Navigating the challenging journey of a doctor in South Africa: From the triumph of medical school to the harsh realities of unemployment and the relentless pursuit of hope.
*Deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up wasn't an easy decision; it was particularly challenging because I could see myself doing and being anything, so instead, I settled on the type of person I wanted to be.
The decision to become a doctor was heavily influenced by wanting to serve my community, to extend my compassion to others and really face their struggles as my own. All of which were tested during the grueling trials of medical school and hours of internship. Becoming a doctor was a feat, but continuing to be a doctor seems to be the greatest challenge as of yet.
After completing community service, my skills in helping people, leading a community, advocating for my patients' health, and ultimately saving a life were refined and ready to take with me to serve my community. Instead of being able to serve my community, I was faced with challenges of continuous applications and interview processes for Medical Officer and Registrar posts with no success, while seeing patients struggle with extensive waiting times in government hospitals and being unable to help, even though I had all the requirements to do so.
