Since 2010 · 116,000+ graduates

Hands-on skill is the difference between getting in and standing out.

Build real confidence before ever touching a patient. Learn in person from practicing doctors and surgeons.

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Upcoming events

Region
Type
Applications open

Cape Town, CT

Cape Town, WC, South Africa 15 - 18 December 2026

Who it is for

High School Students in Grade 9 to 12. Post-matric also welcome to apply.

Applications close on 5 December 2026

View this event and apply

Past events

Missed one? Leave your details on its card and we will email you when the next date in that area is announced.

116,000+

Training event graduates

100%

Attendee endorsement rate

Just some of the organizations that use or have used Apprentice Doctor simulation training products or services

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Organizations that use Apprentice Doctor training products
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What actually happens at an event

Students work in a simulation lab under supervision, on the procedures a junior doctor is expected to know. They are taught by people who do this work for a living, who watch every attempt and show them how to adjust it.

  • Learn and practice suturing, with live feedback from experienced surgeons
  • Control and stop a life-threatening bleed pouring out at 120/80 mmHg or higher
  • Set a broken bone, for several types of fracture
  • Scrub for surgery and master the key subject of sterility and asepsis
  • Draw blood, and find a vein when it stubbornly refuses to be found
  • Lower your medico-legal risk in practice by understanding behavioural science
  • Go beyond academics, to compassion and to understanding what suffering looks like

The programme, its length and the skills covered differ by event. Each event page lists its own.

See upcoming events

Why this matters

  • Only about 16.5% of students who enter college as pre-med make it to medical school
  • At least half of the students who start medical school drop out, at enormous cost in time and money
  • Nearly 75% of medical students change their specialty preference along the way

What a student leaves with

  • Certainty about whether a career in medicine is really for them, before the fees start
  • An accurate, realistic understanding of medical school and the career after it
  • A stronger application, with real experience and an accredited, signed certificate
  • Direct feedback from seasoned medical professionals while they work
“The days of getting into medical school with only top grades to offer are forever gone. Students need to load their resumés with a lot more. They must convince the selection committee that they are earnest about becoming a doctor by adding the extras that will distinguish them from the average applicant.”

Professor Andrew Mason, former selection committee member of several medical schools

What families say afterwards

Every quote below is from a parent or a student who attended.

“When your child returns home after a weekend and you almost don't recognise her, it is just phenomenal! Grandpa and grandma were in tears when they saw her in her scrubs, knowing she is now working towards the best possible chance of getting into medical school. Thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”

Coetzer family
Parent

“Dear Dr. Anton, Sr Annette and Team. When your heart bursts in your chest with pride and excitement, it really is hard to find words to thank you! This experience did not only confirm that Janine wants to pursue a career in medicine, it is now carved in stone!”

Jayla and Andrew
Parents of a 2021 graduate

“My daughter had the time of her life with this course! She loved everything! Thank you so much for inspiring her to work even harder to accomplish her dream of becoming a doctor.”

Chanel Rautenbach Gouws
Parent, Randfontein

From previous events

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Questions parents ask first

Who can apply?

It differs from event to event. Every event states its own eligibility, on the card in the list above and again at the top of the event page. If you are not sure your child qualifies, ask us before you apply and we will tell you straight.

Who supervises the students?

Practicing clinicians run the training, with support staff on the floor. The team for a given event is named on that event’s page. Groups are kept small enough that every student does the procedures rather than watching from the back.

When do we pay?

Nothing is taken when you apply. If your child is accepted we email a secure payment link, and you can settle in full or pay a deposit with the balance later.

Do you arrange travel and accommodation?

Students make their own arrangements. We will recommend accommodation nearby on request, and we confirm the venue as soon as a place is secured.

What is the certificate worth on an application?

It is a signed record of the procedures your child practiced and the hours they put in. Selection committees read it as evidence that the interest is real, which is exactly what a transcript cannot show.

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Apprentice Doctor Online Academy gives you the knowledge and hands-on practice you need to master clinical skills BEFORE touching a real patient.

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