Master of Medicine in Family Medicine
Course Description
Family medicine masters in medicine (Mmed) embraces the holistic well-being of a patient including the psycho-social cultural aspect, that is left out in the biomedical model that we have mastered from medical school. It acknowledges that health care is also affected by the context we live in which is an important part of health promotion and disease management. Family medicine promotes the comprehensive approach to patient care through its focus on patient centeredness, among the many family medicine principles, and integration with the health system by coordinating patient care with both community level care and specialized level care.
The health care need of a society is mostly at the primary health care level and community, this is where more than 60% of the population are treated and only a few proceed to need tertiary care. Family medicine is a medical discipline that promotes community health through its targeted provision of quality primary health care and community oriented primary care.
‘Comprehensive generalist physicians (commonly called family physicians or family doctors) play a central role in PHC-oriented health systems with effective primary care.’ https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/primary-health/vision.pdf
In our context primary health care is both at the health centre and the district hospital, therefore a family medicine doctor is the leader of the primary health system and ably placed at the district hospital or community hospital or health centre.
Programme structure
The Mmed is a 4-year full time programme. The expectations are to complete five main blocks (adult health, child health, women’s health, emergency medicine and general surgery) of clinical rotation of 14 weeks in year one and 12 weeks in year 3. There are 9 subspecialty blocks (opthalmology, ENT and dermatology, orthopaedics, palliative care, anaesthesiology, primary health care including adolescent and geatric health, health systems and mental health) that have 6 to 8 weeks mandatory clinical or administrative attachment. Stretching across all four years, an applied research project must be completed and handed in as a research assignment. There is a portfolio which registers your personal learning journey and is periodically monitored by your site or rotation supervisor. The assessment includes continuous assessment (largely guided by portfolio), part 1 and part2 Mmed examinations and having dissertation at the end of 4 years. Qualification of Mmed in family medicine entails passing all components of the mentioned assessment.
Career prospects
Private Practice: individual/group practice to promote primary health care and coordinate patient care with other specialties.
District hospitals: focusing more on community oriented primary care, family oriented care and improving health systems at a district level and health reforms
CHAM: Focusses on community oriented care and improving health systems in a CHAM hospital
Academia/ Lecture: Focuses on carrying out research work, and medical education among undergraduate and postgraduate students
Clinical lecture: Academia role which you dedicate 40% of your working schedule
Non-Governmental Organisations employment opportunities as a clinical lead or project management
Entry Requirements
- Completion of MBBS (bachelor’s in medicine and bachelor in surgery) equivalent to an MD (medical doctor) degree
- 2 years post internship
- Interest in the primary health system
- Communication with other specialists to provide care to patients at primary and secondary levels of care
- Team work with other members of the primary health system; community health care workers, nurses, clinicians
How to Apply
Calls for applications for masters’ students are advertised all-year round on the university’s website, www.kuhes.ac.mw. Applications are made online through the following link https://admissions.kuhes.ac.mw . For more information, visit the Central registry. Potential candidates may be invited for oral interviews.
Applications for this postgraduate programme should include:
- A completed postgraduate application form.
- Sealed academic transcripts
- Authenticated copies of academic certificates (by a lawyer, magistrate, or registrar of the awarding institution)
- Authenticated copies of professional registration certificates where applicable
- Letter of release from employers (if employed)
- Reference letters (one academic and one professional)
A non-refundable application fee of MK10000.00 for Malawians and $30.00 for non-Malawians. Payment should be made to:
KUHeS POSTGRADUATE POOL NATIONAL BANK OF MALAWI CHICHIRI BRANCH ACCOUNT NUMBER: 698881 CURRENT ACCOUNT
Application forms that do not meet the requirements stated above will not be processed. Completed application should be sent:
The Registrar, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences College of Medicine Private Bag 360 Chichiri Blantyre 3, Malawi Attention: Assistant Registrar (Academic) Tel: + 265 (0) 1 874 107, Fax +265 (0) 1 874 700 E-mail: admissions@kuhes.ac.mw Copy: postgraduateadmin@kuhes.ac.mw.
Tuition and Fees
Per annum
Malawians: $3,300
Non-Malawians (SADC): $6,000
Non-Malawians (non-SADC): $8,000
Scholarships/Funding
Highly competitive funding and scholarship opportunities are available on merit basis. For more information about funding and scholarships for Masters students, contact the Scholarships office on scholarships@kuhes.ac.mw .
