Faculty Prospectus 2012 - Walter Sisulu University

Department of Health Education. Initially the focus was on undergraduate education and
training and postgraduate programmes were later on introduced. To date the Faculty offers a
range of programmes from certificates to undergraduate diplomas, bachelor degrees, honours,
postgraduate diplomas, masters, Ph D’s and MD’s (Doctor of Medicine). The Faculty has a
Medical Library which has a Skills Laboratory and Computer Learning Centre with Telemedicine
facilities’. International collaboration and establishment of regional Training Centre for HIV /
AIDS in 2004. In collaboration with the Provincial Department Health, the Faculty has also a
Regional Training Centre (RTC) for HIV and AIDS that was established in 2004.
The Faculty has been recommended as a WHO collaborating centre for PBL/CBE. It is a full and
active member of The Network: Towards Unity for Health, and hosted the 1996 International
Network Conference in Durban. Its full membership status was endorsed in 2006 for another
5 (five) years. The Faculty is now recognised by its peers internationally as one of eight (8)
Medical Schools in the world that are champions of social accountability in health professions
education. These medical schools have formed an organisation called the Training for Health
Equity Network (THEnet). The Faculty of Health Sciences at WSU is the only Faculty of Health
Sciences in Africa that is a member of this organisation.
The Faculty of Health Sciences has its Headquarters at Mthatha Campus but has an Academic
Health Service Complex that spreads throughout the Eastern Cape Province including Mthatha
Hospital Complex, East London Hospital Complex, Port Elizabeth Hospital Complex, about 15
District Hospitals mainly in the North Eastern Region of the Eastern Cape and 7 Community
Health Centres (5 around Mthatha, 1 at Mqanduli and 1 in Qumbu). The teaching Platform is
further enhanced by the establishment of Health Resource Centres at Mthatha, East London,
Port Elizabeth and Queenstown. A fifth Health Resource Centre is being planned for Lusikisiki.
These Health Resource Centres are strategically built next to the three Hospital Complexes at
Mthatha, East London and Port Elizabeth. The fourth one is built next to the Regional Hospital
in Queenstown whilst the fifth one will be built next to the Regional Hospital in Lisikisiki. The
purpose for establishing these Health Resource Centres is to create an academic environment
throughout the Eastern Cape Province so that students are taught properly by joint staff that has
access to library and internet facilities, to enable the three functions of an academic institution
to be fulfilled adequately, i.e. teaching & learning, research and service to the people.
The Faculty of Health Sciences is regarded as the flagship of this university. Its niche area is
rural health, based on its context. This has made this Faculty to be committed to learning and
teaching in the community from District Hospitals to Community Health Centres, Clinics and
patient homes (i.e. district learning complexes). Problem-Based Learning is introduced in first
year and continues to be the main learning strategy up to final year. This is the only University in
South Africa that offers small group Problem-Based Learning tutorials in clinical years. Learning
in the community (i.e. Community-Based Learning) is also introduced early in the curriculum
and the time spent in the community is progressively increased up to final year. Community-
Based Learning in this Faculty is strengthened by the establishment of community partnerships
around Mthatha and this led to the establishment of four (4) purpose-built Community Health
Centres around Mthatha. The Clinical Associate Programme is thus modeled through these two
powerful learning strategies, Problem-Based Learning and Community-Based Education. More
than 90% of the curriculum for the Clinical Associate Programme is taught in District Learning
Complexes, which is where the graduates of this programme will practice after completion.
HEALTH SCIENCES
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