Medicine

Medicine

I have developed a habit of asking about things I am not well informed of, I make it my business to learn new things every day. Every time I realise I don’t know something I get those who know to explain them to me, but the trick is to ask the best, those who are experts in the different industries. To my surprise, no matter how educated, experienced and highly ranked these people are, they are always willing to help answer all the “Not-so-smart” questions I have about their jobs, that’s how passionate they are about their careers.  The other powerful tool of gaining knowledge that I discovered is to read, read and read. And it was during this process that I came across a very touchy Article written by a Paediatrician, Dr Rudzani Muloiwa. He wrote the article when he was still a medical student and it was for a clinical conference that’s looked at re-humanising medicine. The article was titled “Ubuntu”:  The concept in a multicultural medical setting. To me it publicized a sturdy belief that Dr Muloiwa has about this notion. I was also very touched by the theological angle he took when he described a career as a “calling”, “Whatever you do is a calling it doesn’t matter what it is, but why you doing it e.g. when people become church ministers you always hear them say they have a calling, whatever career you go into, irrespective of what it is, do it as a way of serving God, what you love the most may actually end up being a sacrifice to God. it is not a matter of doing something that seem useful to other people but it means that, what you do is what resonate most with what you feel your calling is. You will then realise that, the work you do will be of value to other people”. After reading that piece, I was inspired so much that I felt the need to have him chart to us about this field of Health Sciences.  

Dr Muloiwa comes from Ngovhela and he completed his grade 8 at Dimani and grades 9 and 10 at Mbilwi high school, before proceeding to a Pretoria boy’s school (St Albans College) for his grade 11 and matric. He went and completed his MB ChB (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of surgery) degree at the University of Natal. After getting his degree, he went to do a internship and community service in Polokwane at the Polokwane-Mankweng Hospital complex in Limpopo and that’s when he realised he enjoyed working with children. “The environment and the people I worked with in Polokwane initiated my love for paediatric”.

After completing his Specialist training at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s hospital in Cape Town, he received the Nelson Mandela scholarship then went to London (in the United Kingdom) to study his MPH (Masters in Public Health) at the London school of hygiene and tropical medicine. “It was a cosmopolitan degree with people from all over the world, India, Japan, North America, china, Europe and other parts of Africa; it was a good learning experience”. The reason for studying there was influenced by a number of factors amongst which was what was said by former South African President Nelson Mandela during the time when they were awarded the scholarships, “He told us we need to find a way of broadening our view of the world by going out of the country, see what other people do, how they do things, learn from their skills and bring them back home”. “I enjoyed my stay in London, it was an amazing experience, I also needed skills to make sense of what I was doing and evaluating the impact of the things they do there. I also wanted to experience a different environment”.

He then moved to Cape Town where he is currently working as a specialist consultant in emergency and ambulatory paediatric at the Red Cross children hospital. This is an academic hospital so he is a joint staff member lecturing at the University Of Cape Town (UCT) as well.

“Careers differ, and people venture into different ones depending on so many factors but the idea is to excel and love what one does. When one goes into health sciences because this field deals with people‘s lives you need to love and be passionate about people first, before even trying to diagnose them of anything you read about during your years of study at an academic institution”

MB ChB was previously offered as a 6 year degree but now there are also 5 year programs, depending on which medical school one goes to, after obtaining the degree you are expected to go do a 2 year internship, but working as an intern doctor then a further 1 year of community service before you can go work independently. So all in all it takes a good 8-9 years to become an independent medical doctor, however after leaving medical school you are getting paid already even though you are not yet registered as an independent practitioner. Medicine is not only limited to clinical work so those who are not good with people can divert to other fields such as medical physics, others also ventures into fields such as pathologies, micro biology, manufacturing of drugs, research and even academia, where they work in laboratories and Universities and not in a clinical setting.

Dr Muloiwa is also a mentor for the Christian medical fellowship South Africa. This is an organisation that supports doctors and junior doctors that are based in rural areas, to support them in serving people, he used to be the student travelling secretary who looks after student in campuses around Southern Africa and travelled to countries such as Zimbabwe Malawi and Zambia.

During one of his interviews on the Award winning SABC3 show Special Assignment, Dr Muloiwa indicated that there is a shortage of doctors in the country especially in none-Affluent provinces like Limpopo, and this is also the case when comparing the public and private sector so to those who are interested in becoming medical doctors, I feel the edge to publicly enunciate that “THE MEDICINE INDUSTRY AWAITS THEE”.

Dr, Thank you for this vast knowledge you shared with us and I believe this will be of help to someone who wants to follow this route.

Health sciences Bursaries 2012

BHSc (Health sciences), BDS (Dental science), MB BCh (Medicine and surgery), BNurs (Nursing), BSC (Occupational therapy, Physiotherapy) and BPharm (Pharmacy)

·         Alec Brook Bursary Scheme (30 September 2011)

F.shortland, Syfrets Ltd. PO Box 466, Port Elizabeth, 6000

·         Professional Provident Society (PPS) scholarship & Bursary fund (30 November 2011)

http://www.pps.co.za or info@pps.co.za Tel: 0861777146

·         The SA Medical Association (SAMA) Bursary Scheme (15 September 2011)

Bursary officer, SAMA, PO Box 74789, Lynwood Ridge, 0040, or www.samedical.org

·         Dr TE Donges Study fund (15 October 2011)

Contact University of Johannesburg Bursary offices

·         Kagiso Trust Bursary scheme

http://www.kagiso.co.za Tel: 0115661900

·         Gauteng Department of Health Bursary scheme (30 September 2011)

Chief directorate: Human resource development, Bursary section, private bag x085, Marshalltown, 2107, www.gov.za

·         Medical Education for SA Blacks (MESAB) Bursary scheme

Apply to registrar of the University where registered

·         Anglo American PLC Open scholarship (30 September 2011)

www.angloamerican.co.uk.  P.O. Box 30632 2017, fax 0114845951, Tel: 0114847505,

·         National Treasury Bursary scheme (30 September 2011)

www.treasury.gov.za. gdp@treasury.gov.za, talent management specialist, private bag x115, Pretoria, 0001

·         Provincial Administration Kwazulu–Natal Bursary Scheme (31 December 2011)

The director, Human resources, development, department of health, private bag x9051, Pietermaritzburg, 3200, www.gov.za