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What is the Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP)?

South Africa has a critical need for well-trained, knowledgeable medical professionals who are able to provide health care services often with very limited resources. To honour our commitment to improving the lives of our fellow citizens and to address current shortage of well-educated and highly skilled doctors, the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg Faculty of Health Sciences has established the Graduate Entry Medical Programme (GEMP) to increase the number of medical graduates. The GEMP allows entry of suitably qualified applicants who meet certain minimum requirements into the third year of the MBBCh degree. This gives these students the opportunity to complete their undergraduate medical studies in a period of only four years after which they enter their internship and government mandated community service period.

What are the minimum requirements for consideration?
  1. A completed undergraduate university degree at a minimum of Bachelor’s or Bachelor of Technology degree level with an average of at least 60% over the final two completed years of study. National Diplomas, Technical Diplomas, Certificates and similar qualifications cannot be considered for entry. We also accept applications from applicants who are in their final year of study towards their current university degree.
  2. Sciences Requirements: (ALL of the following are compulsory) *
    1. 50% for first year university degree level Biology (Full course). Equivalent courses such as Anatomy, Physiology, Zoology, Life Sciences and similar courses will also be considered.
    2. 50% for first year university degree level Physics (Half Course).
    3. 50% for first year university degree level Chemistry (Half Course).
    4. The above three subjects MUST be completed at first-year of a university Bachelor's degree or higher. Diploma or certificate studies will not be considered.
  3. Mathematics Requirement: (One of the following possibilities) *
    1. 60% for Matric Mathematics (National Senior Certificate (NSC) - 2008 to present) or 
    2. Pass on Higher Grade or 60% on Standard Grade for Matric Mathematics (Pre-2008) or
    3. 50% for a full-course Mathematics at first year university degree level.
    4. Applicants with international school-leaving qualifications:
      1. 60% for Mathematics from any foreign school-leaving qualification deemed as equivalent to either the South African National Senior Certificate or the Cambridge AS-/A-levels by Universities South Africa Matriculation Board (https://mb.usaf.ac.za)
  4. Language Requirement:  (One of the following possibilities) *
    1. 60% for Matric English Home Language or First Additional Language (National Senior Certificate (NSC) - 2008 to present) or
    2. Pass on Higher Grade Matric English First or Second Language (Pre-2008) or
    3. 50% for a full-course English at first year university degree level.
    4. International applicants: 
      1. Score of at least 7 for the IELTS test (International English Language Test Systemor
      2. A pass in English Language at the GCSE/GCE/IGSCE Ordinary level (or equivalent examination) or
      3. Pass in English in a school-leaving examination equivalent to the South African National Senior Certificate or
      4. If the tertiary studies were at an English-medium institution, a letter from that institution stating that instruction and examinations were conducted in English must be provided.
  5. Items marked "*" (Numbers 2,3 and 4) are Pre-requisites, so these MUST have been completed before the application closing date of 30 June. Results must be forwarded to the Senior Faculty Officer.
  6. Applicants to the GEMP are not required to write the National Benchmark Test (NBT).
I don’t have Biology, Physics and/or Chemistry at University level. What can I do?

Applicants can study these courses for non-degree purposes through most South African Universities. Please see GEMP Part-time Courses for information about courses offered through Wits Plus.

PLEASE NOTE:The results obtained in these courses will NOT be used in the calculation of an applicant’s Academic Rating (Admissions score) as these courses form part of the minimum requirements for admission to the programme.

 

How do I apply for the Graduate Entry Medical Programme?
  1. Applications for the 2025 intake of students will open on 1 March 2024.
  2. The deadline for applications is on the 30thof June 2024 and no late applications will be considered.
  3. IMPORTANT: Although you will have already completed an undergraduate degree (or you are in the process of completing one), this application to the Graduate Entry Medical Programme is NOT a post-graduate application. The MBBCh degree is an undergraduate qualification.
  4. On all methods of application please ensure that you are applying for the THIRD year of study for the MBBCh degree. The degree code is MFA00, YOS3
  5. You can apply online at www.wits.ac.za/undergraduate.
  6. You may also apply in person at the Student Enrolment Centre, Solomon Mahlangu House, Wits East Campus, Braamfontein.
  7. Documents required for your application
    1. Completed application.
    2. Certified copy of your degree certificate if you have already completed your studies.
    3. Certified copy of your academic transcript.
    4. Certified copy of your matric certificate or final school leaving certificate.
    5. Proof of payment of the application Fee.
I am a foreign applicant – What process should I follow?
  1. All the regular minimum requirements are also applicable to non-South African applicants.
  2. All foreign applicants must contact the Wits International Office to enquire about additional requirements that may apply to them. This includes asylum seekers, refugees and all applicants who are not South African citizens.
  3. The Wits International Office will advise on the accreditation of foreign qualifications as well as issues around study permits and accommodation.
  4. International applicants who obtained their university degrees in a language other than English will have to provide proof of English proficiency. This can be done by submitting the results from writing the IELTS test (www.ielts.org) where  a minimum score of 8 is required for all components of the test.
  5. Applicants who have previously studied in English must provide a letter from that institution as proof that the language of instruction and examination was English.
  6. Contact details for the Wits International Office:
    1. Website:http://www.wits.ac.za/internationalstudents/
    2. E-mail: Studysa.international@wits.ac.za.
    3. Telephone: +27-11-717-1054.
What is the Wits Additional Placement Test (WAPT)?

The WAPT is a selection test for the GEMP that is written only once per year and the test is only open to invited applicants. Applicants prepare for this test purely by self-study. The content covered in the WAPT are related to the courses covered by MBBCh students in their second year of study and the knowledge is essential for future success in the degree. The Faculty recommends that all applicants start to prepare for the test once their application is submitted to enable them to perform well in the test.

 

To be invited to write the WAPT, applicants should have a completed undergraduate university degree (or be enrolled in the final year of study) at a minimum of Bachelor’s or Bachelor of Technology degree level with an average of at least 70% in the previous year of study if enrolled for the final year of study, or 70% over the final two years of completed studies. Applicants with lower averages will not be invited to the WAPT and their applications will be unsuccessful.

 

  1. The 2024 test will  be written on 3 September 2024. Additional details will be posted to the Faculty’s GEMP information webpage and those eligible to write will be notified.
  2. The practical arrangements for the test (online vs on-campus) will be communicated to the invited applicants and will be posted on this page once the decision is finalised.
  3. For the 2024 test, all applicants who meet the minimum entry criteria as listed above AND who have a minimum average for their prior studies of 70% will be invited to write the WAPT. 
  4. Applicants who have written the WAPT in 2022 and/or 2023 and who passed all three components of the test do not have to rewrite the WAPT. If the applicant did not pass any component of the WAPT the entire test must be rewritten.
  5. Applicants who have written the test in 2022 and/or 2023 may contact the Senior Faculty Officer (see contact information below) to enquire about their WAPT results and whether they are exempted from rewriting the WAPT.
  6. If the test was last written in 2021 or earlier the test must be rewritten.
  7. There is an administrative fee of R200 levied in order to write the WAPT. Payment information will be on the formal invitation letters sent to the invited applicants.

IMPORTANT: The WAPT is a Pass/Fail test only. The results of the test are NOT included into the calculated admissions score (Academic Rating).

What is covered in the WAPT?
  1. The test covers three main fields of study: Human Anatomy, Human Physiology and Molecular Medicine.
  2. The learning objectives for the 2024 test are below.
  3. Examples of the structure and answering of the questions are below: (These remain unchanged for the 2024 test)
When and where is the WAPT written?
  1. The 2024 test will  be written on Tuesday 3 September 2024. Invited applicants will be informed of the venue and the times closer to the test date.
  2. No other test dates are available and if a candidate cannot attend the test, their invitation will be deemed as rejected and their application status will be changed to unsuccessful.
What happens after the WAPT?

In order to qualify for entry into the GEMP an applicant has to pass the three components of the WAPT separately. All candidates who fail one or more components of the WAPT will be notified that their application is unsuccessful and that they will no longer be considered. The Faculty will not enter into any disputes and we will not entertain any requests for re-marks or to see the test papers. This decision is final and not open for any reconsideration under any circumstances.

The remaining applicants will be placed on a waiting list until such time that the candidates that are still completing their studies have had the opportunity to submit their final academic transcripts (before 14 December). Once this deadline has passed and the actual number of available places has been determined all applications will be ranked according to the Academic Rating and the top-rated applicants will be offered a place in the programme, while the other applications will be classified as unsuccessful. 

Calculation of the Academic Rating:
The Academic Rating is calculated by taking the average marks of the applicants final two completed year of study in their prior degree(s). Extra points are awarded for postgraduate studies.

Only completed degree studies are taken into account for the calculation of the Academic Rating. Non-degree studies are also excluded.

Financial and regulatory matters
  1. To enquire about the tuition and related fees, please contact the Wits Fees Office.
    1. Telephone: 011-717-1533/4/5/6
    2. Website: https://www.wits.ac.za/study-at-wits/financial-aid-and-scholarships-administration/
    3. E-mail: feesoffice.finance@wits.ac.za
  2. You can get an estimation of your fees on the Fees Estimator on the Self-service portal.
  3. First Aid and Computer Literacy
    It is a requirement that all undergraduate students admitted into the Faculty of Health Sciences have to complete a Level 1 First Aid course as well as a basic Computer Literacy course. Students who are already in possession of certificate(s) of completion of such courses may present the certificate(s) to the Faculty Office to apply for exemption from this requirement.
  4. Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) registration
    It is compulsory for all students registering for the MBBCh degree to be registered as a Medical Student with the HPCSA. The Faculty of Health Science will facilitate the registration process for all new students.
  5. To enquire about opportunities for financial aid or scholarships, you can contact the Wits Financial Aid and Scholarships Office.
    1.  Telephone: 011-717-1070/87
    2.  Website: http://www.wits.ac.za/financialaid
    3.  E-mail: info.finaid@wits.ac.za
Terms and Conditions
  1. The number of available places in the Graduate Entry Medical Programme is severely limited and at no stage of the application process can or will any guarantee of entry be made by any person or department. Places are limited by the number of students proceeding from MBBCh 2 into MBBCh 3 (also called GEMP 1) as well as by the number of students who are repeating the GEMP 1 year. As a result of this there is no fixed number of students accepted into the GEMP every year.
  2. Applicants who are invited to write the WAPT are in no way guaranteed a place in the programme. Furthermore, not all applicants who pass the WAPT are guaranteed a place in the programme.
  3. The WAPT dates and times may change closer to the time but the final arrangements will be communicated to all invited candidates. The deadline for notifying candidates about their invitation to the WAPT may also change at very short notice. The Faculty will send the invitations to the e-mail address and the mobile telephone number submitted by the candidate on their application and we will not take responsibility for the non-receipt of the invitations by candidates. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that their correct up-to-date contact details are available to the University.
  4. The WAPT test is subjected to internationally accepted standard-setting procedures and therefore no requests for re-marks or reviewing of scripts will be considered.
  5. The Faculty of Health Sciences reserves the right to request additional information from students and/or institutions regarding courses completed for the minimum requirements (Biology, Physics & Chemistry) to ensure that these courses are sufficient.
  6. Whilst applications from eligible international applicants are accepted, admission is not guaranteed.
  7. The Faculty reserves the right to collect biographical information from applicants which may or may not be used for further selection processes following the successful completion of the Wits Additional Placement Test.
Contacts
  1. For further enquiries:
    1. Telephone: 011-717-1888 (Student Call Centre)
    2. Website: http://www.wits.ac.za/undergraduate
    3. Online query logging: http://www.wits.ac.za/askwits
    4. Physical: Student Enrolment Centre, Ground Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House, Wits East Campus, Braamfontein
    5. Mail: Private Bag X4, Wits, 2050
  2. Wits Faculty of Health Sciences
    1. Senior Faculty Officer: Ms Tabea Lephuthing
    2. Telephone: 011-717-2029
    3. E-mail: tabea.lephuthing@wits.ac.za
    4. Physical: Office 228, Second Floor, Phillip V Tobias Health Sciences Building, 29 Princess of Wales Terrace, Parktown
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