completion of the Council-approved specialist registration examination and registration as a veterinarian with the SAVC.

3. A foreign qualification recognised for registration as a specialist in the country of origin, peer evaluation by a panel of registered specialists appointed by the SAVC and registration as a veterinarian with the SAVC.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR TRAINING AS A VETERINARY SPECIALIST IN SOUTH AFRICA FOR REGISTRATION WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN VETERINARY COUNCIL

Time interval between completion of the undergraduate veterinary qualification and commencement of specialist training. A veterinarian wanting to enter specialist training for registration with the South African Veterinary Council shall have completed a minimum period of 1 (one) year in a rotating clinical internship1 or other suitable work environment (general practice, industry, consultancy, academic/research institution, etc) after completion of an undergraduate veterinary qualification prior to commencement of a residency.
Minimum exposure to speciality during training as a veterinary specialist. A veterinarian in the process of completing specialist training shall be known as a resident2 and shall work for at least 3 (three) consecutive years full time in the speciality area with a minimum of 90 (ninety) weeks over 3 (three) years of supervised training under an approved resident supervisor.
Residentsupervisor. The supervisor of the resident shall be a specialist in the relevant discipline, actively involved in the speciality and registered with the South African Veterinary Council as a specialist in the discipline or shall at least hold an equivalent qualification which will allow registration as a specialist in the discipline in the country of origin and be appropriately accredited/authorised by the SAVC.
The resident supervisor shall not supervise the clinical training of more than 3 (three) residents at the same time. The resident supervisor shall be responsible for the resident’s - training programme,
- clinical/experiential supervision and instruction, and
- research project (a separate research supervisor may be appointed in liaison with the resident supervisor to guide the trainee in the research project as required),
as well as for the coordination of assessment. The resident supervisor will also be required to confirm the correctness of the resident’s activity/procedure record and case logbook every 6 (six) months and to prepare a final written report on the training programme of all residents supervised by him/her for monitoring purposes as required.
Training centres. Experiential training shall be conducted in the academic hospital or appropriate academic department of a recognised Faculty of Veterinary Science or other approved registered facility or suitable institution or laboratory, according to the requirements of the specific speciality. These venues must have adequate facilities, workload, access to other specialities, library and reference tools (internet), and at least one full-time employed or contractually employed specialist in the speciality pursued by the resident. This specialist has to be registered with the South African Veterinary Council or hold an equivalent qualification which will allow registration as a specialist in the discipline in the country of origin and be appropriately accredited/authorised by the SAVC and be approved as resident supervisor.
Scholarship. The resident shall:
- comply with all academic requirements (including a dissertation or other scholarly product(s)) as per the minimum requirements of the relevant speciality as approved by the SAVC,
- the dissertation and all other requirements should be finalised before the final examination,
- maintain an activity/procedure record and case logbook3 in compliance with the minimum requirements of the relevant speciality as approved by the SAVC,
- comply with all experiential requirements of the relevant speciality as approved by the SAVC,
- prepare at least 2 (two) case reports3, preferably in a publishable format,
- provide proof of contribution to the furtherance of the speciality in the form of at least one full research article as senior author in an ISI-recognised journal, and
- provide proof of involvement in the provision of continuing professional development.
Assessment. Assessment in the speciality shall be based on:
- a written examination(s) of at least 3 (three) hour’s duration,
- an oral examination of at least 2 (two) hour’s duration,
- a clinical/practical examination if required by the specific speciality as approved by the SAVC, and
- a dissertation or other scholarly product(s) as required by the relevant speciality and approved by the SAVC. The dissertation and all other requirements should be finalised before the final examination. A candidate may sit the specialist examination twice with a minimum interval of one year and a maximum interval of two years.
External examiners shall be recognised specialists actively involved in the relevant or associated speciality registered with the South African Veterinary Council as a specialist in the discipline or shall at least hold an equivalent qualification which will allow registration as a specialist in the discipline in the country of origin and be appropriately accredited/authorised by the SAVC. External examiners shall have access to all components of the final assessment as well as the activity/procedure record and case logbook* of the resident and report of the resident supervisor.
Duration. The total duration of training shall not exceed a period of 6 years during which all aspects of training and assessment have to be completed. Extension of time may be granted under exceptional circumstances as provided for by the relevant speciality and approved by the SAVC.
1 Intern: a veterinary graduate enrolled in an internship
Internship: a structured training programme under supervision of a suitably qualified veterinarian in an academic veterinary hospital or other approved facility aimed at developing practical/clinical skills and expertise in preparation of a residency and confirmed by a certificate of attendance
2 Resident: a veterinary graduate enrolled in a residency
Residency: a formal training programme under supervision of a registered specialist in an academic veterinary hospital or other approved facility which will lead to specialist status through an acceptable qualification or approved examination
3 Case logbook and case reports include clinical as well as other non-clinical activities as provided for by the relevant specialty as approved by the SAVC.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIALITIES FOR REGISTRATION AS A VETERINARY SPECIALIST

Degree, diploma or certificate	University	Speciality	Designations reserved
1	2	3	4
M.Med.Vet (Chir) Small Animals	Medunsa	Surgery: Small Animals	Veterinary Specialist Surgeon: Small Animals
M.Med.Vet (Chir) Small Animals	Pretoria	Specialist Surgery: Small Animals	Veterinary Specialist Surgeon: Small Animals
M.Med.Vet (Chir) (EQ)	Pretoria	Surgery: Horses	Veterinary Surgeon: Horses
M.Med.Vet (Rad)	Pretoria	Radiology	Veterinary Radiologist
M.Med.Vet (Anaesthesiology)	Medunsa	Anaesthesiology	Veterinary Anaesthesiologist
M.Med.Vet (Anaesth)	Pretoria	Anaesthesiology	Veterinary Anaesthesiologist
M.Med.Vet (Veterinary Public Health)	Medunsa	Veterinary Public Health	Veterinary Public Health Specialist
M.Med.Vet (Hyg)	Pretoria	Veterinary Public Health	Veterinary Public Health Specialist
M.Med.Vet (Medicine ) Small Stock	Medunsa	Medicine: Small Stock	Veterinary Specialist Physician: Small Stock
M.Med.Vet (Medicine) Small Animals	Medunsa	Medicine: Small Animals	Veterinary Specialist Physician: Small Animals
M.Med.Vet Bovids	Medunsa	Medicine: Bovids	Veterinary Specialist Physician: Bovids
M.Med.Vet (Med)	Pretoria	Medicine: Small Animals	Veterinary Specialist Physician: Small Animals
M.Med.Vet (Med)	Pretoria	Medicine: Bovids	Veterinary Specialist Physician: Bovids
M.Med.Vet (Med)	Pretoria	Medicine: Horses	Veterinary Specialist Physician: Horses
M.Med.Vet (Theriogenology) Small Stock	Medunsa	Genesiology: Small Stock	Veterinary Genesiologist: Small Stock
M.Med.Vet (Theriogenology) Small Animals	Medunsa	Genesiology: Small Animals	Veterinary Genesiologist: Small Animals
M.Med.Vet (Theriogenology) Bovids	Medunsa	Genesiology: Bovids	Veterinary Genesiologist: Bovids
M.Med.Vet (Theriogenology) Horses	Medunsa	Genesiology: Horses	Veterinary Genesiologist: Horses
M.Med.Vet (Gyn)	Pretoria	Genesiology: General	Veterinary Genesiologist: General
M.Med.Vet (Pathology)	Medunsa	Anatomical Pathology	Veterinary Pathologist: Anatomy
M.Med.Vet (Nutritional Pathology)	Medunsa	Nutritional diseases	Veterinary Pathologist: Nutritional Diseases
M.Med.Vet Microbiology	Medunsa	Microbiology	Veterinary Pathologist: Microbiology
M.Med.Vet (Path)	Pretoria	Anatomical Pathology	Veterinary Pathologist: Anatomy
M.Med.Vet (Clin. Lab. Diag.)	Pretoria	Clinical Pathology	Veterinary Pathologist: Clinical Pathology
M.Med.Vet (Parasit)	Pretoria	Parasitology	Veterinary Pathologist: Parasitology
M.Med.Vet (Micro)	Pretoria	Microbiology	Veterinary Pathologist: Microbiology
M.Med.Vet (Prac.) Pigs	Medunsa	Specialist Practitioner: Pigs	Veterinary Specialist Practitioner: Pigs
M.Med.Vet Small Animals	Pretoria	Specialist Practitioner: Small Animal	Veterinary Specialist: Small Animal
M.Med.Vet (Vet. Eth)	Pretoria	Veterinary Ethology	Veterinary Specialist: Ethologist
M.Med.Vet (Aves)	Pretoria	Specialist Practitioner: Poultry	Veterinary Specialist Practitioner: Poultry
M.Med.Vet (Laboratory Animal Medicine)	Medunsa	Specialist Practitioner: Laboratory Animals	Veterinary Specialist Practitioner: Laboratory Animals
M.Med.Vet (Prac) Small Stock	Medunsa	Specialist Practitioner: Small Stock	Veterinary Specialist Practitioner: Small Stock
M.Med.Vet (Prac) Bovids	Medunsa	Specialist Practitioner: Bovids	Veterinary Specialist Practitioner: Bovids
M.Med.Vet (Suill.)	Pretoria	Specialist Practitioner: Pigs	Veterinary Specialist Practitioner: Pigs
M.Med.Vet (Altil.)	Pretoria	Specialist Practitioner: Poultry	Veterinary Specialist Practitioner: Poultry
M.Med.Vet (LAS)	Pretoria	Specialist Practitioner: Laboratory Animals	Veterinary Specialist Practitioner: Laboratory Animals
M.Med.Vet (Fer.)	Pretoria	Specialist Practitioner: Game	Veterinary Specialist Practitioner: Game
M.Med.Vet (Capr.Ov.)	Pretoria	Specialist Practitioner: Small Stock	Veterinary Specialist Practitioner: Small Stock
M.Med.Vet (Bov.)	Pretoria	Specialist Practitioner: Bovids	Veterinary Specialist Practitioner: Bovids
M.Med.Vet (Ophth.)	Pretoria	Specialist Practitioner: Ophthalmology	Veterinary Specialist Practitioner: Ophthalmology

M.Med.Vet (Tox)	Pretoria	Veterinary Specialist Toxicology	Veterinary Specialist Toxicologist
M.Med.Vet (Pharm)	Pretoria	Veterinary Specialist Pharmacology	Veterinary Specialist Pharmacologist
M.Med.Vet (DiagIm)	Pretoria	Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging	Veterinary Specialist Radiologist

SOUTH AFRICAN VETERINARY COUNCIL
VETERINARY SPECIALISTS
Currently (Jan 2008) 120 veterinary specialists are registered with Council. Specialists register automatically with the SAVC if they are the holders of prescribed post graduate degrees.
Council will assess a post graduate qualification for registration as a veterinary specialist on application if the applicant is not the holder of a prescribed post graduate qualification. Application for assessment of post graduate qualification not prescribed in terms of the Act.
Assessment guide for peer evaluations of specialist qualifications not prescribed.

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