Abstract
This article outlines the development of post-graduate physiotherapy education in South Africa and the problems encountered. The method and results of two surveys are discussed. The first, conducted in 1986, ascertained involvement and interest in post-graduate study, and the reasons for non-participation. The respondents’ needs and preferences were also analysed. The second (1989) survey investigated the extent to which universities were meeting these needs. The difference between clinical specialisation and academic post-graduate study is discussed and the progress made in the former is detailed.Proposals are made for overcoming current problems in postgraduate programmes, including delineating objectives and competencies, optimum management of existing resources and developing new resources. The question remains as to whether the direction in which post-graduate programmes are developing at present can be justified in terms of the needs of the population.
Highlights
The need for post-graduate education has been established, but we need an in-depth look at post-graduate education pro grammes in order to establish objectives and competencies, as well as course structures which will satisfy the needs in this country
We need to differentiate between clinical specialisation - with its firstworld connotations - and academic post-graduate education and research which may equip today’s graduate students to deal with tomorrow’s complexity of health problems
Our only way of achiev ing this, within the bounds of the present economic standstill, is to pool existing resources and develop creative new ways of disseminat ing knowledge and expertise
Summary
This article outlines the development of post-graduate physiotherapy education in South Africa and the problems encountered. Post-graduate physiotherapy education in South Africa is still in its infancy. In 1985 the South African Society of Physiotherapy adopted, for the first time, a set of long-term objectives. These included a section on post-graduate education. This is probably a reflec tion of the economic pressures of the last five years (including the very poor salary structure for physiotherapists in the public sector) as well as the relative inexperience of South African physiotherapists in research methodology and implementation.
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