Master of Medicine in Paediatrics & Child Health

An honors degree in Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.

Program Description

The Master of Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health has been running at Mbarara University of Science and Technology since 2003. It is a 3-year residency training programme of high quality that is very intense and mainly based on an apprenticeship in advanced clinical patient care, with modular curriculum courses covering a whole range of specialties in paediatrics and child health, and regular student assessment.

Postgraduate training is offered to candidates who have completed MBChB undergraduate training and meet stipulated requirements for admission into the Master of Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health. The training programme is high quality, very intense and mainly based on apprenticeship in advanced clinical patient care, modular curriculum courses covering a whole range of specialities in paediatrics and child health, and regular student assessment.  A high-quality research dissertation is one of the major requirements for the award of a masters’ degree under this programme. Visiting subspecialists from collaborating universities provide additional support and training in different modules. So far about 30 paediatricians have been trained since the programme started years ago. We aim to have up to 10 admissions into the programme every year.

The Program is hosted in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, a busy clinical department offering undergraduate and postgraduate training and research as well as tertiary patient care services. It has grown in all its core functions – teaching/medical training, research, and service delivery over the last 3 decades.

1.5.2 Programme justification

Children under 18 years contribute to over 50% of Uganda’s population. The under-five child mortality rate has been declining over the past 20 years and now stands at 64/1000 live births (UBOS 2020). The leading causes of under-five mortality are preventable neonatal conditions and infectious diseases. Uganda has about 150 paediatricians, most of whom are located in and around Kampala. The output of all postgraduate programs in Uganda combined averages 30 paediatricians per year. Caring for well and sick children is increasingly demanding specialised knowledge and skills. In addition, planning and implementation of child health and paediatric programs, as well as advocacy requires dedication and a deep understanding of the unique nature of children and their needs.

Recognising this need, Mbarara University of Science and Technology established the Master of Medicine in Paediatrics and Child Health programme, to contribute to the goal of improving the health and survival of children through the training of scientifically sound, clinically competent, and locally appropriate child health specialists.

The medical discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health incorporates the teaching, practice, and promotion of all aspects of children’s well-being. During the training of postgraduate doctors, the previous grounding in the basic medical sciences will be reinforced, education in growth, development, and nutrition will be emphasised and the impact on child health of the family and community will be recognised. Students will learn about the recognition, treatment, and control of the common diseases affecting children, as well as about child health policies and the importance of, and avenues for the pursuit of effective child advocacy.

1.5.3 Career and employment opportunities

The field of Paediatrics and Child Health is very vast and undersupplied with appropriately trained high-quality human resources to fill all the current gaps. At the current ratio of about 1 paediatrician to 130,000 children in Uganda, the demand for the graduates of this program (Paediatricians) in Uganda’s hospitals, medical centers, and clinics is still too high to be met by the current rate of output of these specialists from the current postgraduate training programs in the country. All universities with medical schools in Uganda still have a significant shortage of lecturers in this field to meet the needs of undergraduate and postgraduate training. The global health agenda and Sustainable Development Goals are putting a lot more emphasis than ever before on maternal, adolescent, child, and newborn survival, especially in developing countries. Leadership in all programs in this field requires highly technical and committed specialists arising from this program, to work as program directors, technical advisors, implementers, and in other positions. Vertical growth in the field of paediatrics and child health leads to subspecialists who provide very highly specialised care that is required at regional and national referral hospitals. These include neonatologists, cardiologists, haematologists, oncologists, nephrologists, neurologists, nutrition specialists, and endocrinologists among many others, who are currently critically few for our fast-growing population (at 3% per annum). To confound all this shortage, many graduates from this program are highly sought after by other countries in the region and internationally. In summary, the harvest is rich, the labourers are lacking.

1.5.4 Overall Aim of the Programme

To produce high-quality specialists in paediatrics and child health with competence to provide holistic management and control of childhood diseases and to promote the integration of curative, preventive, and promotive aspects of child health and execution of research into relevant child health problems.

It is also designed to provide training and skills in the design and the graduate of the program will have competence in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of important childhood illnesses, the skills to implement and supervise child health programs in an inter-sectoral environment, and the capacity to analyse child health issues and link them to policy development.

Specific objectives of the programme

The programme will produce specialists with the competencies to:

1. Provide high-quality care for children in health facilities and in the community
2. Demonstrate professional behaviour and independent practice, knowledge, clinical and technical, and leadership skills in paediatrics and child health services
3. Demonstrate ability to pursue quality improvement and patient safety in the provision of child health care
4. Demonstrate ability to pursue research and untilise evidence in the provision of child health services
5. Demonstrate ability to continue learning and developing professionally.

Programme outcomes

The graduate of the programme will be:

1. a medical expert able to apply medical knowledge, clinical skills, and professional values in providing quality and safe patient-centered care.
2. an effective communicator that forms professional relationships with patients and their families and colleagues.
3. able to collaborate with other health care professionals to provide safe high-quality patient-centered care.
4. a leader who engages with others to contribute to a vision of high-quality health care systems and take responsibility for the delivery of excellent patient care
5. a child-health advocate who will contribute their expertise and influence to advocate for children and communities they serve within and beyond the clinical environment.
6. a scholar who demonstrates a life-long commitment to excellence to practice through continuous learning and by teaching others, evaluating evidence, and contributing to scholarship.
7. a professional committed to the health and well-being of individual children and society by practicing ethically with high personal standards of behaviour and accountability to the profession and society while maintaining his/her own health.

Innovations

Working with the Simulation Centre, the program will adopt simulation methods of training, especially for first-year students to assimilate critical skills and competencies before they apply them to real patients. Staff and students team up to formulate and execute innovative ideas that are supported to translate into reality. Students are paired with staff mentors right from the start of the program to support their journey through the program.

Admission Requirements

1. MBChB or its equivalent from a recognised institution
2. Evidence of completion of one year of internship after completing the MBChB program
3. Full registration with the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Council or its equivalent in the country of origin of the applicant
4. A current Certificate of Good Standing with the Medical Practitioners’ Council of the country of origin.
5. Evidence of proficiency in the English Language
6. A grade point 3.0 or letter grade C and above or its equivalent in undergraduate courses in Paediatrics and Child Health and a CGPA of 2.8 and above at MBChB.

Program Duration

This is a full-time program of study designed to run for a minimum of three years equivalent to 6 full semesters and 2 recess terms.

The Curriculum

Curriculum structure