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01 June 2021 | Story ANDRÉ DAMONS | Photo ANDRÉ DAMONS
Dr Nicholas Pearce, Head of Surgery at the School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences UFS – who is also heading the Universitas Academic Hospital COVID-19 Task Team – shows off the crazy socks donated by Cipla and handed over by representatives from the School of Clinical Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS).

Investec Private Banking supports the #CrazySocks4Docs initiative in the undergraduate medical programme with the theme, ‘Socks to start a conversation’, to encourage breaking down the stigma around mental health among doctors. On Friday 4 June, they provided medical students with a complimentary pair of socks to wear on the day.

Investec will be running a social media campaign until 9 June.  Once the students have received their socks from Investec, they need to post a picture of themselves with their socks on either Instagram or Facebook or both, using the hashtags #2021UFS #Investec# #CrazySocks4Docs #StartTheConversation #YoungProfessionals.
The prizes for the best social media posts are five Takealot vouchers worth R1 000 each. 

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers around the world have not only battled this deadly disease, but also their own mental-health issues brought on by their daily experience of this pandemic. 

COVID-19 has placed healthcare workers’ fears, fatigue, burnout, depression, and anxiety even more in the spotlight. Collectively, we have become more aware of how grateful we are to healthcare workers for standing in the front line for us.

It is for this reason that the annual #CrazySocks4Docs initiative is so important – to show support for healthcare workers. Dr Geoffrey Toogood, an Australian cardiologist and advocate for mental health, came up with the idea of the #CrazySocks4Docs Day – an initiative that aims to create awareness for the vulnerability of doctors and other healthcare workers to mental illness and to destigmatise help-seeking behaviour in the medical community.

This year, the #CrazySocks4Docs Day is on 4 June. 

The Ithemba Foundation, which brought this campaign to South Africa, launched a competition on the campuses of all medical schools, with a prize of R1 000 for the student with the most likes for her/his sock selfie.

Raise awareness about the pressure healthcare workers face

Dr Lynette van der Merwe, Undergraduate Medical Programme Director, School of Clinical Medicine at the University of the Free State (UFS), says on the first Friday of June every year, everyone in the healthcare community, as well as the public, are encouraged to wear fun, funky, colourful, or mismatched socks to raise awareness about the pressure healthcare workers face. 

“Medical professionals are just as vulnerable to the same mental-health issues – fear, anger, fatigue, burnout, anxiety, and depression – as anyone else.  The COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted healthcare workers and the stigma around admitting that ‘I am not OK.’ Just as much as we need healthcare professionals to heal us, we also need to take care of them and support their mental-health needs,” says Dr Van der Merwe. 

According to her, the UFS School of Clinical Medicine has been part of the #CrazySocks4Docs initiative since 2019, and this year will be no different.  

This year

This year, Investec Private Banking will support the #CrazySocks4Docs initiative in the undergraduate medical programme with the theme, ‘Socks to start a conversation’, to encourage breaking down the stigma around mental health among doctors.  They will provide medical students with a complimentary pair of socks to wear on the day.
Investec will be running a social media campaign until 9 June.  Once the students have received their socks from Investec, they need to post a picture of themselves with their socks on either Instagram or Facebook or both, using the hashtags #2021UFS #Investec# #CrazySocks4Docs #StartTheConversation #YoungProfessionals.
The prizes for the best social media posts are five Takealot vouchers worth R1 000 each.

Investec Private Banking has been the bank of choice for SA’s top medical professionals for more than 30 years.
Investec partners with medical interns or medical officers working in community service for the Department of Health, as well as medical specialists or registrars working towards becoming specialists.

Cipla has partnered with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) for the 2021 #CrazySocks4Docs campaign to raise awareness about the fact that our doctors are simply human and are dealing with a lot of ‘stuff’.  By encouraging healthcare professionals and the public to wear their funky socks on Friday 4 June 2021, people will be standing (literally) in solidarity alongside our healthcare workers.  This is essential in a country with a chronic shortage of doctors and specialists and a massive disease burden. 

• The following hashtags can be used on Friday 4 June 2021 along with your sock selfies: #CrazySocks4Docs #CS4D #CreateAwareness #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #Care4OurCarers

• Read more about Dr Toogood’s ‘Embracing our vulnerability in medicine’ 

Sibulele Mali and Refiloe Matshaka, both third-year students at the University of the Free State (UFS), pose with their Investec crazy socks in the James Moroka Building in support of the CrazySocks4Docs.
Sibulele Mali and Refiloe Matshaka, both third-year students at the University of the Free State (UFS), pose with their Investec crazy socks in the James Moroka Building in support of the CrazySocks4Docs.
First-year student, Nicolene van Tonder, was also happy to receive a pair of socks for this special day to show her support for healthcare workers.
First-year student, Nicolene van Tonder, was also happy to receive a pair of socks for this special day to show her support for healthcare workers.
Nkabaneng Mamve, second-year student, shows off the crazy socks that she received on Friday (4 June 2021) from Investec Private Banking in support of the CrazySocks4Docs initiative.
Nkabaneng Mamve, second-year student, shows off the crazy socks that she received on Friday (4 June 2021) from Investec Private Banking in support of the CrazySocks4Docs initiative.
A happy Siliziwe Makeledi is excited to show off the new pair of black and white socks that she received from Investec.
A happy Siliziwe Makeledi is excited to show off the new pair of black and white socks that she received from Investec.
Sanam Bhagwandeen, a third-year student, choosing her pair of socks from the Investec Private Banking socks table.
Sanam Bhagwandeen, a third-year student, choosing her pair of socks from the Investec Private Banking socks table.
Buhle Dlamini, fifth-year student, takes her time in choosing the right pair of crazy socks to wear in support of the CrazySocks4Docs initiative.
Buhle Dlamini, fifth-year student, takes her time in choosing the right pair of crazy socks to wear in support of the CrazySocks4Docs initiative.
Dr Nicholas Pearce, Head of Surgery at the UFS – who is also heading the Universitas Hospital COVID-19 Task Team – shows off the crazy socks donated to him and his team in the vaccination centre at the Universitas Academic Hospital.
Dr Nicholas Pearce, Head of Surgery at the UFS – who is also heading the Universitas Hospital COVID-19 Task Team – shows off the crazy socks donated to him and his team in the vaccination centre at the Universitas Academic Hospital.
Dr Nicholas Pearce, Head of Surgery at the UFS – who is also heading the Universitas Hospital COVID-19 Task Team – receives a donation of crazy socks from Angela Vorster, Clinical Psychologist in the School of Clinical Medicine
Dr Nicholas Pearce, Head of Surgery at the UFS – who is also heading the Universitas Hospital COVID-19 Task Team – receives a donation of crazy socks from Angela Vorster, Clinical Psychologist in the School of Clinical Medicine

News Archive

UFS appoints first black woman director
2006-05-03

 The Executive Management of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) has approved the appointment of Mrs Refiloe Seane as Director of Kovsie Student Counselling, and Dr Francois Strydom as Director of Student Development. 

Ms Seane is the first black woman director to be appointed at the UFS and has been acting in this position since last year.

“Mrs Seane’s appointment is the latest in a series of appointments of women in management positions at the UFS.  It signifies our commitment to create a diverse and dynamic institution of higher learning,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Other appointments of women in management positions include that of Prof Magda Fourie as Vice-Rector:  Academic Planning; Prof Letticia Moja as Dean: Faculty of Health Sciences; Dr Choice Makhetha as Vice-Dean:  Student Affairs and Prof Engela Pretorius as Vice-Dean: Humanities. 

Mrs Seane joined the UFS in 1997 as counselling psychologist at Kovsie Counselling.  In 2003 she was promoted to senior psychologist. She holds a master’s degree in Counselling Psychology at the UFS.

“The need for students to receive counselling is steadily on the increase.  I contribute this to the increasing challenges facing young people of today.  Some of the issues we deal with include among others personal adjustment to the university environment, learning and study skills, career guidance and developmental and psychological problems,” said Mrs Seane.

“I commit myself to develop students and prepare them for their studies and careers ahead. My aim is to improve the efficiency of counselling services at the UFS.  This will help produce balanced graduates who will become role players both nationally and internationally,” said Mrs Seane.

Dr Francois Strydom has been appointed as Head/Director for Kovsie Student Development.  Before his appointment Dr Strydom was senior lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand’s (WITS) School of Human and Community Development.  He holds a Ph D in Psychology from Oxford University, after having obtained a BA degree, BA Honours and master’s degrees in Psychology at the UFS.

“This appointment signals the elevation of the function of student development to directorate level for the first time. It reflects the commitment of the University to support students and their academic development in order to improve their academic success rates. The increase of success rates of especially black students from disadvantaged school backgrounds is a key element of the transformation process of the UFS,” said Prof Fourie.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:  (051) 401-2584
Cell:  083 645 2454
E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
2 May 2006

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