Dean's Corner

UCT MEDICAL ALUMNI MAGAZINE JULY 2004 DEAN’S CORNER he first intake of our new curricu- commitment to learning and the extent Tlum entered their sixth semester in to which they have used their learning July 2004. This means that they have opportunities to set their own learning now begun their clinical attachments. objectives and to meet these via their Up until now most of their time has own reading and research. been spent exploring the basic sciences. In this way we intend to produce Parallel to this, they have participated graduates who possess a greater and in the Becoming a Doctor course, where deeper range of clinical skills than they learnt basic clinical skills such as those on the traditional curriculum. history taking and clinical examination, Furthermore, our students’ enthusiasm as well as important clinical skills previ- for the patients and problems they en- ously overlooked in the old curriculum counter in the hospital are tempered such as venepuncture. Towards the end by the wisdom and experience of clini- of the fifth semester, they began inter- cians used to working with these disor- viewing and examining their own pa- ders in a community rather than hospi- tients in Groote Schuur Hospital. tal setting. From Semester 7 onwards, Now almost the entire week is spent the students will be rotating through immersed in the clinical environment, the major clinical disciplines, and all and already the students are expressing basic life support course, practical ECG indications are that they will possess a their pleasure in their exposure to the interpretation and a structured course thorough grounding in the science and real world of clinical medicine. Our in the examination of the eye and ear. skills necessary to do so successfully. seasoned clinical teachers, many of In a significant departure from previous whom are meeting new curriculum stu- practice, we now have experienced fam- eanwhile, a further two intakes dents for the first time, are impressed ily physicians coming into the hospital Mof students have entered Medical by the students’ commitment and in- to provide instruction and guidance in School and we now have approximately terest. During this semester, students several of these areas. 600 students in the first, second and spend periods in the disciplines of third years of our new curriculum. Mental Health at the Valkenberg hos- ectures have been reduced to a min- This has allowed us to undertake a pital; Women’s Health, which includes Limum; students do however receive critical review of our curriculum, and Gynecological history taking and exam- lectures and tutorials in ethics, com- the design teams are engaged in an ination as well as the study of a number munication, therapeutics and genet- ongoing process of refinement and im- of topics relating to the health and well- ics. In a further innovation, traditional provement. The UCT mission calls on being of women; Child Health, where written examinations at the end of the us to be “flexible on access, active in re- students work with young patients at semester has been replaced by a struc- dress, and rigorous on success” and this the Red Cross Children’s Hospital as tured portfolio interview. Our students is exactly what we will continue to do. well as with neonates in our obstetric are required to maintain a compre- Our “new” graduates show every sign units, and; Adult Health, during which hensive portfolio of learning in which of exceeding our already high stand- they had the opportunity to work they accumulate reports on all patients ards. What is more they appear to be alongside our junior staff in the medi- they see as well as additional material enjoying their studies far more than cal wards and emergency units at GSH. they learn by self-study and research their predecessors. For the first time, they also have a full assignments. During this interview, it three week module devoted to intensive will be not only their knowledge that Nicky Padayachee training in practical skills, including a is assessed, but also the depth of their Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences 1 THE INSTITUTE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND MOLECULAR MEDICINE CT’s new Institute of Infectious UDisease and Molecular Medi- cine (IIDMM), located in the Faculty of Health Sciences, aims to be an Af- rican Centre of Excellence of the kind exemplified, at a much larger and well- endowed level, by the Rockefeller In- stitute, the Pasteur Institute, the Weiz- mann Institute, the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and the National Centre for Biological Sciences in India, namely a large-scale assembly of highly talented research leaders working in one place in a collegial federation, with many ex- The new IIDMM building ganized itself as a major centre of post- ternal collaborations and partnerships. graduate and post-doctoral training. These renowned institutions (and The Members and affiliates of the many others) have shown the immense IIDMM are all active researchers with value of concentration, interaction and impressive track records of working ef- deep focus in effectively addressing sig- fectively in the South African research nificant contemporary issues, whilst environment. They include 6 current simultaneously serving as outstanding Wellcome Senior International Fel- training centres as well. lows and 2 ex-Fellows (total of 8 out of In order to achieve this ambitious 12 awarded in South Africa since the goal, a large number of high-quality inception of the scheme in 1993); the research enterprises in support of the holder of a Wellcome Career Fellow- common theme of major infectious ship in Tropical Medicine (relocating diseases such as HIV-AIDS, TB, Ma- in 2004 with his complete group to laria and Papillomavirus, have been the Institute for 5 years); four Direc- consolidated within the IIDMM. This tors (or Co-Directors) of MRC Units or provides a demonstrably strong scien- Groups; 3 Members who are the lead- tific base that spans most of the major ers of the major HIV Vaccine initiatives areas of modern biomolecular enquiry set up by SAAVI, and one who runs the (membrane receptors, pumps and traf- only TB vaccine development group ficking; cellular signaling; enzymology; in the country. All-in-all, there are 25 cancer biology; molecular genetics; bac- Members and 3 Affiliates, all active in teriology; virology), linking these to “A large-scale raising their own research grants and applied biology and biotechnology, on /or contracts; 20 of them will soon be the one hand, and clinical and public assembly of housed together in the IIDMM’s newly health benefit, on the other. The Insti- highly talented refurbished 8300 sqM building com- tute seeks to create for its Members and research plex, while the rest will all have a signifi- Affiliates an environment that is highly cant presence and role in the Institute, interactive, multi-disciplinary, and in- leaders working participating fully in its activities. dependently competent in tackling de- in one place” manding scientific problems, and the lumni/ae of the Faculty will be coupled issues of practical benefit for in a collegial interested to learn that the well- communities, on South African soil. At federation A known “second-year” and “third-year” the same time, it is participating exten- blocks of their medical school days (also sively in collaborations within South known as the “Wernher and Beit Medi- Africa and internationally, and has or- 2 cal Laboratories” North and South) are tory of Molecular Biology, University and presentations available to these being completely transfigured into the of Cambridge, UK),and Dr Mamphela people is very extensive, combined with two Wings of the Institute, linked at Ramphele ( World Bank) as Patrons, in-group discussion sessions, presenta- two of the three levels by the magnifi- Prof Siamon Gordon ( Sir William tions and relevant course work. cent new Wolfson Pavilion situated in Dunn School of Pathology, University The IIDMM hosts the only Masters the (previously rather scruffy) space be- of Oxford, UK) as Chair, and nine oth- programme dedicated to Structural tween them. The complex will provide er members: Biology in Africa, jointly with the Uni- some of the facilities that will make up • Prof. Alan Aderem (Co-director, In- versity of the Western Cape, sponsored the new Postgraduate Centre of the stitute for Systems Biology, Seattle, by the Carnegie Corporation of New Faculty, namely the attractive cafeteria, USA); York (6 students, 3 from South Africa the Postgraduate Lecture Theatre (pre- • Prof. Anthony Segal (Centre for Mo- and 3 from other African countries are viously the “Upper Pathology Lecture lecular Medicine, Department of registered in 2003, and 5 in 2004.) The Theatre where many past students have Medicine, University College, Lon- programme was recently given a very sat) and a multi-purpose Advanced don, UK); positive report by its official evaluator, Training Laboratory. • Prof. Gilla Kaplan (Laboratory of My- Prof Sir Tom Blundell of the University The IIDMM is already beginning to cobacterial Immunity and Pathogen- of Cambridge, UK. attract outstandingly talented younger esis, Public Health Research Institute, The institute has plans for an exten- scientists currently working abroad, Newark, USA); sive workshop/short course programme who view the IIDMM as having the • Prof. Virander S. Chauhan (Director, that will be open to participants from necessary critical mass and aggregate ICGEB, New Delhi, India); the whole of Africa. The Wellcome scientific talent base that matches what • Dr. Arturo Falaschi (Director, ICGEB, Trust has already sponsored one such is available in laboratories at the best Trieste, Italy); workshop (2001), a second Workshop Universities on other continents. The • Prof. Marc H V Van Regenmortel (Bi- is planned to be offered in December, following are outstanding scientists otechnology School of the University 2004, and the Trust has offered to as- who have returned or been attracted Of Strasbourg, CNRS, France); sist the Institute in developing a work- to South Africa by the Institute: Gor- • Prof.

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