How To Become A GP In South Africa

In the medical profession, a general practitioner is a medical doctor who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education to patients.

What Does a General Practitioner Do?

If you’re seeking treatment for a physical or mental health concern, a general practitioner is likely your first point of contact. They help everyone from newborns to older adults.

General practitioner duties include assessing you with a physical exam and a review of your medical history. From there, they may order additional tests, recommend treatment, or connect you with a specialist.

Where do general practitioners work?

A general practitioner may work in a private practice or at a larger practice with multiple doctors. Since many patients typically see the same general practitioner annually, many general practitioners develop a long-standing professional relationship with their patients.

Depending on their practice and state licensing requirements, some general practitioners may meet with patients virtually and provide answers to health questions or prescribe medications online.

What to Expect at the General Practitioner

A general practitioner appointment typically lasts 10 to 30 minutes. Your general practitioner may:

Assess your health

Discuss your medical history and symptoms

Run diagnostic tests

Develop a treatment plan

Advise you about ongoing lifestyle changes

Education and Training to become a GP In South Africa

Training to become a general practitioner takes from seven to 15 years. Their curriculum is constantly updated to align with the latest medical advancements, research, public health concerns, and community needs.

General practitioner education includes a broad scope of knowledge. The process includes:

A bachelor’s degree — preferably in a relevant science

A satisfactory Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) score

An average of four years in medical school

A three- to seven-year residency during which the doctor focuses on their specialty

Certification by the American Board of Family Medicine, American Board of General Practice, or American Board of Internal Medicine

Below are steps to Become A GP In South Africa

Graduate from high school

While completing required high school courses, consider registering for advanced coursework in psychology, anatomy and physics. If you have the ability to do so, try using afternoons and weekends for volunteer work, and look for a position at a local hospital or senior citizen care facility.

Complete a bachelor’s degree

Medical school requires a bachelor’s degree, and it may be beneficial to have pre-medical courses on your transcript. It’s helpful to research medical school requirements when choosing a bachelor’s program to make sure that you will be able to enroll in undergraduate courses that would be useful for medical school.

Pass the Medical College Admissions Test

Medical schools require a passing score on the MCAT. This multiple-choice test covers various science disciplines and critical reasoning, and it is a test you take before attending medical school.

Your test score, along with your official application, transcripts, letters of recommendation, essays and resumes, can help you earn placement in a competitive medical program.

Attend medical school

Depending on the medical program you choose, you can receive either a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.) in order to work as a general practitioner.

Each medical program includes anatomy and biology coursework along with an in-depth medical lab curriculum. Law and medical ethics courses teach students the legal requirements for practicing medicine.

How long does it take to become a GP in South Africa?

You’ll need to complete: a 5-year degree in medicine, recognized by the General Medical Council. a 2-year foundation course of general training. a 3-year specialist training course in general practice.

How many years does it take to become a GP?

It partly depends on the qualifications you have before going to medical school, and the type of doctor you want to be. For example as a guide, it’ll take around 10 years to train as a GP (including medical school) and 14 years to train as a surgeon. Find out more about the different roles for doctors.

How long does it take to become a doctor in SA?

How long does it take to study medicine in South Africa? Most medicine courses, unlike others, take the longest period to complete. Overall, they may take six to ten years, depending on the area one wants to specialize in. Currently, an MBChB degree takes six years.

Is a GP a doctor?

In the medical profession, a general practitioner (GP) is a medical doctor who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education to patients.

What qualifications does a GP need in South Africa ?

You’ll need to complete: a 5-year degree in medicine, recognized by the General Medical Council. a 2-year foundation course of general training. a 3-year specialist training course in general practice.

Is a doctor a job or career?

A doctor is a medical professional who is highly educated in a field of medicine, and they work as physicians, surgeons, and other highly trained medical experts.

Do doctors do surgery?

Like MDs, physicians with a DO are licensed in all 50 states to practice medicine and surgery, as well as to prescribe medications.

Is a surgeon higher than a doctor?

All surgeons must first qualify as doctors, so they will have a basic medical degree which includes the principles of medicine and surgery. Some surgeons only use the highest of their qualifications (eg FRCS) in their correspondence or on their nameplates, rather than listing all the lesser degrees as well.