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It's quite disappointing to see that there have been no posts in this particular forum...

I have tremedous faith in my country and I wouldn't even dream of leaving it! I want to stay here and work as a podiatrist so that I know that at least I'm doing something very small to help my community.

I would like some replies from podiatrists who are practising in South Africa... How business is going; Is there a need for pods in SA; Is it worthwhile staying in this country; etc. Your input would be really appreciated.

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HI JAY

ITS MR NAKE (CLASS OF 2003), THERE IS NEED FOR PODS IN SA THE PROBLEM IS THE GVT HASNT GOT/IS NOT AWARE OF THE SIGNIFICANCY OF OUR WORTH HENCE, WE ALL LEAVE.

THE BEST THING TO DO IS IF POSSIBLE, GO INTO THE WORLD AND IMPART YOURSELF WITH MORE SKILLS AND THEN COME HOME, THAT WAY THERE IS SOME FORM OF SATISFACTION.

TIMES WILL ALWAYS CHANGE, SO BE THERE PREPARED WHEN THE CHANGES GRACE US, ITS NOT EASY, ITS A PAINFUL SACRIFICE BUT IT WILL BE WORTH IT IN THE LONG RUN. EITHER WAY YOU STILL WIN, AND YOUR COUNTRY WILL WIN WITH YOU.

DONT FORGET THIS, THE BEST EDUCATION IN PODIATRY IS FROM SOUTH AFRICA, WE EVEN MAKE OTHER CLINICIANS IN EUROPE SEEM LIKE THEY MISSED CERTAIN LECTURES BECAUSE OF THE COMPREHENSIVENESS OF OUR CURRICULLUM.......IF ONLY THE WORLD KNEW HOW GOOD WE ARE AS A RESULT OF OUR RIGOROUS TRAINING, THEY WILL LEARN TO APPRECIATE AND NOT TO JUDGE US BECAUSE WE ARE FROM AFRICA.....

THAT CAN ONLY MEAN ARROGANCE AND IGNORANCE ON THEIR PART....ITS A SHAME. KEEP YOUR FAITH AND YOUR HEAD UP WE ARE UP THERE WITH THE REST OF THE BEST OF THE WORLD ONLY TIME WILL TELL.

AMANDHLA NGAWETHU!!!!!!!

Sorry buddy , in thos country podiatry is sad.

No jobs, you lucky to even get a locum job.

Its private practise or no practise

i know it is but lets keep the faith, i was just talking to richard mosoetsa who is in saudi and goven who has just returned home from uk for familly committments, its working as it is it might not be too big but yu are contributing a whole lot being there and doing what you are doing because imagine the great loss we will feel if you stopped......pioneers start small and certainly in our case something will give hang in there buddy

there are few jobs far and between we know, and its true its sad, as for me i couldn't even afford private practice because it was too expensive but there is not a day i regret ever doing podiatric medicine at all.

we account for a great deal, its the world's loss not to realize they have diamonds in their hands.

whose foot is it anyway??

Yeah both richard and drummond were my lecturers, I am actually tired of being in this country, how much longer must we hang in here? I am really looking to relocate. Do u perhaps have richards or govens email adddy for me?

Hi Jay

I totally agree with you and yes, as a fourth year student who works in the public hospitals, there is a need for pods however I am really scared of not finding a job once I graduate! I to have great faith in S.A and believe it has a lot of potential, especially concerning podiatry.

Oh dear Jay
Did you attend the Congress this weekend? Try not to go down the- kick SA podiatry in the guts, now that it's down - path.
Talks are ongoing with the Department of Health and young colleagues there have successfully fmanaged to have new posts created.
Things have been tough but I believe they will improve. Like they said - keep the faith. Give me a call.
Andrew Clarke

dear andrew clarke

Thank you ever so much for all the help you gave me while i was a student especially at baragwanath hospital, and thank you again for being the god father of podiatry in south africa. i am now in uk trying my best of luck to train as a podiatric surgeon, hopefully when i come back home we will have some arsenal to to add to what you guys are already doing, and we salute you for holding the fort. I
hope you still remember me for the 100 rands that you gave us (irvine and jason) in one of your clinics. lol it was cool those days cheers big man

Hi Mr Nake- swervin Irvine!
Thanks for the kind words. I hope the surgery studies are successful. Have you come across Mr Ernest Barlow-Kearsley? He was a student of mine , emigrated to the UK and has I believe become a podiatric surgeon.
I am still doing clinics at Bara, but now with the paeds; it's a really interesting learning curve as well as a clinical challenge.
Go well!

Andrew Clarke

Mottair, get your VISA very quickly and leave asap. There is no need for your negativity in this country. Good riddance Monsier...you will not be missed

Well said my dear! I agree with you there is a group of moaning ninnies who complain about everything....yet there have been tremendous strides made in the last two/three years to start getting the situation to improve.Unfortuantely I do beleive taht this is a major problem with SA PODS-everyone is quick to complain yet no one is willing to get involved (for various reasons I am aware) but we will never move forward unless we begin and everyone pitches in!

I do commiserate with graduates who dont find jobs-that is the stark reality and we need to do something quickly.I am glad that Andrew Clarke mentioned that the profession has been talking to the DoH.

The profession in SA will only move forward if all PODs in the country contribute to moving the profession forward.Stalwarts like Andrew and company are commended for the work they have done over the years but more active participation is needed from everyone.

Mottiar good luck with your quest to find an overseas post-you are aware that the UK will now only consider SA Pods if you have a Masters?I believe you may need to look at Australasia or the Middle/Far East.Furthermore,I was just wondering.... its all well and good complaining, but Mottiar have you actually offered your services to SAPA to help and try improve the current situation? Many hands (and heads) make light work!

Mottiar good luck with your quest to find an overseas post-you are aware that the UK will now only consider SA Pods if you have a Masters?

"ARE YOU GUYS SERIOUS" now this is politics, i am afraid we will have to study some more then, but we are as good as the rest if not better trust me............status quo

Hi Mr Nake

Please let me qualify the statement I made about requiring A Masters for the UK.Its not because the Podiatry degree from SA holds no value...its because teh criterion used by the British authorities has changed in order to secure a work permit therefore a minimum requirement for a Masters degree is required for a good no. of professions. It could be said that this would be for political reasons....however Im not certain if this is the real reason.

In terms of studying more...the sad truth is that SA Podiatry needs more research and publications and more holders of higher qualifications in Podiatry. The reality for the majority of Pods is that having a further qualification may not necessarily change their scope of practice?? I hear this very often but I beg to differ.Just going throgh the research process itself develops practitioners in numerous ways.However it can be argued that teh academic department has done very little over the last few years to develop PG studying in POD.Let me get off my box now

Regards

If you have a true passion about wanting to care for people's feet in S.A. you will find a way to do so! Good luck all of you!! I have faith, and will always :-)

Hey!

I'm a 4th year pod in the UK and we have the same problem-no jobs :( I'd love to practise my profession in Scotland (my home country) but I don't think I'm going to be able to :( Whats the job situation like over there? Does a Bsc stand in good steading there?

Hannah

good Day How would I go About if Im also interested in training as a podiatric surgeon after qualifying in south africa

Hello to all our friends and colleagues in RSA. I am still working in UK for now as a podiatric surgeon but semi-retired and `morphing` myself towards a range of (ultrasound guided) minimal intervention procedures for common pedal/MSK conditions, with a view to practising in that field in SA when I retire from UK surgical work. Some of you may remember that we spent some time (in conjunction with SAPA/UoJ/Andrew Clarke) trying to get changes made through the Board to facilitate podiatric surgical training and practice in SA. It went nowhere. I am aware that we now have at least 4 or 5 SA pods who have obtained or are in process of obtaining the MSc in Theory of Podiatric Surgery in UK, with a view to surgical traing thereafter (see Irvine Nakes posts). Thats great, but my concern for them is , what prospect for them to be able to go back to SA and use those skills to the benefit of the population and the professions public profile, if we cant get the necessary legislative changes on definition of scope or at least clear acknowledgement by the Board(s) that the present definition will be interpreted such as to allow suitably trained pods to perform surgery ?. Without this, the likes of irvine, lee heaton and others will either return to SA and just be frustrated and see their training wasted, or, I suspect more likely, they will stay in UK or go to Australasia where they can practice surgery - so no gain for SA podiatry. And whilst I have no doubts at all about the high quality of undergraduate podiatry training in SA Nake, but I have to say we will not be able to claim SA podiatry is `up there with the best` unless or until it makes that transition to at least some of the profession practising surgery, and that now roughly defines 2 `leagues` of podiatry globally. I gave up on the effort a few years back but once moved to SA I would be willing to invest time and effort again towards this goal - if someone can give a clear steer/pathway through the beaurocracy and politics. The minority representation of pods on the Board and the way the Boards are set up appears to me to militate against the profession in SA determining its own course. Doesnt the POMs debacle exemplify this ?. Any suggestions ?. Perhaps Podiatry needs its own Board in HPCSA ?.
Regards to all from Penny and me.
Brian Brown

I would love to migrate to SA and work as a Podiatrist there. Tried some years back to look for a job but got 0 on that. I also spoke to Zipfel the head of Pod Department several years back and was put off when he said I had to work for the state for 5 years before I could open my own practice. Now at this point, that doesnt seem like such a bad idea. I need to move!

Could someone tell me if Podiatrist in SA are active in Diabetes Management?

Vu