Tambo Memorial/Bertha Gxowa Training Complex

Rural Allowance: No

Doctors Quarters:

  • Super old, falling apart.
  • There aren’t many spaces in DQ to stay and I’m not sure what they are like but the on call rooms are very old. They try and give a bed and chair per room but they aren’t very comfortable and the rooms are cold.
  • Quite old, paint peeling. But still clean.
  • They are basically a commune. Will share bathrooms and kitchen.

Academics:

  • Some departments better than others, mostly self – directed learning.
  • It’s not an academic hospital but almost every rotation had intern training. What’s nice about this is while you don’t have academics all day everyday there is dedicated time aimed at interns and our level which I found very helpful.
  • Differs drastically between departments. Surgery and Paeds have good academics. It is non-existent in internal medicine.
  • Academics depends on your interest.
  • 75% department have grand rounds, intern teaching during post intake round and intern presentations where we present to colleagues.

Supervision:

  • Mostly available.
  • Obviously department and senior dependent bur many of the most are extremely knowledgeable! You have a lot of independence and see the patients and admir and manage a lot but there is almost always help available which allows you to grow as a doctor but not drown.
  • Again. Differs between departments. Adequate and great in surgery and Paeds. Quite lacking in internal medicine.
  • Supervision is great depending on the department.
  • Supervisors are easily accessible, they teach procedures and theory.
  • Interns are expected to manage patients as independently as possible with guidance from seniors.

Clinical Exposure:

  • Lots of pathology, good exposure to varied patients. ED especially, great learning opportunities
  • Great exposure to all the bread and butter stuff which you want to leave internship with
  • It’s excellent. Wide variety of pathologies. You manage patients and are not just a paper-pusher.
  • We get to observe, see and teach student procedures like ascitic taps, pleural taps, BMATs, etc.
  • Excellent exposure to medical and trauma pathologies as well as plenty of opportunity to practice skills.

Social Scene:

  • It’s what you make of it.
  • It depends on how close your group becomes. You tend to have the same staff around all the time. As in its not like regs who rotate so you build nice relationships throughout the hospital.
  • Non-existent.
  • What you make of it…
  • The staff members are available and readily available for intergrated management of patients.

Additional Comments:

  • It’s a great place to gain independence and confidence as an intern. You work hard but on the whole only from 8-16 with 88 hours over time and hardly more which offers a nice work life balance.
  • Overall my internship was excellent and I now feel confident to work independently.

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