How to Become a Military Doctor in South Africa

This article contains everything you need to know on how to become a Military Doctor in South Africa

There is no way you can jump through the South African Military Health Service if you want to become a military doctor in South Africa. The South African Military Health Service is the branch of the South African National Defence Force responsible for medical facilities and the training and deployment of all medical personnel within the force. Though unusual, as most national militaries integrate their medical structures into their existing service branches, the SANDF regards this structure as being the most efficient method of providing care and support to the SANDF’s personnel. It is a significant actor in the effort to control HIV/AIDS within the SANDF.

Down Memory Lane

The Academy was established on April 1, 1950, under the auspices of the University of Pretoria and the South African Military College (now the South African Army College) in Voortrekkerhoogte (now Thaba Tswane), to elevate students to a BA (Mil) or BSc (Mil) degree to meet the intercultural challenges of modern war.

In 1953, the newly elected National Party Minister of Defence, Frans Erasmus, wanting to establish the Military Academy as a separate, independent, all-service institution, decided to relocate the academy to Saldanha, his political constituency. In Pretoria, it catered for army and air force students only. It became a faculty of the University of Stellenbosch, which now awards a B Mil degree to successful students. The Military Academy was organizationally divorced from the South African Army College on February 1, 1956. Its headquarters temporarily shifted to Stellenbosch, while suitable accommodations were built at Saldanha, which was his own constituency. The headquarters of the Military Academy moved to Saldanha in December 1957, and in February 1958, the first students, second and third-years, reported at Saldanha.

The South African Defence Force’s increasing involvement in the Border War from the mid-1970s produced an increased demand for junior officers, with the result that the Defence Force decided that junior officers should be “task qualified” within their respective services before becoming eligible for admission to the Military Academy. The degree course at the Military Academy was thus excluded from the development cycle of junior officers from 1976, admittance to the Academy then became an option for those who wished to obtain a university degree.

To ensure a healthy military community, we need to provide a comprehensive, excellent, and self-supporting multidisciplinary military health service that ensures a healthy military community.

The Military Health Vision

The vision to establish a healthy military community will be our driving force.

The Military Health Mission

The SAMHS will plan and execute these activities according to the mission formulated as “To support the SANDF by providing quality health services for the full range of military deployments and to sustain the health of members of the armed forces, their families and others eligible for care by the SAMHS”.

Theme

“A World-class Clinical Service” is the theme within the SAMHS is operating and delivering service.

Motto

“We serve the brave,”(or ‘Audaces Servamus’) confirms our service delivery responsibility. The SAMHS is a “One Force” consisting of regulars, reserves and civilian personnel, the “Core Force” with core growth capabilities to be able to grow to a “Growth Force” to support major conflict operations.

1. a. The SAMHS provides, prepares and employs military health forces in joint and independent operations and support and sustains operations within the concept of jointness.
2. The SAMHS renders support within the human battle space1 in a layered defence system with a stepped-up health approach. Defence thus requires Force Health Protection and Health Sustenance utilizing best value evidence-based quality health services to ensure world-class clinical service.

The South African Military Academy is based on similar principles to that of the Military Academy system of the United States (United States Military Academy, United States Naval Academy, United States Air Force Academy). The Academy is a military unit of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) housing the Faculty of Military Science of the University of Stellenbosch.

It provides officers of all the Arms of Service an opportunity to earn a BMil or more advanced degrees.

Entry requirements to University of Stellenbosch Faculty Of Military Science

Prospective applicants for full-time undergraduate study must meet the following requirements:

• Be a member of the SANDF;
• Comply with the requirements for medical fitness as laid down by the Surgeon General;
• Have a matriculation exemption with a minimum of a D- aggregate;
• Comply with the minimum academic entrance admission requirements as prescribed by the Stellenbosch University​;
• Candidates must be computer literate before commencing with their studies.
• Be recommended by the Military Academy Selection Board;
• Accommodation is provided for single individuals.
• Qualifications offered
• All qualifications offered by the Faculty are conferred by Stellenbosch University.

Campus

It is situated on the West Coast in the town of Saldanha, set against the scenic slopes of Malgaskop, overlooking Saldanha Bay.

Students

About 300 men and women represent the four Arms of Service.

Faculty

There are forty-eight members of the Faculty of Military Science who form an integrated group of military and civilian lecturers.

Programs

A three-year bachelor’s degree in Military Science (B. Mil) is awarded to students upon graduation in December. The B. Mil is the generic title for the degree which may be undertaken in two different fields, these being Natural Science (equivalent to BSc) and Social Sciences (equivalent to BA). Traditionally, Natural Science has been considered as the premiere degree due to the highly quantitative nature of its course contents (i.e. Mathematics, Physics). After graduation, they rejoin their Arm of Service to serve as officers. Post-graduate qualifications at masters and doctoral level are also offered.

Recognized Military Medicine Schools in South Africa

The SAMHS is part of the SANDF that deals with the training and allocating of health personnel within the force. After the birth of the SANDF out of the integration of the old SADF and other resistance movements, the SAMHS was formed on 1st July 1979. The Service incorporates other South African Military Health Services such as psychology, veterinary, and other social work branches. Mission The Health mission is ‘to support the SANDF by providing quality health services for the full range of armed forces deployments and to sustain the health members and armed forces and their families, and others eligible for SAMHS.’

SAMHS Structure

The service employs roughly 400 medical doctors and private medical specialists are sometimes appointed to supplement the staff of the SAMHS.

The Surgeon General heads the SAMHS and has the rank of Lieutenant-General. The SAMHS operates three Military Hospitals; one in Pretoria, one in Cape Town and one in Bloemfontein. There are also four specialized institutes –

1. The Institute for Aviation Medicine,
2. The Institute for Maritime Medicine,
3. The Military Veterinary Institute and
4. The Military Psychological Institute.

Together, these units provide comprehensive medical care for military personnel and their dependents, as well as the police and employees of other security-related government departments, and occasionally to neighbouring countries. The SAMHS also provides extensive veterinary services for animals (mainly horses and dogs) used by the security and correctional services.

The Institute for Aviation Medicine and the Institute for Maritime Medicine screen pilot candidates for the air force and for civilian aviation certification, as well as divers and submariners for the navy.

The military’s medical services also include general medical and dental care, and specialized rehabilitation services.

The SAMHS is organized into regional medical commands, corresponding to the army’s regional commands, as well as a Medical Logistics Command and a Medical Training Command. The regional commands support military units, military base hospitals, and military unit sickbays in their region. The Medical Logistics Command is responsible for medical logistics only, as each service provides for its own logistics support.

Also, the Medical Training Command supervises the South African Medical Service College, the South African Military Health Service Nursing College, and the South African Military Health Service Training Centre, as well as the military hospitals’ training programs. The nursing college, in Pretoria, grants a four-year nursing diploma in association with the University of South Africa. Specialized, in-service training courses for nurses and nursing assistants are also available.

The SA Military Health Service departments

There is the regional medical command whose purpose is to provide support to the Army’s units, hospitals, and unit sickbays in their respective regions. The Medical Logistics Command is responsible for the logistics of phar-maceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, medical equipment, and any other devices needed to support the doctors and nurses in the Army.

The Medical Training Command oversees the South African Medical Institution, the South African Military Health Service Nursing College, and the SAMHS Training Centre. This unit has also partnered with other establishments such as the University of South Africa to provide a four-year training programme in nursing.

The SAMHS also works with the SA Military Academy, which is another unit of the SANDF, to provide private military training for civilians in South Africa. The Academy houses the School of Military at the University of Stellenbosch, offering a three-year bachelor’s degree in Military Science, which includes the fields of Natural science and Social sciences. The Academy offers postgraduate programmes at the masters and doctorate levels.

The SAMHS works with the Military Skills Development System to recruit citizens, allowing them to join private military training in South Africa.

Careers in the Department of Defence

The Department of Defence employs young, fit and healthy candidates who are Citizens of the Republic of South Africa. New members will serve for a two-year period to augment the SANDF’s deployment capability. At the expiring of the two-year term contract, the majority of each intake will be channeled into the SA National Defence Force and the rest to the Reserve Force. Only the best of the best will be selected for continued service in the SA National Defence Force.

The South African Military Health Service requirements

To join the Service, one must:

• Be an SA citizen (no dual citizenship)
• Be preferably single
• Not bound to a certain area
• Have no criminal record
• Be physically and medically fit
• Be 26 years if you have a degree or a diploma
• Be 18-22 years having completed grade 12
• Comply with medical fitness requirements for appointment in the South African National Defence Force;
• Be prepared to do Basic Military Training, Functional Training and to serve in uniform.

Who can go to the military hospital?

Only the Army and their dependents can be served in an armed forces hospital. The South African Military Health Service is a vital unit in SA, not only providing medical services to its people but also creating employment opportunities for the youth.

Voluntary Service in the Military

In the first year of voluntary service, members can expect to receive basic military training and functional training; corps specific training; participation in practical military exercises; combat-ready training exercises and selection of junior leaders.

During the second year of training, junior leaders (Officers) receive leader group corps training. Members also undergo young officers’ formative training and officers are selected to study at the Military Academy. There is also a focus on the utilisation and deployment of Military Skills Development System troops.

Military Skills Development System members will receive wages for the duration of their two-year full-time training and utilisation.

On successful completion of basic military training, the intake will undergo further training in musterings ranging from fire and emergency services through to chefs and other support functions in the SA National Defence Force (SANDF). Combat mustering for further training in the landward (SA Army) and maritime (SA Navy) services are also possible.

MSDS recruits spend two years in uniform and while this service is no guarantee of further – permanent or semi-permanent – employment in the South African military, there are instances where those who have completed the two years voluntary service are offered short term employment contracts in the national defence force’s full-time component. The Reserve Force is generally where MSDs who find themselves not accepted by the full-time force go to apply and utilise their military skills.

Application form

The application form can be obtained from any SANDF recruitment office or downloaded from the Navy website.

Conclusion

Internationally it is a standard principle that members of a defence force who risk physical psychological and social exposure, injuries, disablement or death in service of their country, can depend on a dedicated health service that is guaranteed, comprehensive, available anywhere at all times, and thus supportive.

This international norm places a moral obligation on a country to guarantee provision on its defence force for a military health service that renders continuous operational health support. Thus,the SANDF needs a health capability that is trained in and interlinked with the doctrine of combatant forces.

Having a medical degree is not enough to be a military doctor, you need to undergo specialized training to be fit for the intricacies of the job.