Current research interests and projects: Healthcare systems; Access to Care; Prehospital call centre & dispatch; Language barriers; Dealing with death in the emergency setting; Education in emergency medicine
Capstone assignment title: A brief examination and critique of the culture, processes, and issues around assessment of the Doctoral Dissertation
Capstone assignment abstract: The Doctoral Qualification is regarded by academics as the pinnacle of academic qualifications, something that all full-time academics should aspire to as the culmination of the postgraduate student’s research learning process, and the highest level of knowledge transfer. (Alexander & Davis, 2019) Universities are measured not only by the number of staff with a PhD, but by their student PhD graduations as well as the timespan and attrition in these graduations. (Botha, Kuria, Özgören, & Wilde, 2021) The PhD thesis is the written outcome of usually 3-4 years full time work, under the supervision of an expert supervisor or supervisory team, having harnessed the available resources of the institution to create new knowledge. Being granted a PhD is often a gateway to employment, grant opportunities and respect across not only academia, but also industry. (Ortega & Kent, 2018) Thus the examination of the PhD thesis is a high stake assessment, with much at stake for the student, supervisor(s), department and university. Yet the process remains shrouded in some mystique, historically handled by a small number of elite academics and administrators at the helm of such processes. This brief review will look at the PhD examination process, specifically in South Africa, but with a broader view of the processes, the challenges and issues, and potential solutions in this rapidly evolving and growing persuit.
