MEDICAL SPECIALIST GRADE 1,2,3 REF NO: GS 20/26 Component: General Surgery Department

This vacancy is for a Medical Specialist in General Surgery, graded at levels 1, 2, or 3, based at Grey’s Hospital within the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Hospitals Complex in KwaZulu-Natal. The position sits within the General Surgery Department and carries an all-inclusive package structured as 70% basic salary and 30% flexible portion, with commuted overtime subject to departmental needs and an annual contract signing requirement. The role is a senior clinical and managerial post, requiring the incumbent to lead and run the Breast, Endocrine and Renal Surgery Unit while contributing to the broader general surgery service across the complex.

Candidates must hold a Grade 12 or Senior Certificate, an MBChB or equivalent medical degree, and qualifications that permit registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa as a Medical Specialist in General Surgery, including completion of the FCS (SA) and MMED, along with adequate time in a general surgery registrar programme. Current HPCSA registration as a specialist in general surgery is required, though applicants awaiting registration may apply provided they are registered before commencing employment. Experience requirements vary by grade: Grade 1 requires no prior experience, though foreign candidates need one year of relevant experience post-registration; Grade 2 requires five years of appropriate experience (six for foreign candidates); and Grade 3 requires ten years (eleven for foreign candidates). The post demands sound knowledge of specialist-level procedures and protocols, human resource management, financial management including expenditure monitoring and the Essential Drug List, policy analysis and implementation, strategic and project management, information management, total quality management, legal aspects, and all applicable health acts and regulations.

The core duties involve delivering in-patient and out-patient general surgery services, with a particular focus on breast and endocrine services, managing general surgery patients, assisting with the surgical database, and acting as intern curator when required. The specialist will supervise surgical trainees and interns, ensure the highest standards of clinical, professional and ethical behaviour, and undertake teaching of interns, undergraduate medical students, postgraduate trainees and allied health personnel. Research is expected within the ethical guidelines of the Health Care Act, alongside promoting cancer prevention education and developing management protocols aligned with hospital and departmental policies. The role also encompasses comprehensive human resource management, including staff oversight, training and development, recruitment and selection per government prescripts, performance assessment, and allocation of personnel to wards and call rosters. Quality assurance measures, outreach services across the Pietermaritzburg complex and Area 2, collaboration with other hospitals, cost control against the allocated budget, participation in academic and clinical meetings, and continuous professional development are all integral to the position. The incumbent reports to the Head of Department and may be assigned additional duties as required.

Applicants should note that the application process does not require submission of qualification copies at the initial stage; only the new Z83 form and a detailed curriculum vitae are needed, with the Z83 form being the version gazetted in November 2020. The closing date and application instructions are provided separately, and enquiries may be directed to the Acting Head Clinical Department.