Challenging year but young doctors continue to thrive

It's been a challenging year for young doctors as many grapple with career uncertainty brought on mostly by budget cuts and the long-standing issue of placements for community service.

Earlier this month the national health department said most doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health professionals required to do internships and community service in deserving areas have been told where to report.

The department said it received 10,386 applications, of which 9,395 were placed.

“Most posts were allocated to rural and underserved areas in line with the philosophy of promoting access to universal healthcare. Therefore applicants are encouraged to take up positions where they are allocated to serve the people of South Africa.

“The department has tried hard to accommodate the applicant choices of placement. However, it is impossible for everyone to be placed according to their choice areas and provinces of preference,” it said.

This seems in contrast to what junior doctors told TimesLIVE in wide-ranging interviews about the issue. Many detailed their anxiety sorting out their placements and "waiting with bated breath" to find out where they will be placed in 2024.

One told TimesLIVE he was among those who had not received confirmation of placement towards the end of November, alongside most of his peers.

"Some of us didn't get anything so we notified the head of the ICSP [Internship and Community Service Programme], who said it was an IT glitch and he would make sure [all] the SMSes go out. I'm one of the few at this stage who have not received and SMS," he said.

It was only after making a push with the ICSP head that the 27-year-old doctor, who asked to remain anonymous to avoid victimisation, finally received a WhatsApp message confirming his placement.

He also detailed his frustration and anxiety that came with sorting out placement, saying many resented the department for its poor handling of the situation.

"It's quite anxiety provoking because without doing community service year we're not legally allowed to practice. We're all in our late 20s, so most of us have significant others and children and we have to uproot entire families. The financial implications are huge," he said.

Another doctor told TimesLIVE about her uncertainty securing a job after completing her community service, despite her impressive start as the country's youngest female doctor.

The South Africa Medical Association (Sama) expressed concern over the career uncertainty affecting the country's future doctors.