Surgical training and capacity development in the South African internship programme

Medical practitioners in South Africa manage a quadruple burden of disease. Junior doctors, who contribute significantly to the health workforce, must complete 2 years of internship training and 1 year of community service work in state health facilities after graduation to register as an independent medical practitioner. The aim of this article is to give a critical appraisal of the current national internship programme and why it was implemented, and outline suggestions for future changes. There is a compelling need to train competent, confident doctors while ensuring that the requirements and demands of our health system remain a central concern.