Postgraduate Diploma
in Infectious Diseases
Stellenbosch University (SU) has the ambition to create a transformative student experience through networked and collaborative teaching and learning. With this, the university wants to contribute to an increase in access to quality clinical care to more vulnerable communities on the African continent, including those affected by humanitarian crises.
Stellenbosch University and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) collaborated to develop an accredited course: “Diagnosis and clinical management of TB and HIV-related conditions”. This prepared the groundwork for this partnership between the two organisations to organise this unique Postgraduate Diploma in infectious diseases together.
The hybrid mode programme, for flexible learning, aims to:
- contribute to an increase in access to quality clinical care to more vulnerable communities on the African continent, including those affected by humanitarian crises.
- transform the student experience through networked and collaborative teaching and learning.
- challenge participants with real case studies throughout the programme to stimulate critical thinking and promote evidence-based decision-making.
- enable medical doctors to work autonomously in remote rural environments, by focussing on symptom-based problem solving in resource limited scenarios
Diploma content and duration
This course runs over two years and requires in total approximately 7 hours of study per week and is valued at 120 credits.
It is composed out of 5 large modules: Module 1 – Adult infectious diseases, Module 2 – Paediatric infectious diseases, Module 3: HIV and TB, Module 4: Surgical infections, Module 5: Community health for infectious diseases.
Some of this time will be taken up completing the required online study material, at times with online support by an expert in the subject. The remaining time will be spent in workplace-based learning, building up a portfolio of patient case histories and completing a logbook for proof of competence with a limited range of procedures.
There will be two face-to-face sessions of 2 weeks each in the duration of the course, during which procedures can be taught and/or supplementary clinical cases can be organised.
The first of the in-person sessions will be held in January.
Programme brochure
Who is it for?
The course will have two distinct groups of participants:
Participants that subscribe individually through Stellenbosch University and staff of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in the field.
As such there are limited seats.
Diploma organisation and pedagogical approach
In view of the ambition to train medical doctors to work autonomously in remote rural environments, the focus of the learning will be on syndromic approach of diseases, rather than on taxonomic textbook learning.
The aim of the diploma is to combine clinical exposure in a field reality with theoretical learning. Existing clinical cases will be daily learning opportunities.
The programme is delivered in hybrid learning mode with close tutorial support, as a work-based learning model.
Module detail:
Module 1: Adult infectious diseases
Students will study an approach to the systematic evaluation of a patient with infection, common community acquired infections, tropical and travel related infections, fever of unknown origin, sepsis and septic shock in adults. Transversal themes of infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship, reproductive health, infection related imaging and basic biology and laboratory diagnosis, form an integral part of this module.
Scope: 24 weeks, 34 Academic credits (340 notional hours)
Module 2: Paediatric infectious diseases
Students will study an approach to the systematic evaluation of a patient with infection, common community acquired infections, tropical and travel related infections, fever of unknown origin, and sepsis and septic shock in the paediatric population. Transversal themes of infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship, reproductive health, infection related imaging and basic biology and laboratory diagnosis form an integral part of this module.
Scope: 18 weeks, 26 Academic credits (260 notional hours)
Module 3: Diagnosis and clinical management of TB and HIV-related conditions
Students will study the core basic sciences, epidemiology, diagnostic strategies, the effective and safe use of therapeutic options and appropriate preventative strategies for HIV and TB. In addition, for HIV they will study the diagnosis and management of common conditions seen in people living with HIV. For both drug susceptible and drug resistant TB, they will study the diagnosis and management of the different manifestation of the disease. Transversal themes of infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship, reproductive health, infection related imaging and basic biology and laboratory diagnosis form an integral part of this module.
Scope: 18 weeks, 28 Academic credits (280 notional hours)
Module 4: Surgical infections
Students will study postoperative infections and other common hospital acquired infections, post-traumatic osteomyelitis, severe skin and soft tissue infections, intra-abdominal infections, bite wounds and burns-related infections. Transversal themes of infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship, reproductive health, infection related imaging and basic biology and laboratory diagnosis form an integral part of this module.
Scope: 12 weeks, 19 Academic credits (190 notional hours)
Module 5: Community health for infectious diseases
Students will study basic infection related epidemiological concepts, outbreak recognition and investigation, vaccination fundamentals and infectious risk management in vulnerable population. Transversal themes of infection prevention and control, antimicrobial stewardship, reproductive health, infection related imaging and basic biology and laboratory diagnosis form an integral part of this module.
Scope : 8 weeks, 13 Academic credits (130 notional hours)
Insights into the Surgical Infections module of the Postgraduate Diploma in Infectious Diseases
Fully Accredited
Apply now for 2025
Enquiries:
Dr Jantjie Taljaard
Programme Coordinator
jjt@sun.ac.za
Lejandra Hanekom
Administrative Officer
lejandra@sun.ac.za
Admission and selection criteria
- Candidates need to provide proof of their MBChB degree (or equivalent medical degree).
- When applying, submit this form.
The programme coordinator needs all of the above to confirm that you will have adequate clinical cases to support the practical support component of this programme.
Deadline for 2025 applications is 18 October 2024
Connectivity
Hybrid mode offers flexible learning opportunities, which you can design according to your schedule. However, there are allocated times when synchronous learning and live sessions will take place. It is recommended that you strategise around connectivity (should you be in less reliably connected areas) for these times to be able to benefit from the live interactions with your lecturers and peers.
Strengthen your confidence & capability as a general practitioner
Presented by Stellenbosch University & supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
