In just under 7 hours time South Africa will welcome 2009. Will you make a resolution to become a podiatrist? Maybe one of your family or friends will?
Are you sitting with your 'Matric' results and not sure what to do next? South Africa has a serious shortage of podiatrists and as I wrote the other day even our new graduates are emigrating. There are fewer than 200 registered podiatrists for our population of about 48 million people.
Tomorrow morning sees the start of the first Diabetic Foot Working Group (DFWG) Congress in Johannesburg. In South Africa it is also a long weekend – meaning that Monday June 16 is a National Holiday, when we remember the youth of SA and their part in the struggle against apartheid. Especially the riots which broke out on June 16 1976.
University of Johannesburg 4th year podiatry students are in for a new experience on Tuesday 5th February! For the first time in 12 years I am returning to lecturing. I will be lecturing Private Practice Management, which is part of the course on Health Systems Management. I'm looking forward to re-joining the academic team, despite a dislike of marking. It seems to me that full-time academic life in 2008 is like a road full of potholes called "admin," so I hope I can avoid these potholes as a part-timer! Being burdened with too much "admin" was one my reasons for leaving in 1995!.
Today I managed to survive my day in the practice, but I am amazed at the number of times that I had to twist and turn my back just to perform my daily tasks. But it was good to remember to turn my whole body, use the full support of my chair plus the variety of positions available in the patients' treatment couch. I am definitely going to look after my back from now on.
