List Of Clinical Engineering Schools In South Africa

Clinical engineering is a speciality within HTM (Healthcare Technology Management) biomedical engineering responsible primarily for applying and implementing medical technology to optimize healthcare delivery.

Clinical Engineering (CE) represents the part of Biomedical Engineering focused on the applications of theories and methodologies of the broad biomedical engineering field to improve the quality of health services.

Where to Study Clinical Engineering In South Africa

Here is a list of institutions offering courses and qualifications in Biomedical Engineering: 

University of the Witswatersrand (Wits) 

The University of the Witswatersrand offers a three-year undergraduate course for a Bachelor of Engineering Science in Biomedical Engineering BEngSc (BME). It is a pre-professional qualification, thus, the graduate is not eligible for any professional registration based on this degree alone. 

After you graduate, there are various academic routes to choose from to obtain a professional qualification. These are Medicine (MBBCh), BSc(Eng) in Electrical or Information Engineering, and BSc(Hons) in Physics.

Stellenbosch University 

There are multiple routes into biomedical engineering at Stellenbosch University. Some of these routes are provided by the Institute for Biomedical Engineering, while the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences also offer routes into biomedical engineering.

The four-year Bachelor of Engineering programmes (BEng) equip students with a broad knowledge base. In the first year, all students take the same compulsory subjects; thereafter they start specialising in the specific programme in which they are interested.

University of South Africa (UNISA) 

Unisa does not offer a course specific to Biomedical Engineering, but students can opt to pursue an undergraduate degree in Biomedical Techniques. This qualification will provide students with a biomedical background in techniques applied in biomedical engineering and biotechnology.

The knowledge gained from this module will enable students to relate the theory and practice of biomedical techniques as conducted within the modern health sciences in the diagnosis and management of diseases.

University of Cape Town (UCT) 

The University of Cape Town, unfortunately, does not offer an undergraduate qualification in Biomedical Engineering, only postgraduate qualifications, namely a Master of Science (MSc) in Biomedical Engineering or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Biomedical Engineering. 

To enter into the course for an MSc in Biomedical Engineering, the student must have a four-year degree in Engineering or an Honours degree in Mathematical, Physical or Computer Sciences.

How do you become a clinical engineer In South Africa?

Clinical Engineering education is based on classical engineering, supplemented with a combination of courses in physiology, human factors, systems analysis, medical terminology, measurement, and instrumentation. Visit the Clinical Engineering Association of South Africa (CEASA)

How much do clinical engineers earn in South Africa?

A Clinical Engineer, Medical Devices earns an average salary of R287,294 per year. People in this job generally don’t have more than 20 years of experience. Experience has a moderate effect on pay for this job.

Clinical Engineering vs Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical Engineering is a major / subject in a university in which graduating students are granted university degrees.

Clinical Engineering is a job, the description of which varies depending on the hiring/paying company.

Another version is a job at typically a surgical robotics company. CEs at such a company help develop the various procedures for the robotic system.

This means they have to understand that surgical procedure from a medical and OR/workflow perspective, and also understand the inner workings of the robotic system.

They then come up with a standard/recommended way of performing that procedure on that robot. Another responsibility CE in such a company typically have is to support the engineering design teams with real-world clinical/medical knowledge and expertise;

being engineers with clinical expertise, they can help inform the design and develop requirements for the design teams, who may have little to no education in medical/clinical topics.