Surviving Wits
One Month at the Gen: A Survival Story
I can’t believe it’s already been a whole month at The Gen! Time has flown, and somehow, I’ve survived—contrary to the many horror stories I heard before starting at Wits.
Before making the move, I was perpetually warned about how horrible it would be—how mean the consultants are, how impossible it is to find parking, and how I’d be drowning in work. Now that I’m here, I can confidently say… it’s really not that bad! Of course, some of you will immediately say, “But you’re not rotating yet—just wait until you see the other hospitals!” And you’re probably right.
But what I’ve learned so far is that everything is what you make it. If you walk into a situation expecting the worst, then yes, it’ll be miserable. But if you accept that this is where you’re meant to be, that this is part of the journey planned for you, then it’s a lot more manageable. With that said, here are some of the biggest differences and challenges I’ve noticed since the move.
1. Equipment (Or Lack Thereof 😭)
You guys at Steve Biko don’t realise how lucky you are! The luxury of amazing videolaryngoscopes and fancy fibreoptics? Gone. Here, we make do with a handful of Glidescopes and plastic fibreoptics that look like they’ve been through war. There are exactly two ultrasound machines I feel confident using—the rest are relics from another era. Maybe the good stuff are locked away, I don’t know 🥲
Oh, and we have to set up our own cell saver! On the bright side, pumps are never an issue—there are plenty to go around. But don’t even think about running a PEP or preparing routine PEP for non-obs cases; you will be shouted at. Ephedrine is king here. And ‘what is the course of your low BP’ ‘PEP is just Making you feel better without fixing the problem’
Also, Precedex and Remi? Basically contraband. The consultants keep the Precedex under lock and key, and you have to motivate just to get 10–20 mcg. Gone are my days of Precedex PCIs or infusions… A moment of silence, please.
2. Morning Meetings = Anaesthetic Game Show 🎤
Every morning, we enter what feels like an intense quiz show. You can be randomly called up to draw flow-volume loopson the board or sketch airway anatomy in front of everyone. It’s all fair game.
3. Making Friends is tough😢 (And Apparently, So is Being Recognised)
The sheer number of registrars here is overwhelming. Every week, there are new people rotating in and out, covering for leave or switching hospitals, which makes it really tough to form connections. Theres no farewell parties or baby showers, two MOs I met left today for reg post, and no one even bothered to mention a little bye or congratulations !!
But most people are super nice and friendly and the seniors incredibly helpful and supportive ! And consultants are a mix bag but so far no one really mean !! Or gave me palpitations
And despite introducing myself to several senior regs and consultants, they still ask if I’m an intern—even when I’m literally walking to theatre, prepping a case, or worse, sitting in the morning meeting right before they ask me a question. 😭😭
Either I look really young, or I just have that deer-in-headlights expression permanently etched on my face. Probably both.
4. Supervision: A Fine Balance
Consultants and senior regs often cover 2–3 theatres at a time. If a consultant is stretched across three theatres, you will hear about it. The result? A mix of micro-management and high expectations. You’re constantly challenged—
“Why do you think you want to do this?”
“Why don’t we try this instead?”
“How will you improve next time?”
There’s plenty of support, but only if you can justify your decisions and be willing to be challenged! And back it with some article
5. The Great Tea Room Heist ☕
Let’s talk about tea room fees a staggering R1,300 for the year and mandatory for everyone. At first, I couldnt understand why they were so high, but I guess someone has to pay for the DStv, the fluffy duvets, and the pillows in the on-call room. Priorities, right?
6. The MMED Stress is Real
From week two, people were already asking me if I’d made arrangements for my Ideas Meeting. And then came the contract signing—we had to agree to complete our MMED within two years, or we wouldn’t be allowed to rotate through senior rotations! To top it off, the Prof’s secretary emails every three months for updates. No pressure.
7. Admin Nightmares
Please give Hettie and Anna an extra big smile and a hug from me—you don’t realise what a blessing they are! 😭😭 I still haven’t registered as a student at Wits due to admin delays (Prof still hasn’t signed my Form 9 despite daily reminders). And as for HR? At CMJAH, it’s two people running the entire hospital’s payroll, so my overtime form wasn’thanded in on time, and I might not get paid this month. Pray for me.
8. Centricity Withdrawal Syndrome
I miss Centricity so much. Enough said. 😭😭
9. Things I’m Grateful For
• Sane list planning– No crazy overbooked lists.
• Surgeons who say thank you at the end of the day.
• Anaesthetic sisters who prep everything for A-lines and spinals and CVPs, you literally do nothing and just wait 🥲– No more fighting with arm boards!
• Not having to go to the storeroom– I don’t even know where it is.
• allocations released a week before - I get to panic about my allocations for an entire week , not just an afternoon, but also can do premeds Sunday morning or maybe Friday (but don’t tell anyone that). List are also available by 12 everyday
• No premeds post-call!
10. The Calls Are Insane 😵
Every call, I’ve had to put up CVPs and A-lines, run massive transfusions, and block theatre multiple times. The patients here are incredibly sick. Handover always includes at least 20 patients on the emergency list.
But nothing compares to Obs calls.
There is always some APH or PPH. I have no idea how there are this many bleeding patients in one place, but here we are.
- Wednesdays = Academic Marathons 📚
Wednesdays here are academic days, which basically translates to long, intense tutorials that feel never-ending. This week, we also had an M&M meeting that lasted a solid two hours—and get this: 54 patients were presented. 😭😭
No, not 54 intraoperative deaths (thankfully), but every single patient who had died after a procedure, even if the surgery and their passing were weeks apart. It made no sense to me. it felt like we were just listing every post-op death, whether relevant to the procedure or not.
Suffice to say, it was a lot
- A Weird Sense of Home 🏡 (And Some Unexpected Encounters)
Despite all the challenges, there’s a strange comfort in being back at the university where I studied. There’s something about Wits people—they love being at Wits. It’s like a cult. I’ve bumped into half my med school class now working in different disciplines, I unexpectedly ran into an ex in theatre, and the consultants who used to terrify me as a student are now the ones I dose for. Full circle moment.
Speaking of full circle moments—here’s a funny (or tragic) story:
Back when I was a student on my anaesthesia rotation, there was this MO who made me feel absolutely stupid for not knowing how to dilute emergency drugs. I walked away from that day with major imposter syndrome, convinced I wasn’t smart enough for medicine, let alone anaesthesia.
Fast forward to my second day at Wits, I’m sitting in the morning meeting when I hear this annoying voice throwing out random facts. I turn to look and—guess what? It’s him. The same guy. Only now, he’s a senior reg who passed his exams last year, and somehow, his ego has grown even bigger. He’s just doing his time until he can leave. Life really has a way of bringing things full circle.
Final Thoughts
I can’t say one hospital or one circuit is better than the other. Both have their pros and cons, and at the end of the day, it’s tough everywhere. That’s just life, and we have to survive it without getting caught up in what ifs. Make the best of what you have and trust me you have it good too 💜
But I do miss you all. So much.
(And Michaela even more. Life is sad without post-work banter in the passages and ice cream dates. 😭)
Also, Joburg roads are horrible. That is all.
