MEDICAL SPECIALIST GRADE 1 TO 3 (TRAUMA/ ACUTE NEUROSURGERY)

Requirements

Minimum educational qualification: Appropriate qualification that allows registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as a Medical Specialist in Neurosurgery. Registration with a professional council: Registration with the HPCSA as a Medical Specialist in Neurosurgery. Experience: Grade 1: No experience required after registration with the HPCSA as a Medical Specialist in Neurosurgery. Grade 2: A minimum of 5 years’ appropriate experience after registration with the HPCSA (or a recognised foreign professional council in the case of a foreign-qualified employee) as a Medical Specialist in Neurosurgery. Grade 3: A minimum of 10 years’ appropriate experience after registration with the HPCSA (or a recognised foreign professional council in the case of a foreign-qualified employee) as a Medical Specialist in Neurosurgery. Inherent requirements of the job: Valid driver's license. Commuted overtime is compulsory and participation in the after-hours neurosurgical call system is required. Ability to provide emergency specialist neurosurgical care in a high-acuity, high-volume tertiary trauma environment. Ability to work across inpatient, theatre, critical care, emergency and consultative service areas, and to support referral pathways within the Tygerberg Hospital ecosystem when required. Competencies (knowledge/skills): Advanced clinical, peri-operative and operative competency in Neurosurgery, with particular competence in traumatic brain injury, spinal trauma and other acute neurosurgical emergencies. Sound specialist judgement, prioritisation and decision-making in time-critical neurological emergencies, including appropriate escalation and resource stewardship. Ability to function effectively in a complex, resource-constrained public health system and within multidisciplinary trauma, critical care and surgical teams. Effective leadership, communication and interpersonal skills, including supervision and training of junior medical staff and students. Computer literacy and the ability to use clinical data, audit, morbidity and mortality review and outcomes tracking to support service improvement. Insight into clinical governance, patient safety, equity, transformation and the challenges of local healthcare delivery. Research, audit, publication or formal quality-improvement experience.

Duties

Provide safe, timely and evidence-informed specialist neurosurgical care for emergency, trauma, inpatient, outpatient and operative patients. Participate actively in the neurosurgical emergency and after-hours service, including assessment, prioritisation and definitive management of acute referrals. Provide specialist care for traumatic brain injury, spinal trauma and other acute cranial and spinal neurosurgical conditions, including peri-operative and critical care decision-making. Contribute to efficient theatre utilisation, patient flow, referral management and multidisciplinary trauma and critical care pathways. Supervise, mentor and train registrars, medical officers, interns, students and other healthcare professionals, and participate in undergraduate and postgraduate academic programmes. Participate in clinical governance, morbidity and mortality review, audit, quality improvement, protocol development and patient-safety activities. Contribute to research, data collection and data-driven service redesign aimed at improving access, quality, safety and outcomes across the neurosurgical and trauma ecosystem. Undertake relevant administrative, medico-legal and departmental responsibilities as delegated by the Head of Neurosurgery and institutional management.

Where to send your application

Applications are submitted online via www.westerncape.gov.za/health-jobs (click “online applications”).

Enquiries

Ms M Brand, E-mail: mbran@sun.ac.za

Note

No payment of any kind is required when applying for this post. This is a 12-month contract post intended to strengthen specialist neurosurgical capacity within the trauma and acute neurosurgical platform at Tygerberg Hospital. “Candidates who are not in possession of the stipulated registration requirements may also apply. Such candidates will only be considered for appointment on condition that proof of application for registration with the relevant council and proof of payment of the prescribed registration fees to the relevant council are submitted on or before the day of the interview. This concession is only applicable on health professionals who apply for the first time for registration as Medical Specialist in Neurosurgery with the relevant council (including individuals who must apply for change in registration status).

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