3 minute read
Grad Gallery: Dr Precious Chikura
LinkedIn: bit.ly/3ecqhY4
Current position:
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Community Service Medical Officer in obstetrics and gynaecology at Themba Hospital; Founder and Director of Frontline Refuge
Past positions:
Medical Intern in Mpumalanga via the Department of Health South Africa
Academic history:
2018 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) at UCT
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What is Frontline Refuge and what led you to establish it?
It’s been an abnormally stressful time for health professionals who often don’t have the time or the platform to seek mental health services. This was compounded by physical isolation and longer working hours. I’m really invested in the mental well-being of health professionals, because I know that there are a lot of measures that could be put into place systematically to prevent mental illness caused by our jobs. There’s so much space for cost effective innovation.
Poor mental health in our career leads to lower quality care for patients, higher rates of absenteeism and substance abuse. Frontline Refuge is an NPO I started in 2020 shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic began. It’s an online platform connecting health professionals to counsellors for free. This was a short term measure to relieve that mental burden, but the support and demands of the service have grown in an overwhelming way as COVID-19 has turned out to be a long-term problem. We aren’t even scratching the surface of the demand, as we are discovering.
What are your day-to-day responsibilities as Medical Officer?
I’m currently a community service medical officer in obstetrics and gynaecology and my responsibilities include managing high risk pregnancies, surgical and assisted deliveries, managing the COVID-19 wards, supervising and teaching medical interns. It’s demanding, and you’re constantly learning, but I am enjoying it.
What value do your qualifications add to your work?
Medicine is one of those professions that requires a medical degree, no matter which way you cut it. So it has been vital in my foundation as a doctor. Going to UCT was a blessing because you not only learnt what should happen in theory, but because of how functional the Western Cape healthcare system is, you also got to see what’s possible in terms of healthcare delivery in an African setting.
Advice for health science graduates entering the current world of work?
Our jobs are often guaranteed because of the linear path that’s set for us. We don’t usually compete in the same way our colleagues from other campuses do. But the world is changing. Don’t be afraid to deviate from the “normal” path set before you, and make sure you take time to make your CV competitive. You’re also entering human-centred professions, where your emotional and mental capacities WILL be challenged. Fight not only for your patients, but also for your own mental health.
What are the key skills that have contributed to your success so far?
Initiative: There are many problems facing our healthcare system and country in general, but the question I always ask myself is what am I going to do to be part of the solution? And that’s how I approach challenges, the new spaces I find myself in and the changes I want to see. Taking initiative and seeing opportunity in adversity has changed how I see problems.
Grit: I think going through 6 years of school and 3 years of internship/community service require a patience and focus that I can only describe as grit. Grit is the skill that I’ve sharpened the most in the past 9 years.
What impact has COVID-19 had on your career?
It’s been bittersweet. I found a deeper level of resilience I never knew I had. In the midst of a tough time, I was able to make a small difference and also gained mentorship in the process. I never imagined I’d start an NPO whilst I was an intern, nor that I’d even be eligible for winning, let alone receiving the McKinsey Achievement Award. I learnt that even though I’m on the bottom of the hierarchy of medicine, as a junior doctor there’s a difference I can make too.
