UCT Division of Family Medicine & Palliative Medicine

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UCT Division of Family Medicine & Palliative Medicine Divisions of Family Medicine and Interdisciplinary Palliative Care & Medicine in the UCT Department of Family, Community and Emergency Medicine (FaCE)

Family Medicine has been an independent Division in the School of Public Health and Family Medicine since 2001 and is involved in multidisciplinary community-based teaching, learning and research with a strong focus on primary care. Since 2022, we joined the Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care (FaCE). The new Division of Interdisciplinary Palliative Care & Medicine (IPCM) was also approved in 2021. The FaCE department consists of the Divisions of Family Medicine, IPCM, Emergency Medicine, the Primary Health Directorate, as well as Sports & Exercise Medicine (with Biokinetics). According to McWhinney & Freeman (2009), family physicians:

Are committed to the person rather than to a particular body of knowledge, group of diseases, or special technique;
Seek to understand the context of the illness;
See every contact with their patient as an opportunity for prevention or health education;
View the patients in their practice as a population at risk;
See themselves as part of a community-wide network of supportive and healthcare agencies;
Should ideally share the same habitat as their patients;
See patients in their homes;
Attach importance to the subjective aspects of medicine;
Manage resources.
[Reference: Textbook of Family Medicine: Ian R. McWhinney; Thomas Freeman (Third Edition) 2009 Oxford University Press pages 13-16.]


Teaching within the Division

Undergraduate programme:
Becoming a Doctor course which spans the second and third years of the curriculum. The course comprises of three strands which include Family Medicine, Clinical Skills and Languages (isiXhosa and Afrikaans). Eight week 4th year MBChB Primary Health Care block run jointly with other divisions in the School of Public Health and Family Medicine. Four week 6th year block which students spend at a Community Health Facility either in an urban or rural area and at a Hospice for the Palliative Care portion of their training. The discipline of Family Medicine was registered as a speciality in 2007 and we accepted our first intake of registrars into the MMed (Family Medicine) training programme in 2008. The registrars do their training at regional, secondary and district level facilities. We also offer a postgraduate diploma course and PhD programme in Family Medicine. The Division is involved in many individual and collaborative research projects. There is strong collaboration with all academic departments of Family Medicine in South Africa through the Education and Training Sub-Committee of the South African Academy of Family Physicians and the College of Family Physicians in the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. It has established links with other African universities as well as with other international higher education institutions. Family practitioners in private practice also assist with the teaching programme.

đź“Ł Join us for a WONCA webinar on NCD leadership!"NCD Leadership: From Policy to Patient Outcomes"đź—“ Tuesday 3 November 20...
31/10/2026

đź“Ł Join us for a WONCA webinar on NCD leadership!

"NCD Leadership: From Policy to Patient Outcomes"
đź—“ Tuesday 3 November 2026
đź•‘ 14:00-16:00 SAST (12:00-14:00 UTC)
đź’» Online via Zoom

How can family doctors lead change in noncommunicable disease (NCD) prevention and care beyond the consultation room? Dr Tamar Gabunia will share her international health policy and primary care experience, and the Fellows will present leadership challenges and proposed actions from their quality improvement projects. There will be time for discussion and Q&A.

Everyone interested in NCD leadership is welcome: family doctors, registrars, primary care professionals, educators, public health practitioners and programme managers. Please share with your colleagues.

Programme details: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/NCD_Leadership_Webinar.aspx

Register: https://eu01web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z1IBfhqBRWyDE8BZeHrO9g #/registration

One week to go.

What does leadership in NCD care look like in everyday family medicine?

At WONCA's webinar on 3 November, members of the Young Family Doctors NCD Fellowship will share challenges, experiences and proposed actions from their ongoing quality improvement projects. Dr Tamar Gabunia will explore the connections between policy and practice, with interactive discussion and cross-project learning.

NCD Leadership: From Policy to Patient Outcomes
Tuesday, 3 November | 12:00-14:00 UTC (13:00-15:00 CET)
Register: https://eu01web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z1IBfhqBRWyDE8BZeHrO9g

Celebrating our Division of Family Medicine team! 🌿On Thursday, 29 October 2026, our team came together with colleagues ...
29/10/2026

Celebrating our Division of Family Medicine team! 🌿

On Thursday, 29 October 2026, our team came together with colleagues from the Division of Interdisciplinary Palliative Care and Medicine for our six-year curriculum review. This was a joint conversation about the teaching our two divisions share.

We reflected on progress and planning, considered student feedback, and discussed matters relating to our service learning platforms. We also explored the opportunities presented by the Faculty's current curriculum transformation process.

Thank you to every colleague for your commitment, insight and energy. Together, we are working to train primary care clinicians who are well suited and prepared for the South African district health system.



Family, Community and Emergency Care UCT Faculty of Health Sciences South African Academy of Family Physicians - SAAFP Western Cape Government Health and Wellness

28/10/2026

We would like to friendly reminder to continue your membership and remain part of a strong community dedicated to advancing Family Medicine in South Africa. As a member of the SAAFP, you are not only investing in your own professional growth and development as a Family Physician, but you are also supporting the broader Family Medicine community.

Your membership enables us to advocate on behalf of Family Physicians across the country, including those who may not have the opportunity to advocate for themselves. In addition, it supports our registrars, who are the future leaders and practitioners of Family Medicine.

Your continued support strengthens our collective voice and helps us advance the interests of the profession while improving healthcare outcomes for the communities we serve.

We encourage you to renew your membership at your earliest convenience and continue enjoying the many benefits of being an SAAFP member.

Thank you for your support and commitment to Family Medicine

22/10/2026
22/10/2026

Members of the South African Academy of Family Physicians - SAAFP research committee (Bob Mash, Febi Ajudua, Mergan Naidoo, Klaus von Pressentin) have just published a national evaluation of the family medicine intern rotation in South Africa. While showing that the rotation meets most of the intended outcomes it also points towards aspects that can be improved and strengthened. Read the full article at https://doi.org/10.4102/safp.v68i1.6363

18/10/2026

Where can avoidable harm enter the NCD journey?

During WONCA’s World Patient Safety Day 2026 webinar, speakers looked beyond the consultation room to prevention, early diagnosis, medication safety, daily life, care transitions and the wider systems around patients.

The discussion also focused on practical steps family doctors and primary care teams can take to make care safer.

Watch the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xKFNIJNHHg

18/10/2026
18/10/2026

How can family doctors lead improvements in noncommunicable disease (NCD) care beyond the consultation room?

Join WONCA on Tuesday, 3 November for NCD Leadership: From Policy to Patient Outcomes, an interactive webinar exploring the links between policy, primary care and communities.

Dr Tamar Gabunia (Georgia) will examine how family physicians can influence NCD prevention and care through leadership, collaboration and advocacy.

You'll also hear from WONCA's Young Family Doctors NCD Fellows about challenges and proposed actions from their ongoing quality improvement projects.

Tuesday, 3 November | 12:00-14:00 UTC (13:00-15:00 CET)

Register: https://eu01web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_z1IBfhqBRWyDE8BZeHrO9g

The WONCA Young Family Doctors NCD Fellowship is funded by an independent educational grant from AstraZeneca.

18/10/2026

In the very first instalment of our "See You in Cape Town" article series, we explore how the growth of Family Medicine in Zambia connects to a wider continental community—sharing knowledge, building research capacity, and looking ahead to 2027.

Head over to our website to read the full story. https://www.woncaworld2027.org/promotion/see-you-at-the-conference

World Organization of Family Doctors - WONCA

Address

Division Of Family Medicine, Department Of Family, Community And Emergency Care (FaCE), Falmouth Building (2nd Floor, Entrance 5), Faculty Of Health Sciences, University Of Cape Town, Anzio Road, Cape
Observatory
7925

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00

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