Survive & Thrive
#Imstayingrural
Even those of us who are passionate about working rural can experience stress and burnout, if you do not look after yourself you run the risk of mental health problems such as anxiety, panic attacks and depression. RuDASA is committed to finding or developing tools and support structures for Rural Clinicians so that they can not only survive, but thrive in rural areas. We ran our 1st Doctors Retreat in Eastern Cape in 2020, and we are currently developing a Mentoring Programme which will include Rural Buddies, Rural Champions, Rural Retreats, and a long term goal of a formal Mentoring CPD event.
If you are doing your Internship or Community Service you may like to join Africa Health Placements CSO Connect programme
For support for students please go to the Survive & Thrive Students page.
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Thriving in Rural Health looks at three aspects important to thriving as a doctor in a rural health setting:
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The Wellness for Effective Leadership (WEL) Programme is a personal development course designed to assist managers in the public sector to improve their wellness, to develop their emotional intelligence and personal and interpersonal competencies, and to deal effectively with stress and the risks of burnout. The programme was developed in 2009 in response to a crisis in service delivery in a rural area, and now maintains a strong focus on improving wellness in order to improve service delivery. |
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CSO Connect Programme: Over the past 12+ years, AHP has placed more than 4,350 doctors in underserved areas. We’ve learned a lot over that time, about what you’ll experience during your community service, and about who to contact when you need help. |
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SADAG is Africa’s largest mental health support and advocacy group, serving as a support network for the thousands of South Africans who live with mental health problems. It has on its board a powerful team of Patients, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and General Practitioners. SADAG manages a 16-line counselling-and-referral call centre, and is the voice of patient advocacy, working in urban, peri-urban, and the most rural communities across South Africa. Find out about their Rural Outreach Suicide Crisis Line Discovery Medical Students & Young Doctors Helpline SADAG Mental Health Line |