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Faculty of Health Sciences host another successful Crazysocks4Docs Day

08 June 2022 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Reuben Maeko

The high-pressure nature of working in the health sector and some of the conditions under which doctors have to work and to which they are exposed not only make them vulnerable, but it might have an effect on their mental state.

It is for this reason that the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) celebrates the CrazySocks4Docs campaign each year. In order to create awareness on the importance of medical students’ mental health, Investec once again sponsored crazy socks for our undergraduate medical students this year, after a very successful CrazySocks4Docs Day in 2021.

Crazy Socks for Docs was created in 2017 by Victorian doctor Geoff Toogood, who has a lived experience of depression and anxiety.

After wearing odd socks to work one day, Dr Toogood found that people were talking behind his back and questioning his mental health. The reality was that his new puppy ate his socks, but he was struck by the stigma and discrimination still associated with mental health and well-being.

Angie Vorster, Clinical Psychologist from the School of Medicine in the Faculty of Health Sciences, says students and staff were encouraged to wear mismatched, colourful, crazy socks on 3 June 2022 in order to draw attention to the mental health and well-being of our medical students and medical doctors – who have carried us through more than two years of a pandemic.

“The more we speak about mental health and change the narrative around mental illness as normal life experiences, the better we are able to reduce stigma and increase help-seeking behaviour among our healthcare professionals,” says Vorster.

Head of Surgery, Dr Nicholas Pearce; Acting Head of the School of Clinical Medicine, Prof Hanneke Brits; the Programme Director of the Undergraduate School of Clinical Medicine, Dr Yolandi Swart; and Arishka Kalicharan, the Phase I Chairperson, along with the School of Clinical Medicine's Clinical Psychologist, Angie Vorster, came to celebrate their socks with medical students.

“The students took a break from studying for their exams to have some fun. Even though it was freezing outside, our toes were as warm as our hearts. A great big word of thanks to Investec for caring about our students' mental health and always supporting our endeavours in the Faculty of Health Sciences. It takes a village to train a doctor!’

Time for a picture. Medical students take pictures of their crazy socks during the Faculty of Health Sciences’ CrazySocks4Docs Day.

From the left; Arishka Kalicharan, Angie Vorster,Dr Yolandi Swart, and Prof Hanneke Brits

A group of medical students show off their new socks in support of the CrazySocks4Docs Day.

News Archive

Johann swims his way to Olympics

2016-05-18

Johann van Heerden from the University of the Free State has qualified for the Paralympic Games in the swimming pool, and is now waiting to hear if he will be included in the South African team. Photo: Nadya van Heerden.

In the past couple of months, Johann van Heerden has been swimming his way to the Paralympic Games, and is still preparing as if he will be going to Rio de Janeiro.

The Kovsie swimmer, who will know whether he has been included in the Paralympic team in July 2016, feels his training is progressing well. The Olympics will be held in Brazil from 7 to 18 September 2016. If all goes well, this could be the first of several Olympics for the 20-year-old second-year Education student from the University of the Free State (UFS).

Dream year for Education student

Van Heerden (cerebral palsy), whose hero is the former Paralympic superstar Natalie du Toit, has had huge successes in the run-up to the 2016 Olympics. Among others, he was named the best senior swimmer at the Nedbank National Championships for the Physically Disabled in Bloemfontein in March 2016. At the South African Senior Championships in Durban in April 2016, he qualified for the Olympics in the 100 m breast-stroke with an A-qualifying time, and in the 50 m and 100 m freestyle with B-qualifying times.

Only three male swimmers to Olympics

However, he has to wait until the announcement of the South African Paralympic team, since only three male and three female swimmers will be selected. He will not be competing in another major event before the Olympics. “My short-term goal is to compete in this year’s Games, and, in the long term, I would like to reach even greater heights at the 2020 Games,” he said. Du Toit is an inspiration to him because “she was hard-working, and she had a lot of drive”.

Other students from CUADS also excel

At the above-mentioned National Championships, Van Heerden won a total of five gold medals (200 m medley, 100 m breaststroke, 50 m freestyle, 50 m breaststroke, and 200 m breaststroke) and one silver medal (100 m freestyle). Other students from the Center for Universal Access and Disability Support at the UFS also excelled.

Dineo Mokhosoa (cerebral palsy) won three gold medals (long jump, shot-put, and discus), while the athlete Louzanne Coetzee (blind) shattered the world record in the 5 000 m, as well as the Africa record in the 1 500 m. Juanré Jenkinson (cerebral palsy) won two silver medals (discus and shot-put) while Danie Breitenbach (blind) won two gold medals (800 m and 1500 m).

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