Accreditation: Only for Anaesthesia.
Rural Allowance:
None
Doctors Quarters:
Present and pretty decent, though I did not make use of them.
Academics:
A few M&Ms are held each year – you only attend those relevant to your call areas (e.g., doctors doing labour ward calls attend the O&G M&Ms). Occasionally, CPD tutorials are arranged by management. Beyond this, academic opportunities are limited – many of the hospital’s guidelines are outdated, so we often preferred using those from tertiary referral centres, which were more comprehensive.
Supervision:
This varies depending on your shift. Daytime duties in the ED/OPD and wards are generally well-supervised, with senior MOs and consultants usually available and approachable. Tertiary referral hospitals could also be contacted and were typically helpful. After-hours duties, however, offer minimal supervision – you’re the most senior doctor on site, supported only by a few interns. Consultants are available by phone (if reachable), and only the O&G consultant routinely comes in for complex cases in theatre. Otherwise, you’re fully responsible for clinical decisions.
Management appears largely uninterested in your academic development, clinical growth, or problem-solving abilities. Efforts to go above and beyond often go unacknowledged. Feedback typically focused on cost and efficiency concerns in the ED, without much regard for the extremely challenging doctor-to-patient ratio. Doctors who rushed through more patients were often praised, while those who spent more time managing complex cases were criticized.
Clinical Exposure:
Excellent variety of conditions and ample opportunity to develop your clinical and diagnostic skills. That said, much of what you learn could be considered “bush medicine” due to the limited resources – it’s difficult to practice evidence-based or guideline-directed care when even basic investigations are unavailable.
Departments worked in:
Emergency department
Outpatient department
Psychiatric unit
General wards
Labour ward
Disciplines offered: Family medicine, general surgery, internal medicine, paediatrics, anaesthesia (limited hands-on opportunities), and psychiatry.
Social Scene:
Uitenhage is very quiet – limited social options outside of work unless you’re up for visiting local taverns. The city also has a notably high crime rate. Most community service doctors choose to live in Port Elizabeth for safety, though this means enduring a tough 50-minute commute and a significant monthly fuel cost (R3000+).
Additional Comments:
Overall, it was a valuable year. I gained significant hands-on experience and left feeling much more confident in handling emergencies.
The permanent staff (98% of them) were absolutely wonderful – supportive, approachable, and kind. The nursing staff, in particular, made a world of difference during the more difficult calls.
Unfortunately, the wider Port Elizabeth Hospital Complex appears to be struggling under systemic dysfunction. Bed shortages, blocked referrals, and a lack of access to essential investigations (e.g., many CVAs never receiving CTs) are daily realities. These systemic barriers make you feel like you’re constantly “putting out fires” – the strain of working around so many bureaucratic and logistical hurdles takes a toll.
Leadership would benefit from reconsidering their approach. The current style, which relies heavily on fear and criticism without recognition or positive reinforcement, contributes to a demoralising environment. It fosters a culture where quick discharges are favoured over quality care, simply to avoid reprimand. This is perhaps the most challenging and disheartening part of working at the hospital – be prepared for it.
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