REGISTRAR (MEDICAL) (NEUROSURGERY) (X2 POSTS) (5-Year Contract)

This position offers a five-year contract appointment as a Registrar in Neurosurgery at Groote Schuur Hospital in Observatory, a major tertiary academic hospital within the Western Cape Department of Health. The role is part of a specialist training platform that integrates clinical service with postgraduate education, and the hospital operates within an ecosystem framework that may require registrars to rotate across various facilities, including Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, New Somerset Hospital, Mitchells Plain District Hospital, Victoria Hospital, and George Provincial Hospital. The successful candidate will be appointed within a specific training complex but must be prepared to work across the broader platform as needed, ensuring comprehensive exposure to neurosurgical cases and continuity of care.

The core purpose of the role is to provide high-quality neurosurgical services under supervision while completing the requirements for specialist registration. The duties are organised into several key areas: clinical service in patient care, which includes ward management, outpatient consultations, and preoperative and postoperative assessment; clinical service in operative work, involving assisting and performing surgical procedures under guidance; clinical governance, which encompasses quality improvement, complication review, and adherence to protocols; learning, teaching, and training, where the registrar will participate in academic activities, teach junior staff and students, and engage in continuous professional development; and research, as the department expects active involvement in clinical or basic research projects. The role also demands compulsory commuted overtime, emergency and after-hours call cover, and a willingness to respond to neurosurgical emergencies at any time.

Applicants must hold a qualification that allows registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as a Medical Practitioner in Independent Practice. They must have appropriate and sufficient clinical experience since obtaining their MBChB degree and completing internal rotations, with specific knowledge and expertise in providing medical services in neurosurgery. A FCS (SA) Part 1A is required, along with a certificate of ATLS and a completed Basic Surgical Skills course. Research experience is essential, and prior experience as a medical officer in neurosurgery or other relevant neurosurgical experience is strongly preferred. Candidates who do not yet have the stipulated registration may still apply, provided they submit proof of application for registration and payment of the prescribed fees on or before the day of the interview, but this concession applies only to first-time applicants for that specific registration category.

The appointment is subject to several conditions. Registrars must register as postgraduates with the University of Cape Town according to the university’s yearbook and guidelines, and if that registration is discontinued for any reason, the registrar appointment also ceases. Employees already in service who opt to continue their pension benefits as a registrar will be required to resign after completing their registrar-ship if they are not successful in securing advertised specialist positions. Applicants must indicate any bursary obligations they have. The Department of Health is guided by the principles of Employment Equity, and specific registrar posts will be identified as part of the Affirmative Action programme to create a representative specialist cadre. Candidates with disabilities are encouraged to apply and should indicate this in their application. Preference will be given to South African citizens or permanent residents with a valid identity document. Existing employees on higher salary packages may retain their current salary position, and they are entitled to receive pay progression. No payment of any kind is required when applying, and applicants must attach an updated CV. This is an OSD-graded position with a structured package that can be tailored to individual needs, and the contract duration is fixed at five years.