Publication rate of 309 MMed dissertations submitted between 1996 and 2017: Can registrars fulfil HPCSA Form 57 MED amendments?

Conversion of the South African MMed dissertation into a journal-accredited scientific article was achieved in 60.3% of publication-ready-format submissions, suggesting that the HPCSA amendment facilitating specialist registration is attainable. Retrospective reviews of dissertations provide valuable insights to improve understanding of the contentious issue of the registrar research requirement that permits specialist registration.