Community Service Reviews

CMSA Accreditations:
DCH(SA) DCH(SA)
Dip Obst(SA) Dip Obst(SA)

Rural Allowance: Yes

Duration of Rotation: 12 months

Doctors Quarters:

• No comments yet.

Academics:

• There are no official programmes. They have it in your contract now that you are not allowed study leave despite the HPCSA allowing it and discourage you from studying towards extra courses or diplomas. They are no longer accredited for any diplomas.
• Next to nothing apart from some presentations which no one attends except maybe the comserves so you might as well just read up on the topic yourself rather.
• Fair.

Supervision:

• All the current staff are junior MOs apart from 1 specialist and a grade 2 MO. Staff are not interested in teaching new skills but expect you to have them and the referral hospital (Rob Ferriera) often doesn’t take patients you are unable to manage as they still believe the staff is more experienced and that we can cope with the cases. Many of the MOs also have a private practice that they work at.
• There is no supervision. You’re told “we’re all the same” so even though you are the most junior person in the room you’re expected to function completely independently for the most part. You will be thrown under the bus and you will not be supported.

Clinical Exposure:

• You will have to manage everything from trauma off the scene of an accident to preterm neonates and high risk obstetrics – you will deal with the first presentation of all kinds of conditions and will hone your clinical and diagnostic skills.
• Purely because you have to sink or swim, you will be exposed to and expected to do things that you really probably shouldn’t be doing (at least not without adequate training or supervision, of which you will get none). You will to do a lot of things and you will learn to do them wrong because you will learn from YouTube and reading something on the internet and no practical guidence because you just have to get it done.

Departments worked in:

• Surgery, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Anaesthetics, Psychiatry, Emergency Department, OPD’s – The departments are very unofficial- no one is specifically trained in any skills apart from the grade 2 MO who has an interest in surgery, and the family medicine physician who heads up OPD. They are not interested in allowing you time in a department you enjoy – “you are here to serve the community” is the mantra. If you are keen you will get to practice cutting during the day – you are expected to manage any and all conditions over weekends and after hours.
• Surgery, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Anaesthetics, Psychiatry, ARV clinic, Emergency Department, OPD’s.
• Internal Medicine, Surgery, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Anaesthetics, Psychiatry, ARV clinic, Emergency Department, OPD’s.
• Internal Medicine, Surgery, Orthopaedics, Paediatrics, Anaesthetics, Emergency Department, OPD’s.

Social Scene:

• This is very dependant on who the other community service doctors are who you work with and if you get along. It is very isolated from other areas and there are few restaurants or places to go out – you have some option of tours regarding local history, otherwise you have to go to Nelspruit or elsewhere in Mpumalanga.
• What social scene?

Additional Comments:

• Currently its a very hostile work environment, everyone is burnt out and the staff are very junior. Try to apply with friends or people you can rely on and remember to prioritize your mental health and furthering your skills even if it isn’t supported.
• Could be an amazing hospital to work in. Nurses are great for the most part but the lack of accountability and team work from the doctors side and the lack of adequate management makes the whole experience unpleasant. Comm servs are left to pick up the pieces.
• This center has such great potential. The work environment is toxic. This experience was worse than internship on many levels but especially psychologically because you are on your own! (being taught independence is one thing but what happens here is responsibility shifting at its finest). The worse part is being in an environment where you have to 1. Fight with your colleagues (other doctors, nurses, the lab tech, pharmacy etc) just to do the right thing. 2. Having people around you expect you to participate in “teamwork” when they are in need but the favour is never returned. 3.if you are a comserve, noone cares about you. On any level. You are on your own. There are 2 or 3 good apples but for the most part you will either be left to suffer alone or worse you will be thrown under any and all busses. There is no accountability and no ownership and that is so unfortunate for such a potentially lovely place.