SA medical students all over world

CHINA and Mauritius are among the most popular destinations for South African students wanting to study medicine abroad.

According to the Health Professions Council of South Africa, most South African medical students studying abroad are doing so at Shandong Medical University in China, the SSR Medical College in Mauritius and Mauritius University.

At least 21 South African students graduated from the SSR Medical College between 2005 and 2013.

Many of those studying privately abroad have to sit a written board exam and a practical exam administered by the council to be allowed to practise in South Africa.

South African medical students in Cuba are exempt from sitting the exams because they have to complete their final two years at a local medical university.

At least 20 of the 169 candidates who studied privately abroad failed the written board exam in October/November last year, and 80 failed the practical exam.

The council said candidates were given three chances to pass the board exam.

Meanwhile, the Gauteng health department confirmed this week that two students would be returning to South Africa after falling pregnant while studying in Cuba.

Provinces said this week that the challenges faced by South African students studying in Cuba included:

Falling pregnant during their studies;

Not being able to visit family and friends back home during the first two years of their stay in Cuba; and

Adapting to life in Cuba and to speaking Spanish.

The Gauteng department of health said that the programme had assisted poor South Africans who could not get into local medical schools.

At least 30 such doctors have qualified in the province and 24 of them are working in hospitals and clinics.

“All our students come back committed to work in our facilities,” it said.