Undergraduate Programmes
MBChB Part III & MBChB Part V Surgery
The Department teaches undergraduate students; MBChB Part III and Part V. The students do clinical rotations in all the surgical divisions. Students receive lectures, tutorials, bedside teaching and attend outpatients clinics. They have excellent clinical exposure with unparalled contact with the actual patient. As part of their training, they are attached to rural hospitals where they are able to assist the resident doctors with surgical procedures. Therefore they are ready to work as doctors as soon as they graduate.
On completion, the undergraduate trainee should be competent to manage surgical condition and meet basic community needs in terms of surgical care.
Soon after graduation they form an integral part of the national health delivery system. Thus, they are industry ready at graduation and the Ministry of Health and Child Care is dependent on their services. Therefore the Department is contributing directly to industrialisation by producing a candidate who fits seamlessly into the health delivery system and is registrable with the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe (MDPCZ). Internationally our undergraduate programme has always been competitive, attracting a foreign contingent of students for both full time and elective attachments.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the undergraduate degree programme, graduates should be able to:
- Be proficient in history taking and physical examination of a surgical patient
- Be able to make a clinical diagnosis and identify and interpret the appropriate investigations
- To stabilise patient after basic surgical intervention and appropriate referral
The Department has 9 subspecialties namely:
- General Surgery
- Orthopaedics
- Neurosurgery
- Urology
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Cardiovascular
- Paediatric Surgery
- Plastic Surgery
- Ophthalmology
Postgraduate Programmes
The Department currently has 6 postgraduate programmes namely:
- Masters Degree in Medicine (Surgery)
- Masters Degree in Medicine (Otorhinolaryngology) (ENT)
- Masters Degree in Medicine (Neurosurgery)
- Masters Degree in Medicine (Urology)
- Masters Degree in Medicine (Ophthalmology)
- Diploma in Ophthalmology
Masters Degree in Medicine (Surgery)
The Masters Degree in Medicine (Surgery) programme is a degree in general surgery. Candidates for this courses are expected to have detailed knowledge of surgery of the gastrointestinal tract, other abdominal conditions, the breast, head and neck. In addition to this they should possess an adequate breadth and depth of understanding of the principles of management of musculoskeletal trauma, head injuries, and the more common problems in cardiothoracic, vascular, gynaecologic,neurologic orthopaedic, paediatric and urological surgery. The duration of the programme is four years full time.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the programme, candidates should acquire the following competences:
- Develop skills needed to diagnose surgical conditions
- Acquire surgical operative skills
- Apply principles of surgery to surgical practice
- Develop supervisory role
- Develop research skills
Masters Degree in Medicine (Otorhinolaryngology) (ENT)
The objective of this course is to equip the candidate with the knowledge and skills to manage patients with ENT conditions. The programme will run for 4 years on a full time basis.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the programme, candidates should acquire the following competences:
- Understand and apply anatomy and neuro-anatomy with special reference to ORL
- Understand and apply discipline oriented physiology
- Understand and apply discipline oriented pathology
- Acquire and develop clinical skills essential in diagnosing ENT conditions
- Acquire skills needed for diagnosing ENT, Head and Neck conditions
- Acquire operative skills needed to carry out ENT, Head and Neck procedures
- Acquire the knowledge to medically manage ENT, Head and Neck conditions
- Develop leadership skills
- Acquire and apply research skills
- Gain professional and ethical competence
Masters Degree in Medicine (Neurosurgery)
The objective of this course is to acquire and develop knowledge and ability to diagnose and treat neurosurgical conditions. The duration of the course is 5 years full time.
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the programme, candidates should acquire the following competences:
- Develop skills needed to diagnose neurosurgical conditions
- Acquire neurosurgical operative skills
- Apply principles of Neurosurgery to surgical practice
- Develop supervisory role
- Develop research skills
Masters Degree in Medicine (Urology)
This is an integrated programme to cover various disciplines of urological surgery over a 5 year period.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the programme, candidates should acquire the following competences:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the clinical application of anatomy and embryology, pathophysiology, physiological chemistry and uropathology/microbial and immunological sciences
- Demonstrate competence in Principles of Surgery in general then in the board aspects of urological surgery: LUTS/Female Urology/Endo/Stone Surgery/Laparoscopy/Uro Oncology/Reconstructive Urology and Paediatric Urology and contributing to the training and management of urology at all levels of national health delivery
- Demonstrate knowledge about and participate in presentations and knowledge/application of Uroradiology/Uropathology/Nephrourology/Didactic Block release/Live demonstration at UroSurgical workshops/Outpatient Clinical work/UroSurgical Audit/Journal Club Presentations and Uro Ultrasound
- Residents shall also demonstrate understanding of current and relevant Uro Research through Submission of Clinical Case Reports and Participating in Uropathology Research, publication during between Years 2-5 of the Programme.
- The programme shall produce a well rounded basic Urological Surgeon
Masters Degree in Medicine (Ophthalmology)
This is a three part Masters programme whose objective is to produce a well-rounded eye care physician and surgeon.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the programme candidates should acquire the following competences:
- Understand and apply anatomy, physiology and pathology of the eye.
- Develop skills to diagnose and treat different ocular conditions.
- Acquire ophthalmic surgical operating skills.
- Develop research skills
- Acquire and apply leadership skills.
- Gain professional and ethical competences
Diploma in Ophthalmology
This is a one year full time Diploma programme the objective of this course is for individuals to acquire knowledge on diagnosis and management of ocular disease. It also serves as the entrance point to the Masters Degree in Medicine (Ophthalmology) programme.
The postgraduate surgical trainee on completion would be a medical expert in treating surgical conditions and their complications. He/She should possess the requisite knowledge, to be a very good reputable teacher and be an ambassador of the University worldwide. Research is one of the major thrust of the Department. Together with the input of the Research Support Centre, research is taught and implemented in the early years of surgical training. The Department aims to make the UZ more visible on the international academic map through research. All our postgraduate surgical programmes have a thesis/dissertation as part of the degree programme.