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10 June 2019 | Story Zama Feni | Photo Zama Feni
CrazySocksForDocs
UFS medical students displaying multi-coloured mismatched socks as they heeded the call of the #CrazySocks4Doc campaign to raise awareness about mental health in the medical profession.

Hundreds of pairs of socks were dished out to medical students last week during the campus launch of the #CrazySocks4Docs (#CS4D) awareness campaign that seeks to help break the silence around mental-health illness in the medical profession.
 
More than 600 medical students from the University of the Free State (UFS) School of Internal Medicine heeded the call by the non-governmental organisation, Ithemba Foundation, whose mission is to educate the public around mental health – specifically depression and related diseases such as anxiety disorders – and to support research.

On Monday, 3 June 2019, the Ithemba Foundation launched the CS4D campaign countrywide at all tertiary institutions with medical schools to help break the silence around mental health in the medical profession. 

“We have ensured a sponsorship of 10 000 pairs of mismatched socks for medical students, to be distributed according to student numbers at each medical campus,” Ithemba Foundation said in a statement.

Students waking up to the call

A large number of UFS medical students gladly embraced the call and helped themselves to pairs of multi-coloured socks at the James Moroka Building foyer on the Bloemfontein Campus.

Judy Modise, a second-year medical student, said she was impressed with the initiative.
“I think this is a very interesting campaign, as we all know the devastating effects of mental health in society, and more specifically on doctors,” she said.

UFS has risen to the challenge

In a widely published opinion piece on mental health in October last year, UFS Rector and Vice-Chancellor Prof Francis Petersen, stated that one in every three South Africans suffers from some form of mental disorder.

He mentioned that, “The university has just released a first draft of its first-ever Student Mental Health Policy.”

“This policy seeks to redress the inequalities and disadvantages created by prejudice and discrimination against persons with mental-health disabilities and difficulties,” said Prof Petersen.
 
Destigmatising mental health is key

The Ithemba Foundation further stated that, “It is critical that we start the conversation around mental health in the health profession – especially among the next generation of medical professionals, as the stigma surrounding the illness in doctors persists. Wearing mismatched, brightly-coloured socks may seem like a weird place to begin, but to care for others, we also have to care for ourselves and each other.”

The purpose of the campaign is to create awareness about the highly stressful nature of the medical profession; the need for doctors to seek help when needed, both mental and physical; the need for those in the health profession to help one another and the need to reshape the culture of the health care industry and to ensure that you will have a new mindset concerning your own mental health. 


News Archive

Senior leadership approves CSRC appeal
2012-05-14

The senior leadership of the UFS has approved the appeal lodged by the Central Student Representative Council (CSRC) to allow students deregistered on 30 April 2012 for not meeting their financial obligations, to write the May/June 2012 exams.
 
As from 14 May 2012, a relatively small number of 428 deregistered students will automatically have their registration reinstated and they will be granted the opportunity to write exams, provided that they have obtained a 40% predicate mark for each module.
 
A name list of the deregistered students will be sent to the heads of departments where they were enrolled. Only students who have obtained a 40% semester mark will be permitted to write exams.
 
Today the Executive Committee of Senate approved a recommendation that those students who only become aware of this arrangement after one of their scheduled modules has already been examined, may apply for permission to the Academic Timetables and Venues Office, Room 166, George du Toit Administration Building on the Bloemfontein Campus, to write a special examination. On the Qwaqwa Campus students may apply for permission to the Examination Section, Room 137 in the Administration Building.
 
This will, however, be a once-off opportunity and students will not be afforded another opportunity to write exams if they miss the first examination opportunity as well as the special examination. A student who writes only the special examination and fails will not be given a further opportunity. A student who writes the main examination and does poorly, but qualifies for a supplementary examination, may write the supplementary examination in the additional examination period.
 

This arrangement applies to all UFS campuses.
 

Media Release
14 May 2012
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: +27(0)51 401 2584
Cell: +27(0)83 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

 

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