Browsing by Author "Cloete, David Allan"

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    The Diploma in Primary Emergency Care (DipEC) - a survey of its graduates, their perceptions & subsequent trends
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-12) Cloete, David Allan; Jooste, Willem J. L.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Family and Emergency Medicine. Emergency Medicine.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : Background: Emergency Medicine (EM) is a relatively young specialty in South Africa (SA). The Diploma in Primary Emergency Care (DipPEC), from the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA), aims to prepare non-specialist physicians in managing urgent and emergent patients, thereby indirectly elevating the practice of emergency care in SA. Over the last 6 years the popularity of this diploma has increased dramatically. It is not known who applies for the DipPEC, why they applied, what training they received prior to entry or how the qualification has influenced their career paths. Objectives: To quantify and describe the demographics of DipPEC graduates, including their motivations and perceived benefits regarding the qualification, in order to understand the current role in the SA health care setting. Secondary aims included reviewing graduates’ perceptions of EM training both at an undergraduate and postgraduate level; as well as providing the CMSA with insight for future planning. Methods: Following ethical approval from Stellenbosch University and the CMSA, an esurvey was distributed to the DipPEC graduates from 2012-2017. The quantitative and qualitative data collected, were analysed with simple descriptive statistics and scrutinized for common themes. The CMSA Transactions publication was used to collate numbers of graduates from 2012-2017. Results: 293 responses out of 526 graduates were received. Annual graduate numbers increased from 28 in 2012 to 133 in 2017. 89% of participants were less than 35 years of age and 81% obtained the DipPEC within 5 years of completing their internship. 80% spent 6 months in an EC during their community service year to qualify to sit the examination. 76% of graduates felt their undergraduate training prepared them inadequately to treat emergent patients and 72% sat the DipPEC primarily to improve their EM knowledge. Conclusion: The DipPEC has dramatically increased in popularity, and comes highly recommended by its graduates. The main driving force behind sitting the examination is to increase EM knowledge, and there appears to be an overt dissatisfaction by many health professionals with the EM training received at a junior level.