The College awards two types of qualifications. These are Membership and Fellowship.
Division of Physicians
All Faculties in the Division of Physicians offer a two-tier system. Residents become eligible for election to the Membership of the College after three to four years of training and success in the different parts of the Membership examinations of the College. The successful candidates emerge as SPECIALISTS with the qualification MGCP. Details of programmes and examinations of the various specialties are available on request.
The second tier of training also lasts two to three years and leads to the Fellowship. It may be a continuing clinical training with a research component. The research could be developed into a dissertation or thesis for an academic degree. Whereas the Membership will be general, the clinical training for the Fellowship will be in specialties (“sub-specialties”) like cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, nephrology, endocrinology, dermatology, etc. Holders of the Fellowship qualify to be appointed to the CONSULTANT status, and will have the qualification FGCP.
Division of Surgeons
In the Division of Surgeons, the following Faculties offer only the Fellowship.
- Emergency Medicine – 4 years
- Neurosurgery – 5 years
Ophthalmology and ORL will run 5 to 6 – year programmes which will lead to the Fellowship. The first three years of the programme are structured in such a way that the candidates are awarded the Membership which will permit them to practise as SPECIALISTS under the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) Career Structure. When they continue their training to the end of the six years, they are awarded the Fellowship and eligibility for the CONSULTANT status in Ophthalmology or ORL.
In the other Faculties of the Division of Surgeons the training is two-tier. The first three-year period of training is labeled Surgery-in-General. After a successful three years of training, the qualification of Membership in General Surgery, MGCS, may be awarded. The holder of the qualification may be appointed a SPECIALIST under the MOH. The programme of rotation is structured as follows:
- General Surgery – 12 months
- Trauma and Orthopaedics – 4 months
- Urology – 3 months
- Anaesthesia/ Intensive Care – 3 months
- Three(3)-month elective in at least one of the following:
- Cardio-thoracic Surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Paediatric Surgery
- Plastic Surgery
A rotation in all the four above will be beneficial.
- Revision/ Examinations – 1 month
After the Membership, residents may then proceed to further training under a Fellowship in General Surgery, Trauma, Orthopaedics, Paediatric Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Urology and Cardio-thoracic Surgery.
Training for the Fellowship in these specialties will take a further two to three years, and the qualification at the end is FGCS.
The length of residency training in Orthopaedics, and in particular the extent of coverage of Surgery in General, are under active discussion.
Anaesthesia, which belongs to the Division of Surgeons, will also have a two-tier programme leading to the Fellowship. The successful completion of the first three years of structured training will end with the acquisition of the Membership. The Fellowship training will take a further two years in sub-specialties.