Search
How to register as a community service in medicine?
Read More

How to register as a community service in medicine?

Blog

Introduction

Congratulations! You have completed your second year of medical internship. I am sure this was a very interesting period of your life. If you are lucky, you may have also received a letter of allocation from the ICSP. Yay, no more logbooks. For now.
 
So, how do you move on from internship to community service? This is a simple process but it may become very stressful. Below, we will discuss some of the steps you need to take in order to register as a community service doctor.

Requirements

Image of Form 11-A MP. This form is needed to register as a community service doctor (MP number). The image is from the Internship Logbook.
Fill out form 11-A and collect the documents below. I changed the order of the list on purpose. The top 5 documents are required by all interns. 
  1. Pay the registration fee and the pro-rata annual fees (get proof of payment).
  2. A certified copy of your ID or birth certificate. 
  3. Form 10A (both A1 and A2), “duly” completed. Please make sure that the documents are written legibly, signed, and all in black ink (signatures). HPCSA only accepts original documents. However, make a copy and keep the copies for your own proof.
  4. Completed logbook for internship training. As a side note, most interns stated that the logbooks were not “required” by the HPCSA and were handed back to the interns.
  5. Letter of employment to perform community service ( interns have also been using the letter of allocation from the ICSP ).
  6. A certified copy of your marriage certificate (if you have one lol).
  7. Letter of endorsement by the Foreign Management Workforce Programme of the National Department of Health (if you are a non-South African citizen).

Payments

You need to pay your registration fee with the pro-rata annual fees to register as a community service doctor. In case you do not understand what this is, I dedicated this section to you.
 
HPCSA collects two different types of fees (in this case). Registration fees and annual fees (check the current fees). If you have reached this stage, you might remember that throughout your career you needed to register as a medical student (R497), a student intern (R497), an intern (R529), and now as a community service doctor (R3488). This is usually a once-off payment, accompanied by an application form and the required documents. In this case, the application form is called form 11-A MP.
 
Now, you may also remember that once you became an intern (R1237), you began paying annual fees as well. Currently, the annual fee for a medical practitioner (MP) is around R3055. The annual fees are paid before 1 April and the registration is valid until 31 March of the following year. Therefore, because you will be working for 3 months as a community service with your new MP number, HPCSA requires you to pay the pro-rata annual fees instead of the full annual fees (for those 3 months – Jan, Feb, and March). Therefore, you are not charged the full annual fees (yet). This means, that once you are registered with your MP number, you still need to pay the full annual fees (before 1 April, yeah neh).
 
The best approach would be to contact HPCSA, 012 338 9300, and ask them how much you owe and how much needs to be paid. However, you can use this as a guide on how much to pay.

Banking Details

The banking details can be checked on this website. I personally used the account number under “Other moneys” and used my IN number as a reference.

Screenshot HPCSA website, Banking details found here.

1. Online Method

With the online method, one can login to their HPCSA profile and register for community service.
 
You need to find a link labeled, “Community Service Post Internship” and submit the required information. This link allows the intern to change some private information such as phone number, address, and so forth. Then, the intern is allowed to submit three documents (2022). The documents to be submitted were the following:
  1. Form 10 (A1 and A2).
  2. Appointment letter.
  3. Endorsement Letter (for non-South African citizens).
 
However, most interns scan all the documents (as described under the requirements above) and upload them under these three options. Including the proof of payment. In order words, they do not just upload 2 or 3 documents. I guess this is to make sure that everything is submitted.
 
At the end of the submission, interns are reminded to courier/post the ORIGINAL application form (documents) to the HPCSA address. I am guessing that you should exclude the logbook.

Online Steps

Screenshot HPCSA website, Online Services December 2022.

Once you login to your profile, you need to click on “Online Services” on the menu bar at the top of the page. Under the column labeled, “Online Registrations“, you can click on “Community Service Post Internship“. This will start an application process for your MP number as a community service.

Screenshot HPCSA website, Community Service Post Internship December 2022.

Once you click on “Community Service Post Internship“, you will see the form above. Read the introduction text and click on “Next” at the bottom. The next step will require you to update your personal information, then click “Next“. Review your registrations and click on “Next” until you reach the section under “Documents“. Here you will need to upload the required documents and click on “Next“. Finally, review your application, accept the declarations and submit your application. Do not forget to post your original information to the correct address. 

2. Offline Method

This method involves going to the HPCSA offices personally. Old school stuff. However, it is the one most trusted by the interns that can make the trip. Their offices are located in Arcadia, Pretoria. Once you enter the building you will need to go to the Client Care Centre or just ask the HPCSA staff to guide you. HPCSA is open Monday to Friday, usually between 8:00 to 16:30.

You will need to have all the documents stated above in the requirements section. Once you are there, you might have to wait in a queue but the process itself is very smooth and quick (thank you HPCSA staff). You are then given a reference number and voilà, you’re done! Your MP number will be sent to your cellphone or email address within 7-10 working days. This is important because without an MP number you will not get paid in that month (if received too late in January). 

PS: At the time of writing, HPCSA staff said that they would be open throughout December, except on weekends and public holidays.

Published on December 16, 2022
Dr RW Becerra Estevez
Dr RW Becerra EstevezMBChB (WSU)

Important Image

Some Text

Articles

Made with ❤️ by QuickBeat

We are a small education agency that aims to provide medical education. 

EXPLORE

SERVICES

CONTACT

Twitter Instagram

Copyright © 2022 Quickbeat​. All Rights Reserved.