Rural Allowance: No
Doctors Quarters:
- None available
- No DQ’s
- None available.
- None, but get housing allowance.
- No doctors quarters but they gave a stipend to pay for approved accommodation.
Academics:
- Depends on the department
- There are some departments with many consultants and others with only 1 or 2. You do however have weekly to bi-weekly academic presentations in most departments, but not really academic wardrounds.
- Varies from department to department. All in all not much academics and teaching.
- Depends on discipline.
- They’re aren’t full on with regards to teaching but you get hands on experience.
- The academics depend on the department you’re in. Some departments have a set academic calendar with scheduled teaching (e.g. family medicine), while other departments are far more practical and you learn by doing. It’s a good balance between theory and practice.
Supervision:
- Always help available
- You get to do so many things if you’re interested, seeing as there are no registrars to compete with to do stuff. I’ve done CVP’s, A-lines, ICD’s, bone marrows, cardioversions, many pleural and ascites taps, many spinals and LP’s, lipoma excisions, abscess drainage etc. all under supervision of an MO or commserv.
- Always a senior MO or comserve to assist.
- Always on call with a medical officer on site. Generally well staffed.
- You call with comservs, and sometimes MOs. Supervision depends on the department, help is there when you need it. You’re never alone.
- Excellent quality supervision. There is always a senior on site or a phone call away in first year. You’ll be fine if you follow instructions well and learn to think on your feet. Second year demands a bit more independence but you learn from your peers as well.
Clinical Exposure:
- You learn so much
- As above.
- You will see lots of different cases in all departments.
- Hands on approach. No registrars so lots of opportunities to do procedures.
- Great clinical exposure. Hands on experience. Lots of people who were here end up doing reg time at for instance Tygerberg hospital.
- The facility is the referral centre for the NC, so you’ll see everything from primary up to tertiary level. Each department is focused on equipping you with skills to practice safely and independently. Surgical exposure is a bit limited due to theatre constraints, but if you show enthusiasm, you’ll get exposed to everything you need to see.
Social Scene:
- There’s not much to do in Kimberley so you make lots of friends. The choice is yours if you want to make it a great 2 years or if you want an average 2 years.
There are so many commservs and interns in Kimberley (over 80, and that’s just the doctors, not even the allies added) so you know someone in every department and around every corner there’s someone you know. It helps a lot when you need advice. - Not much to do in Kimberley. Very few cool places and things to do.
- Lots of junior doctors in the same boat as you.
- Great if you’re a social person. Flights to Cape Town is affordable and JHB is a 5 hour drive away.
- There’s not much to do in Kimberley, so if you go, it’s best you go with friends or make friends quickly. The social scene is mostly bars, clubs and restuarants. You might have to make the occasional 2 hour trip to Bloem on the weekend to have something to do. Everyone is quite friendly at the hospital so it’s easy to get along with most people.
Additional Comments:
- It’s a hands on place to do your internship, and will help you become confident without feeling like you’re left alone by yourself to do everything. Would recommend.
- Great choice. Good place to put what you learnt at medical school into practice. Not just a paper pusher like at bigger institutions.
- This is a great hospital, I highly recommend it.
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