A city of juxtapositions

Arrived safely on my 14hr direct flight from JFK. After one day of recovery sleep, I set out to explore the city with a friend who has lived here for five years.

Johannesburg is the international business epicenter of South Africa, perhaps all of Africa. And yet, greenery is so abundant here that concrete warehouses make the exception, not the norm. The heart of the city is not removed from the heart of the country.

We grabbed lunch at Arts on Main, an outdoor vendor market in a gentrifying district much like what you might find in Brooklyn. 

 Joburg is an incredibly diverse metropolis but remains an incredibly segregated society. Even at this socialite gathering, there is a palpable racial tension. In a post-apartheid era, blacks and whites now live side by side, shop at the same markets, eat at the same restaurants – yet everybody obeys the lines in the sand. In a way, I am reminded of Chicago: collegiality without community.

At one point I recall turning around from my rooftop haven and seeing below me unfurl a cascade of shanty housing stretching to the horizon. This was also the real Johannesburg, come to life from cinema the post-apocalyptic Dredd city, the District 9 slums of Soweto. I am sorry to say the movies did not have to stretch the imagination much.

Like any great city, Joburg has neighborhoods ranging from suburbs to ghettos. However, unlike many other cities, as the pie gets bigger not everyone shares in thes spoils. In places like Soweto, which Baragwanath hospital serves, it seems like poverty is perpetual. This month will be a privileged glimpse into how first-world and third-world neighborhoods coexist.

Why Johannesburg?

Johannesburg, South Africa is the only city in the world to raise two Nobel Peace Prize winners: Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela. In stark contrast, it remains the second most violent city in the world, with a crime rate more than ten times greater than the most dangerous cities in the United States. Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital is the third largest hospital in the world and has more than 125 trauma activations daily, most of them penetrating trauma. The Trauma Surgery program is renowned; residents and medical students rotate here year-round from around the world. Yet, the hospital is severely understaffed and under-resourced. Many patients wait in hallways and die before they reach the operating table. Thus, visiting staff are invaluable to both faculty and patients. Because there is no shortage of work to be done, even medical students serve a pivotal role in improving outcomes, functioning above their training level. My responsibilities include taking q3 30hour call, with advanced procedure exposure such as chest tubes, central lines, and assisting in resuscitations. There are considerable safety risks. I will take careful precautions against HIV/AIDS (>50% prevalence) and live in an enclosed neighbourhood. I have spoken with peers who have rotated through previously. They report that the risks are real, but there is no ceiling to the learning and experiences.



This blog will follow my four-week experience from beginning to end.

I am as excited as I am frightened.

I fly out today. Let the adventure begin.