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Prof Jonathan Sackier & Dr Nigel Guest host the wildly funny podcast "Join the Docs", and invite audiences to delve into health-related topics served with a delightful side of humour.

Along with a little help from Slim the skeleton, they welcome the audience into their conversation to share the intriguing, implausible, and marvellous medical stories that are sure to pique your interest whilst teaching you something new. From itching, bedbugs and bruises, to anaemia, anatomy and aortic aneurysms -‘the docs’ cover it all.

• Dr Coffee's Linktree - https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza
• Register for the Philips Future of Health LinkedIn LIVE - https://bit.ly/FutureHealth24SA

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Dr Shauntel Ambrose is a qualified dentist and dental practice owner with a special interest in Paediatric Dentistry. She’s a speaker, producer and host of the "Behind a Smile" podcast, a healthcare business podcast where healthcare leaders share their stories, tips and tricks around sustainable practice and maintaining balance. Dr Ambrose is a faculty member at Dental Protection and presents risk communication workshops on how to better meet patient expectations and avoid litigation. She’s also a medico-legal mediator who helps practitioners and patients seek resolution and mutually agreeable solutions before litigation.

Say hello to our new theme music! Artist: Stereo Club, Song: "Maybe". https://open.spotify.com/track/2Le5eAmLc4fb6t8q9NH4xd

Thank you to our sponsors Wave Medical Scrubs, SutureKits.co.za, V Professional Services, Money & Medicine, & IndemniMed for making this episode possible.

Check out our Linktree URL for all podcast episodes, links to our sponsors, and discount codes from SutureKits and WiZMed. https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza

Send feedback or comments to DrCoffeeZA@gmail.com

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In this week’s episode, we welcome back Dr Nox Mphambukeli, with the next in our fascinating Registrar Series, where we feature young registrars who have just begun their journey to specialisation.

Our guest on the podcast today is Dr Josef Breedt. Dr Breedt obtained his MBChB degree from the University of Pretoria in 2017, graduating cum laude and top of his class. He subsequently completed his medical internship in Gqeberha, from 2018-2019. He took up leadership roles and was elected Vice chairperson of the Intern Representative Council in 2019. Following internship, he went back to his hometown roots of Emalahleni in 2020 where he spent 6 months working in Psychiatry, the Emergency Department and following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, spent 6 months in the COVID critical care ward. He took up a Medical Officer position in Psychiatry at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and after 6 months in the department, started his Registrar time in Psychiatry, and is currently completing his third year. Dr Breedt is passionate about mentoring from student to Registrar level and has been involved in a pioneer programme for peer mentorship at the University of the Witwatersrand. Furthermore, his interest in research has produced 2 published articles during his Registrar time.

Thank you to our fantastic sponsors on this episode:

1. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
2. V Prof Medical Coding & Billing - https://vprofservices.com/
3. Seventh Star Tuition - https://seventhstar.co.za/
4. King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre - https://www.kfshrc.edu.sa/en/home

Follow us on INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/drcoffeeza/

LINKTREE URL - https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza

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In this episode, it was my privilege and honour to interview Dr Nadia Karrim, a qualified ENT surgeon and director of the International Centre for Astronautical Development (ICAD), about space medicine and chasing her lifelong dream to become an astronaut.

Thank you to our Sponsors on this episode:

1. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
2. Seventh Star Tuition - https://seventhstar.co.za/
3. V Prof Medical Coding & Billing - https://vprofservices.com/
4. King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre - https://www.kfshrc.edu.sa/en/home

Important Links mentioned in this episode:

• Space generation advisory council - https://spacegeneration.org/
• https://spacegeneration.org/regions/africa/south-africa
• King’s College London PG Diploma and MSC in Aerospace Medicine - https://www.kcl.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-taught/courses/aerospace-medicine-msc-pg-dip#:~:text=The%20Aerospace%20Medicine%20course%20is,clinical%20and%20operational%20aviation%20medicine

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In this episode we speak with Dr Jonathan King, an Emergency medicine consultant currently the acting head of a busy Emergency Department that serves the needs of over 5500 patients each month. We discuss how ED doctors need to know how to identify and treat emergencies related to ALL of the relevant subspecialties in medicine, andhow Emergency medicine physicians are as good, if not better, than specialists within these disciplines at managing the emergency patients. We also talk about arming yourself against stress, both clinical stress and the stresses you encounter in your personal life, plus EM doctors roles in clinical governance and health systems, how to approach career progression and ultimately get a registrar post in emergency medicine, as well as the important advocacy role that organisations like JUDASA and SAMA play on behalf of doctors in South Africa.

Dr Jonathan King on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanchanking/?originalSubdomain=za

SADocs: https://sadocs.co.za/

Thank you to our sponsors on this Episode!

• V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/
• IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/

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In this episode we have the first in a new series exploring the experiences of registrars currently training towards their specialist qualifications. In the course of this series we hope to offer insights, wisdom and encouragement from young doctors who have begun the process of specialising so that you can learn from their triumphs and struggles and have a clearer picture in your mind what registrar training is like and how to set yourself up for success.

Thank you to our sponsors V Professional Services & IndemniMed for making this episode possible.

Check out our Linktree URL for all podcast episodes, links to our sponsors, and discount codes from SutureKits and WiZMed. https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza

Send feedback or comments to DrCoffeeZA@gmail.com

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After a run of topical episodes, it’s nice to come back to our more traditional “Coffee With Consultants” feature, which is where I sit down with Consultants and ask them about their journey in medicine, their specialty, and the perks, pitfalls and perils of practicing their profession in South Africa. Today’s episode features one of our more popularly-requested specialties, Dermatology.

Thank you to our sponsors: V Professional Services, and IndemniMed from Money and Medicine.

Check out our ⁠⁠Linktree URL ⁠⁠for all podcast episodes, links to our sponsors, and discount codes from SutureKits and WiZMed. --> https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza

Send feedback or comments to DrCoffeeZA@gmail.com

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In this episode we discuss a hot issue right now, which is the rising number of unemployed medical officers in South Africa post-Community Service - literally hundreds of doctors who want to work in government healthcare facilities but cannot get jobs. Our interview takes the form of a conversation with our very own Dr Nox Mphambukeli & the Peoples Doctor, Dr Mumtaz Emeran-Thomas, both affected by the lack of funded posts in the Public healthcare service.

Thank you to our sponsors Money & Medicine for making this important episode possible

Check out our ⁠Linktree URL ⁠for all podcast episodes, links to our sponsors, and discount codes from SutureKits and WiZMed. --> https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza

Send feedback or comments to DrCoffeeZA@gmail.com

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Dr Juandré Klopper is a South African medical doctor, software developer and entrepreneur with firsthand experience working in low-resource clinics, where he witnessed significant challenges faced by healthcare workers and patients alike. Through his company Cape Medtech and non-profit Sponsor Medic, he has tackled these challenges head-on, leveraging innovative medical technology and strategic initiatives to address issues such as limited access to healthcare services and staffing shortages. His experiences in low-resource clinics have fueled his passion for improving healthcare accessibility and quality in underserved communities, driving him to develop sustainable solutions that make a meaningful impact on the lives of patients and healthcare providers. Dr Klopper believes that every issue we face in the healthcare ecosystem is an opportunity waiting for its solution. I love his attitude and approach to difficulties, and for that reason I’m excited to host Dr Klopper on the podcast. I really hope you enjoy our conversation and are challenged about how you approach difficulties wherever you’re currently working.

Check out our Linktree URL for all podcast episodes, links to our sponsors, and discount codes from SutureKits and WiZMed. --> https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza

Thank you to our sponsors

• V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/
• IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
• WiZMed - https://wizmed.co.za/

Links to all of Dr Klopper's Apps [so far!]

• ERCalc - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ErCalc.capemedtech&pli=1
• IVCalc - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ivcalc.capemedtech
• CPR App - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cpr_app
• Bili Baby - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bili.buddy
• Triage Buddy - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.triagebuddy
• AppGar - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appgar.capemedtech
• HGT Diary - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cmt.hgtdiary

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In today’s episode we’ll be doing a deep dive into tips, tricks, and just plain good advice to help you maximise your time as a medical student and succeed in medical school. However, I hope that lasts week’s episode is evidence enough, that once you’ve graduated from medical school, the studying has not come to an end. Not in the least. In fact, many doctors will tell you that they have continued to study under enormous academic pressure as a medical officer and registrar, so truly medicine is about life-long learning and professional development.

Thank you to our amazing sponsors!!

1. ⁠V Professional Services⁠ - https://vprofservices.com/
2. ⁠IndemniMed⁠ - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
3. ⁠WiZmed⁠ - https://wizmed.co.za/

Use discount code "COFFEE10" at checkout at https://wizmed.co.za/ for an instant 10% OFF all scrubs!

• Email: drcoffeezza@gmail.com
• Instagram: @DrCoffeeZA

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Happy new year and welcome to 2024! In today’s episode we’ll be doing a deep dive into the various courses and diplomas you should be working towards before, during, and after your Community Service year. Now, many medical students and junior doctors are asked WHAT they would like to specialise in, if at all, and very few are asked about HOW they intend to get there. Certainly, I think for most of us, we only find out about the road to a specialty after we have decided we have an interest in it as a student or intern doctor. Well today I hope to provide a lot of information as well as inspiration to help you chart your course forward in medicine. We’ll begin with a discussion about the ten most important post-graduate courses that I believe junior doctors should register for, with motivation and explanation, and then a discussion of the various diplomas and further qualifications you can get that are recognised by the HPCSA and the College of Medicine of South Africa.

Useful links for this episode:

1. Colleges of Medicine of South Africa - https://www.cmsa.co.za/view_college_list.aspx
2. Academy of Avanced Life Support - https://www.advancedlifesupport.co.za/courses/

Thank you to our amazing sponsors!!

1. V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/
2. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
3. WiZmed - https://wizmed.co.za/

Use discount code "COFFEE10" at checkout at https://wizmed.co.za/ for an instant 10% OFF all scrubs!

• Email: drcoffeezza@gmail.com
• Instagram: @DrCoffeeZA

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Thank you for your incredible support of the podcast this year!

In this brief episode, we revisit some of your favourite episodes, most popular Instagram reels, and review the year that was, There is also an important announcement about the future of the podcast.

Thank you to our sponsors:

1. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
2. V Professional services - https://vprofservices.com/

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This is the fifth and final instalment of our series Motherhood and Medicine. Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the privilege of 5 interviews with 5 superstar moms. My hope is that as you listen to each mom’s story, how she navigated medicine and her pregnancy and now being a mom, that you’ll be equipped and inspired to make your own important life choices more effectively and with the wisdom of others.

About today's guest: Dr Nokukhanya Khanyile-Lenake. Well-known from social media platforms Instagram and X - formerly known as Twitter - Dr Nokukhanya is entering the final year of her paediatrics registrar time, and preparing to write her final exams in just a few weeks, while still parenting her adorable 2 year old daughter. In this interview we go deep into what motherhood means to her and the life lessons she’s learnt and is still learning on the journey.

Thank you to our sponsors:

1. V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/
2. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/

That's a wrap on our Motherhood and Medicine series! If you haven’t yet, make sure you listen to the other 4 conversations in the series - we hear from some more remarkable mothers in medicine, with different journeys and perspectives. Let us know what you thought about the episode in the comments on instagram or via email - the podcast's email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com.

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This is the fourth instalment of a series we’ve had brewing for a while: Motherhood and Medicine. As you can imagine, between various theatre lists, call rosters, exams, school runs and running their own practices, to try and get a perfect alignment of 5 moms’ schedules, particularly those in registrar time and private practice, is like trying to arrange a solar eclipse.

So instead, I’ve decided to interview each guest for a short, one-on-one episode of about 30minutes length. My hope is that as you listen to each mom’s story, how she navigated medicine and her pregnancy and now being a mom, that you’ll be equipped and inspired to make your own important life choices more effectively and with the wisdom of others. Please let us know what you thought about this series, by dropping us an email to drcoffeeza@gmail.com, and if you think we earned it, a 5 star rating on whatever platform you’re listening on. You can also find this episode on Youtube in 4K video, on our youtube channel “Dr Coffee ZA”.

Thank you to our sponsors!

1. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
2. V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/

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This is the third instalment of a series we’ve had brewing for a while: Motherhood and Medicine. As you can imagine, between various theatre lists, call rosters, exams, school runs and running their own practices, to try and get a perfect alignment of 5 moms’ schedules, particularly those in registrar time and private practice, is like trying to arrange a solar eclipse.

So instead, I’ve decided to interview each guest for a short, one-on-one episode of about 30minutes length. My hope is that as you listen to each mom’s story, how she navigated medicine and her pregnancy and now being a mom, that you’ll be equipped and inspired to make your own important life choices more effectively and with the wisdom of others. Please let us know what you thought about this series, by dropping us an email to drcoffeeza@gmail.com.

Thank you to our sponsors!

1. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
2. V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/

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This is the second instalment of a series we’ve had brewing for a while: Motherhood and Medicine. As you can imagine, between various theatre lists, call rosters, exams, school runs and running their own practices, to try and get a perfect alignment of 5 moms’ schedules, particularly those in registrar time and private practice, is like trying to arrange a solar eclipse.

So instead, I’ve decided to interview each guest for a short, one-on-one episode of about 30minutes length. My hope is that as you listen to each mom’s story, how she navigated medicine and her pregnancy and now being a mom, that you’ll be equipped and inspired to make your own important life choices more effectively and with the wisdom of others.

Please let us know what you thought about this series, by dropping us an email to drcoffeeza@gmail.com

Thank you to our sponsors:

1. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
2. V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/

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In today’s Coffee with consultants feature, I interview Dr Ismail Cassimjee, to talk to him about his specialty of vascular surgery, and his journey in medicine. I’ve been trying to have Dr Cassimjee on the podcast for a while, so I’m really excited to be able to put this interview out for you before the end of the year.

Since July 2022, The Dr Coffee Podcast has been available on the major podcast platforms: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and with almost half our episodes available on YouTube as well. I’m pleased to share that we have expanded our distribution onto some other podcasts platforms and apps, to make it even easier to listen to, watch, and share the episodes you most enjoy. All our episodes are now available on:

• Amazon Music
• Audible
• CastBox
• and PocketCasts

In addition to our usual platforms mentioned a moment ago.

So, if you primarily use these apps for podcasts and audiobooks, I hope you’ll enjoy listening to the Dr Coffee Podcast on there as well. Please like and follow us on these platforms if you do, and leave a quick review if you’ve been enjoying the podcast so far.

IASSS Future Surgeons Program [closes 30 November 2023]

• For more information on the application process for the 2024 committee, visit their website - iasss.org
• If you have any queries, you can email president@iasss.org and you can also visit their Instagram page iasss_official
• Link to National Delegate application form: https://forms.gle/7ZuiDMaSyigrKM886
• Link to FSP application form: https://forms.gle/UGPg1zFF98twqYxk8

Thank you to our sponsors!

1. ⁠V Professional Services⁠ - https://vprofservices.com/
2. ⁠IndemniMed⁠ - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/

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In today’s episode, I interviewed Mr Graham Cosgrave from Match Medics in Ireland, about what it’s like emigrating to Ireland to work as a doctor there, whether it be a permanent move or for a season, the various options South African doctors have when it comes to how and when to move across, the path to specialisation in Ireland, how long it takes to get a European passport and much much more.

Graham Cosgrave is a director of medical recruitment at Match Medics, where he searches the globe for the best doctors to go and work in Ireland. He’s had experience with helping doctors from all over the world - including South Africa - move to Ireland and match up with public and private hospitals according to their skill and experience level.

Graham's contact details should you want to find out more about working in Ireland: graham.cosgrave@matchmedics.comand his WhatsApp number is +353 87 758 4592

• https://matchrecruitmentgroup.com/matchmedics/
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheDoctorsHuddle
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/grahamcosgrave/

Thank you to our sponsors!

1. V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/
2. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/

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On this week’s "Coffee with consultants" feature, we’re interviewing a specialist in what is often portrayed in media and popular culture as one of those ‘rockstar’ surgical specialties - Neurosurgery. We have an awesome interview lined up for you, as well as a historical story time with a question to interact with and respond to, and once again our feature on the IASSS’ future surgeons program

Thank you to our amazing sponsors:

1. V Professional Services - Medical Billing & Practice Management Partner: https://vprofservices.com/

2. IndemniMed - Professional & Practice Insurance - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/

Link to the story in today's "Story Time": https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/dont-forget-me-cobber-the-battle-of-fromelles

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Welcome to Part 1 of our "Motherhood & Medicine" series! In this series, we interview 5 super moms about how they navigated pregnancy and motherhood while balancing a demanding career in medicine. Learn how they decided to time their pregnancies, how they coped with registrar time while pregnant, dealing with the anguish of leaving your baby to return to work after maternity leave, coping with calls and the demands of parenting before and after calls, and much more.

Thank you to our long-term sponsors:

1. IndemnMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/

2. V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/

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SutureKits.co.za is a new local distributor of suture practice kits, founded by 1st-year medical student Delarey Van Tonder. They offer high-quality, extremely affordable suturing skills kits designed for medical students and aspiring surgeons to sharpen their skills in the privacy and comfort of their own homes. We had a conversation about the kits, which are available for purchase right now on their website: https://suturekits.co.za/Also featured in this episode:The International Association of Student Surgical Societies [IASSS]: If you would like more information on the application process for the 2024 committee, visit their website on iasss.org If you have any queries, you can email president@iasss.org and you can also visit their Instagram page: @iasss_official If you would simply like to sign up as a member to the IASSS, you can do so on our website.  Link to National Delegate application form: https://forms.gle/7ZuiDMaSyigrKM886  Link to Future Surgeons Programme application form: https://forms.gle/UGPg1zFF98twqYxk8 The Dr Coffee Podcast is brought to you by the following awesome sponsors:1. IndemniMed - practitioner and practice insurance - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/2. V Professional Services - Medical billing specialists - https://vprofservices.com/

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It’s been a while since we last had a “Coffee with Consultants” episode, where I get the privilege and honour of interviewing a consultant in a specialty to ask them about the perks, pitfalls and perils of their specialty, the decision algorithm that led them to choose it, and what advice they’d pass on to junior doctors who’d like to pursue this path in future.

Coming up in today’s episode, I sat down in studio with Dr Bongi Rubushe-Ngwenya, a specialist gynaecologist and obstetrician, to ask her about the path to specialising in these two related and yet distinct disciplines. Dr Bongi completed her undergraduate medical training at WITS and undertook her Obstetrics and Gynaecology training at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital where she now works as a consultant with a special interest in reproductive medicine. In her time there, she’s established an infertility and endocrine clinic to assist women combatting infertility and wishing to have a child. Recently she also established an office hysteroscopy clinic that has been instrumental in reducing theatre load and decongesting the backlog of patients in the Obs and Gynae department. Dr Rubushe-Ngwenya has a special interest in endoscopic surgery and is currently the president of the WITS Gynae Endoscopy Training Unit. This unit has been pivotal in improving the laparoscopic skills of Gynaecologists by hosting skills workshops and developing an associated curriculum. Finally, she thoroughly enjoys reading and is immensely passionate about teaching and passing on her knowledge to others.

Thank you to our sponsors on today's episode:

1. V Professional Services: medical billing and practice management - https://vprofservices.com/
2. IndemniMed: Personal and practice insurance for young health professionals - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/

Let us know what you thought about this episode in the comments on instagram or via email - the podcasts email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. You can also email us with questions for our guests, suggestions of topics or podcast guests to interview, or anything else on your mind, we’d love to hear from you

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This episode we reach a significant milestone - our 50th Full-length episode of the podcast. Thank you for your incredible support so far. Coming up in today’s episode, I sat down in studio with a fellow medical podcaster who is quickly becoming a good friend: Danroe Oosthuizen, a 3rd year medical student at the University of Pretoria, and host of the Medically Inclined Podcast, to discuss some of the myths and misconceptions medical students and members of the public have about studying a medical degree and becoming a doctor.

Thank you to our podcast sponsors!

1. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/

2. V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/

Important Links mentioned in this episode:

• Medically Inclined Podcast on Instagram - @Medically_inclined_podcast
• Doctors Eventually on Instagram - @doctors_eventually
• Resource on Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/mobile/folders/1_waGfV6pCCqFkwkMJzxsHXj6nnvc7mg2

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Coming up in today’s episode, we have a really thought-provoking interview with a social architect for positive change in South Africa, who launched an incredible NGO and mobile clinic initiative [Rhiza Babuyile] to drive better access to quality healthcare in South Africa and to reduce systemic inequality. We also have a dive into the annals of medical history to get you thinking laterally about the cost of innovation and discovery in medicine and invite you to share your thoughts on the parallels to today’s clinical spaces. As always it’s a privilege to equip and inspire you to be the best healthcare professional you can be.

Diabetes and Insulin:

• Extra History - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn4HvRkBbfk
• The Discovery of Insulin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk1D4VgM8jY
• Why Insulin isn't cheaper - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CdydQNfAXE

Alef Meulenberg was born and raised in the Netherlands, but has lived the majority of his adult life in South Africa. He’s passionate about contributing to solutions for socio-economic challenges like poverty, youth unemployment and socio-economic inequality through holistic developmental models. He does this out of neighbourly love and compassion for people who have historically been disenfranchised and disadvantaged. As an entrepreneur, it is his belief that market-creating innovation is truly able to move the needle when it comes to sustainable transformation. Alef is currently actively involved in developmental work through various board and executive positions he holds in organisations that are at the front-line of implementing social change in African communities. He has direct developmental experience in countries like South Africa, Ghana, Uganda, Mozambique, India and Brazil. His background is in business administration, education, non-profit management, leadership, philosophy and theology. Alef has over 16 years of practical experience in the for impact/non-profit sector.

Links to our guest, Alef Meulenberg's projects:

• Rhiza Babuyile - https://r-b.org.za/
• Township Fleva - https://townshipfleva.co.za/
• Mobile Clinics - https://www.iol.co.za/news/feel-good/look-private-healthcare-at-an-affordable-rate-brought-to-the-township-a9a269f4-4aed-4780-bb0e-86a7f70423b1
• Clinic launch in Diepsloot - https://sundayworld.co.za/news/rhiza-babuyile-launches-r5m-state-of-the-art-clinic-in-diepsloot/
• Alef's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alef-meulenberg/
• News24 article - https://www.news24.com/life/books/excerpt-businesses-can-rise-from-the-ashes-alef-meulenberg-shows-in-the-overcomers-20230128-3

Thank you to our sponsors!

• V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/
• IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/

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In today’s episode, I sat down with Stefan Bothma and Werner Hattingh, the founders of Money & Medicine, financial advisors who specialise in assisting final year medical students and young health professionals to plan their financial future and lay a foundation early on to achieve their financial goals. We’re discussing common mistakes that newly-qualified interns, and even other ranks of doctors, can make in their finances and other areas of their lives.

This is a topical episode, and also a timely one, as we are entering the final quarter of the year, which is typically when each year’s fresh crop of interns are finalising their end of medical school exams, or preparing to move on to Community Service from internship, or preparing for new Medical Officer posts and so on.

Remember, we’re all on a journey and we’re never the finished product, so if you’d like to share some wisdom with those coming after you, or let us know about learning your own lessons through mistakes you’ve made, be sure to email us [DrCoffeeZA@gmail.com] or post in the comments for this episode on Youtube, where you can find the entire interview in up to 4k quality.

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Ultrasound imaging has the potential to change the landscape of access to care in South Africa. It's relatively cheap, non-irradiating, offers imaging in real-time, and can be used in a variety of settings, including the emergency department. Having spent the past month in the ED at my base hospital, I asked one of the EM registrars who is also an instructor in point-of-care ultrasound with the Emergency Medicine Society of South Africa (EMSSA), Dr Marcus Kruger, to sit across from me and share why and how junior doctors should get training in using ultrasound. I hope you enjoy the episode!

Too find out more about the EMSSA ePOCUS course, click on this link:

https://emssa.org.za/special-interest-groups/ultrasound/

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What is it about the competitive nature of medical school, academic research, and vying for ever-dwindling numbers of posts that make junior doctors so unkind to one another? We're all on a journey of personal and professional development, and in this Espresso Shots episode we're talking about respecting our colleagues qualifications, intelligence and humanity - in other words: Just be 'LEKKER'!

This episode is not directed at any one person, incident or specialty in particular, so if you feel 'triggered' by the conversation, best 'check yourself before you wreck yourself'! And if you'd like to let us know what you think on the topic, send an email to drcoffeeza@gmail.com, or comment on the post for this episode on our instagram.

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In this episode, we welcome two incredible guests: Dr Nokukhanya Khanyile-Lenake & Mr Romulen Pillay, to discuss the priorities and perspectives of South African healthcare leaders and healthcare professionals, as revealed in the Future Health Index. You can download the Philips Future Health Index Report 2023 for South Africa at the URL: ⁠https://bit.ly/FHISA23

About our guests: Dr. Nokukhanya Khanyile-Lenake is a paediatrics registrar rotating in the public hospitals affiliated with the University of the Witwatersrand, as well as a mental health advocate and influencer. She is vocal about healthcare access and equity in South Africa, and has gained a significant following on Twitter and Instagram for her work in advocating for better healthcare services for underserved communities. Mr Romulen Pillay is the Managing Director of Philips Southern Africa. He is keenly focussed on digital technology and increasing technology-driven solutions for South African problems. As a fourth-generation South African, he is also keenly aware of the disparities that exist in our society and wants to find solutions that enable better access to healthcare.

About the conversation: We discuss the full Philips Future Health Index Report for 2023, with some of the key insights and our responses to them. Now in its 8th year, the report surveyed 3000 healthcare leaders and professionals from 14 countries, and evaluated their priorities and perspectives across a number of issues. A new focus this year was the experience of younger healthcare professionals and how their responses differed from those of their counterparts and predecessors.

Thank you Philips for driving the conversation and providing the information from this research that allows us to make decisions about the future of healthcare in South Africa.

What do you think about the report and the findings revealed in it? Let us know! The podcast's email address is DrCoffeeZA@gmail.com. We're also on Instagram with the username @DrCoffeeZA

https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza

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This week we lift the lid on practising medicine and specialising in another country, specifically, the United States of America. Our guest this week shares from her journey of getting a job in residency in the US, how their healthcare system and medical training works, and what YOU need to know if you're considering practicing medicine in the USA.

About our guest:

Dr Kim Scott completed her undergraduate medical degree at UCT, and went on to do internship at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town and community service at Swartland Hospital in Malmesbury. After working in private hospital ED's, she decided to travel and became a cruise ship doctor. This is where she met her American husband which ultimately lead to her decision to emigrate to the US. Dr Scott is currently in her final year of internal medicine residency - the equivalent of registrar time - at Jefferson Einstein Hospital in Philadelphia and once she's finished she has hopes of working as an attending (consultant) in a rural area of the US. Although permanently based in America, coming from SA, she's still passionate about HIV medicine and has just been awarded a funded research grant looking to deliver pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to disadvantaged communities. Her other passion is promoting overall wellness and mental health within medicine for which she is on her resident wellness committee.

It's a privilege to have Dr Kim Scott on the podcast this week, and I'm sure you'll learn a lot from our conversation. This episode was recorded over Zoom, and is available as a video episode on Youtube.

Thank you to our sponsors on this episode:

1. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
2. Money & Medicine - https://www.moneyandmedicine.co.za/

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Dr Nox Mpambukeli & I were privileged to be invited to attend the Philips Future of Health LIVE South Africa event in Johannesburg on the 23rd of August 2023. We got the opportunity to interact with some incredible industry experts and leaders, some of whom were the panelists in the LinkedIn LIVE discussion. They had some phenomenal things to say to junior doctors and medical students in South Africa, so we thought we would share their thoughts with you in this episode!

Professor Glenda Gray is the CEO and President of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). Prof Gray is a qualified paediatrician and co-founder of the internationally recognised Perinatal HIV Research Unit in Soweto, South Africa. Prior to her appointment at the SAMRC, she was the Executive Director of the Perinatal HIV Research Unit, an affiliate of Wits University. Glenda’s global profile includes a role as Co-PI of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network (HVTN), an international collaboration for the development of HIV/AIDS prevention vaccines. She received South Africa’s highest honour – the Order of Mapungubwe - for her pioneering research in PMTCT. She is a member of the board of GARDP, AAHI and a member of the WHO TB-STAG.

Dr Katlego Mothudi is the Managing Director of the Board of Healthcare Funders (BHF), an industry representative body for medical aid schemes, administrators, and managed care providers. The BHF has a presence in eight countries across Southern Africa, including Lesotho, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Dr Mothudi has previously served as a Medical Advisor and Clinical Executive for Metropolitan Health Group, was the Managing Director for Aid for AIDS within the AfroCentric Health stable, before becoming the Executive Head of Clinical Services and Operations at Sizwe Medical Fund. Dr Mothudi is an advocate for ethical leadership and serves on several boards and various industry committees. These include the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA), the Health Sector Anti-Corruption Forum and Steering Committee which were set up by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU). Dr Mothudi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Applied Chemistry, an MBChB degree from MEDUNSA, and training in Sports Medicine. The latter gave him the opportunity to work with various sports organisations and teams, culminating as the Chief Medical Officer for the Referees’ Headquarters during the 2009 FIFA Confederation and the 2010 World Cups

Thank you to our sponsors on this episode:

1. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
2. V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/
3. Philips Futre Health Index Report - https://www.philips.co.za/a-w/about/news/future-health-index/reports/2023/taking-healthcare-everywhere.html?utm_source=MyBroadband&utm_medium=Article&utm_campaign=August+2023

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In this episode, I had the privilege of interviewing Professor Shabir Moosa, to ask him all about the NHI and how it might feasibly work to fund quality healthcare in South Africa. Professor Moosa is a Family Physician in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits)). He has a Diploma in Primary Health Care Service Management, A Masters in Family Medicine (MEDUNSA-Limpopo), a Masters in Business Administration (Wits Business School) (2011) and a PhD from Ghent University) (2015). He is focused on practice in Chiawelo Community Practice in Soweto.

Professor Moosa has a history of general practice, community and political activism in rural Kwa-Zulu Natal and Eastern Cape Provinces (the old Transkei region) having lived in Kokstad from 1990 to 2004. He moved to Johannesburg in 2004 and has been deeply involved in development, service, training, and research of Family Medicine in Johannesburg and Gauteng. He is actively involved in developing best practice models of Family Medicine, including creating community practices in Soweto as a contracting model for the emerging national health insurance system in South Africa.

Thank you to our sponsors on this episode:

1. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
2. V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/
3. Philips Future of Health Index Report - https://www.philips.com/a-w/about/news/future-health-index

For more, visit our Linktree URL at https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza, or email us at drcoffeeza@gmail.com

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I was recently invited to participate in and facilitate the first Umsebeni Employment Series Conversation, organised by the Office of Student Success at the University of the Witwatersrand. For those who don’t know, the Office of Student Success was started by the Faculty of Health Sciences at WITS University to enable the holistic development, wellbeing and support of all health sciences students towards their academic success. The theme of the conversation was “Preparing for the workplace”, and took place on the 20th of July 2023. I was privileged to be seated with the other panelists an guests on the Podcast:

• Dr Johann Lamprecht - Ophthalmologist in private practice focusing on surgical treatment of cataract, glaucoma and retinal pathology. MBChB(UFS), FCOphth(SA) and MMed(Ophthal) (WITS) and founding member of the OSSA Young Ophthalmologists.
• Dr Bongiwe Nhlangulela - Family Dentist I Owner of three practices in Constantia Kloof, Sandton and Pretoria. Passionate about empowerment & healthcare, and a social media influencer with over 32 000 followers.
• Ms Lucy Pearl Khofi - Medical Anthropologist, Multi Award-Winning Women's Health Activist, SRJC Advisory Board Chairperson, Researcher in Medical Anthropology & Public Health, Women's Health Ekklesia NPO Founder, Period Proud.

Our book review in this episode is presented by Chantelle Guise-Brown, 5th year MBChB student at Stellenbosch University.

Thank you to our sponsors on today's episode:

1. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
2. V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/
3. Seventh Star Tuition - https://seventhstar.co.za/

Our Linktree URL - https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza

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Welcome to the Dr Coffee Podcast, brought to you by IndemniMed! In this week’s coffee with consultants feature, I interview Dr Nick Brits, representing Urology. Dr Brits is originally from KwaZulu Natal, and completed his undergraduate degree at UCT in 2011. After internship in Pietermaritzburg he moved to Johannesburg and worked as a Medical Officer at Charlotte Maxeke and Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospitals. He subsequently specialised in Urology at Wits and now works in private practice. Dr Brits is an Honorary Consultant at the University of Witwatersrand and is actively involved in undergraduate and post-graduate teaching and training in the field of Urology. When he’s not practising his craft, Dr Brits enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, fishing, playing sport and spending time with his family and children.

Thank you to our sponsors on today's episode:

1. IndemniMed - https://www.indemnimed.co.za/
2. V Professional Services - https://vprofservices.com/
3. Seventh Star Tuition - https://seventhstar.co.za/

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In this week’s episode, I interview Dr Chris Mathew. Chris is currently the Health Informatics Officer for the private hospital group, Netcare. In this role, he also serves as a the clinical lead for Africa’s largest EMR system, through which Netcare has established the first fully digitised hospitals in South Africa. Prior to joining Netcare, Chris trained as a medical doctor and then went on to complete an MBA as a Louis Dreyfus-Weidenfeld Hoffman Saïd Scholar, followed by a Masters in International Health & Tropical Medicine as a ExxonMobil Global Health Scholar, both at the University of Oxford. He is passionate about healthcare and technology, the ever expanding intersection of the two and the role this will have in improving healthcare for all South Africans.

Special thanks to our sponsors on this episode:

1. IndemniMed by Money & Medicine - https://www.moneyandmedicine.co.za/
2. Seventh Star Tuition - https://seventhstar.co.za/

Thank you for your support!

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Welcome to Espresso Shots by the Dr Coffee Podcast. Today we’re talking about organ donation, with Jonty Wright and Naamiz Nagdee from Save Seven.

Save Seven Contacts

• Jonty Wright: 063 612 240; Jonty@Save7.org
• Naazim Nagdee: 076 607 1255; Naazim@Save7.org or Nagdeenaz16@gmail.com
• Sachen Naidu: 067 141 3427; Sachen@Save7.org
• Website: www.save7.org
• Instagram: @savesevenlives
• Facebook: Save 7
• Tiktok: save7lives

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In this week’s "Coffee with Consultants" feature, I interviewed Dr Tracey Ferreira, representing the frequently requested specialty of Anaesthesiology. Dr Ferreira is a fairly recently-qualified anaesthesiologist currently working in private practice in a number of locations and with a variety of surgeons. She’s also a mom of two gorgeous small kids, and has great advice for our women in medicine about how to pursue dual dreams of specialising and motherhood. 

Welcome our new main sponsors of the podcast: IndemniMed, by Money & Medicine! - https://www.moneyandmedicine.co.za/

This episode also features a sponsored content segment with Seventh Star Tuition - https://seventhstar.co.za/

Podcast recommendation from our guest: The Accrac podcast - http://accrac.com/ - Anesthesia and Critical Care Reviews and Commentary

Collaborate with us by completing this Google form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSer0-PZSPt4IBA3tLTcVxdiqhzklzvN9x5zpwQwnnrieHQxig/viewform?usp=sf_link

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Let's talk about the National Health Insurance, or NHI, which was recently passed in parliament. As a young doctor or a medical student, you need to at least know the basic concepts of the why, what and how of the NHI, for your own career as well as so you can help your relatives and member of the public understand and make sense of their own feelings of the bill. So will the NHI work? What do you think?

If you’re interested in diving a little deeper, I’ve included a bunch of resources about the NHI below:

1. The History of the NHS - https://youtu.be/-ywP8wjfOx4
2. NHS Politics - https://youtu.be/u3nvsAMrriA
3. SABC News article - https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/national-council-of-provinces-committee-to-receive-briefing-on-nhi-bill/
4. How the NHI will work - https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/the-nuts-and-bolts-of-nhi-how-it-will-work-who-pays/
5. NHI could be the next SARS, and not Eskom - https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/699275/nhi-could-be-the-next-sars-not-the-next-eskom-crisp/
6. Capetalk - https://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/477393/despite-uncertainty-govt-is-confident-about-nhi-the-devil-is-in-the-detail

If you feel like I missed out some major detail, please let me know in the comments or via email at the podcast’s email address - drcoffeeza@gmail.com. And of course, let me know what else you think we should cover in our 15minute Espresso Shot podcasts. Thanks for listening and thank you for your support!

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In this week’s coffee with consultants feature, we hear from Dr Lliam Brannigan, representing the sub-specialty of critical care medicine and intensive care. Dr Brannigan is an intensive care specialist and HOD at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre critical care department. He has a research and clinical interest in liver transplantation and high risk surgery, and especially failure to rescue, and is a long standing member of numerous specialist societies. Lliam was a Helicopter EMS doctor on Echo 1 and then completed a speciality in anaesthesia before moving onto a critical care fellowship. We had a brilliant chat about medicine in South africa, as well as some of the challenges we face as young doctors, such as shortages of posts and opportunities, and lack of senior support and encouragement. This episode was recorded over Zoom, & is also available as a video episode on Youtube. Even if you prefer to listen to the audio format of this podcast, please take a minute to head over to the Dr Coffee Podcast Youtube channel, subscribe and give a like to this video. I know it’s a bit of work on your part, however it’s simply the best way to support the growth of the podcast and let the algorithm know this is something junior doctors want to hear. Thank you so much for your support!

It’s the Dr Coffee Podcast’s 1st birthday on the 1st of July 2023! Our very 1st episode with Dr Mark Torres-Holmes was released on the 1st of July 2022. Since then, the podcast has gained over 2000 followers on Instagram, almost 450 followers on Spotify, had over 17 000 downloads across all platforms, sporadically topped the Apple Podcast charts in its category, and become South Africa’s top locally-produced medical podcast. And this is just the beginning! In a little over a week’s time, we will be letting you in on a little secret: about an exciting new long-term corporate partner with the podcast, one I believe truly has the success of junior doctors at heart. The podcast has also opened up new opportunities for engagement with various levels and healthcare stakeholders, so I’m really excited to be amplifying the voices and interests of our country’s junior doctors and medical students. To that end, if you’d like to let us know about a project or cause initiated by a junior doctor or medical student that you feel deserves airtime on the podcast, or if you’d like to collaborate with us or purchase sponsored content segments on the podcast, please get in touch. We can provide exposure and advertising to our audience in a number of ways, whether it be collaborating on an event at your medical school with a student society or interest-group, featuring guests in episodes or special segments, or on the podcast itself in the form of pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll ads. All university, student, or charity initiatives are given airtime free of charge. If you believe, like we do, in the potential and talent of south africa’s junior doctors and future doctors, and would like to work together to make a positive difference, send an email to the podcast’s email address, drcoffeeza@gmail.com.

Well, that’s it for this week’s episode. I’d like to take a moment to direct you briefly to our Linktree URL: https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza and our instagram page, @DrCoffeeZA. There you’ll find links to all our podcast episodes, some of the collaborators we’ve been working with, as well as a Google Form you can complete if you’re interested in working with the Dr Coffee Podcast. Thank you for your support, and we’ll see you in Episode 40!

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In this episode, we feature members of the Wits Students Surgical Society ("Wits SurgSoc"), and their efforts to fundraise for the Smile Foundation by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro - #KiliChallenge2023. I had the privilege of interviewing four members of the team aiming to summit Mt Kilimanjaro in December 2023. This interview took place at the Smile Foundation offices in Hyde park Johannesburg, where we met to discuss the WHY behind the WHAT of their KiliChallenge, and how we can get behind them and support their charity fundraising efforts. My guests on this episode are future doctors Danielle Olivier, Sarah Benn and Rebecca Groome, all current students in 4th year medicine at Wits, and Jonty Bleeker (a 2nd year medical student). We unpacked their reasons for climbing as well as some of the exciting projects they have in store to ensure they reach their target of raising half a million rand for the Smile Foundation over the next few months.

Links to all important pages on Instagram mentioned in this episode:

1. @kilichallenge2023 - https://instagram.com/kilichallenge2023?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
2. @witssurgsoc - https://www.instagram.com/witssurgsoc/?hl=en
3. @esjay_sports - https://instagram.com/esjay_sports?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
4. @prettycasual_ct - https://instagram.com/prettycasual_ct?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
5. @meisies_on_a_mountain - https://instagram.com/meisies_on_a_mountain_?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
6. GIVE HERE!! --> Kili challenge fundraiser - https://smilefoundationsa.org/donations/kilimanjaro-challenge/
7. Kili challenge email = kilichallenge2023@gmail.com

Our ⁠Linktree URL⁠: https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza

Well, that’s it for this week’s episode. I’d like to take a moment to direct you briefly to our Linktree URL (above), and our instagram page, @DrCoffeeZA. There you’ll find links to all our podcast episodes, some of the collaborators we’ve been working with, as well as a Google Form you can complete if you’re interested in working with the Dr Coffee Podcast. Whether it be collaborating on an event at your medical school with a student society or interest-group, featuring guests in episodes or special segments, or if you’d like to advertise on the podcast with pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll ads. If you believe, like we do, in the potential and talent of south africa’s junior doctors and future doctors, and would like to work together to make a positive difference, hit us up via the Google Form and we’ll be in touch soon. You can also email us on the podcast’s email address, at drcoffeeza@gmail.com

Please like and review the podcast - leave a 5 star rating if you enjoyed this episode! - and share it with a friend. Thank you for your support!

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In this week's Coffee with Consultants feature, I sat down with Dr Jay Punwasi, about the role of a clinical manager at a hospital entails, and also to talk about the important steps junior doctors need to chart a course for the the early phase of their career and how to choose a site for their Community Service year. Dr Jay Punwasi is a medical doctor and healthcare manager. She is currently the Clinical Director at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. Her purpose in her career is to advance patient services by engaging her clinical and MBA training and experience in all aspects of healthcare.

As a trained business and life coach, Dr Puwnasi has a special interest in developing young healthcare practitioners through coaching and mentoring so the next generation of doctors and allied practitioners is better equipped to run the marathon of a career in healthcare. Dr Punwasi has won multiple service excellence awards in her career including the South African Medical Association Young Leader in Healthcare award. She is a mother of two girls aged 12 and 9, the wife of a university professor and a community activist involved in organisations that promote education and learning, reading amongst young children, and social and community improvement. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and I’m sure you will as well.

Important resources and links mentioned in this episode:

1. Colleges of Medicine South Africa - ⁠https://www.cmsa.co.za/⁠
2. Stay on top of CPD points and courses - Medical practice consulting - ⁠https://www.mpconsulting.co.za/⁠
3. EMGuidance - Free, instant access to locally relevant medicines & clinical information ⁠https://emguidance.com/about⁠⁠
4. Ikigai - the Japanese secret to a long and happy life, (Book) by Héctor Garcia & Francesc Miralles
5. Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again, (Book) by Dr Eric Topol, MD.
6. Outlive: the Science of Longevity, (Book) By Dr Peter Attia.

Our Linktree URL: https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza

Well, that’s it for this week’s episode. I’d like to take a moment to direct you briefly to our Linktree URL (above), and our instagram page, @DrCoffeeZA. There you’ll find links to all our podcast episodes, some of the collaborators we’ve been working with, as well as a Google Form you can complete if you’re interested in working with the Dr Coffee Podcast. Whether it be collaborating on an event at your medical school with a student society or interest-group, featuring guests in episodes or special segments, or if you’d like to advertise on the podcast with pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll ads. If you believe, like we do, in the potential and talent of south africa’s junior doctors and future doctors, and would like to work together to make a positive difference, hit us up via the Google Form and we’ll be in touch soon. You can also email us on the podcast’s email address, at drcoffeeza@gmail.com

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The 2nd of June 2023 is CrazySock4Docs day, a day to shine a light on the mental health of doctors. This is our chance to talk about it, break the stigma associated with mental illness, and to be there for one another. In this very special episode, I have the privilege and honour of interviewing my beautiful wife Carmen, who has been so brave and kind as to open up about her own struggles with anxiety and depression. This episode really hits close to home. I cannot over-state how significant it is that my wife has agreed to open up on the podcast like this, especially because of how anxiety and depression have affected her over the years. She clearly believes in what we will share in this episode so strongly that she is able to put her own discomfort and fear aside, to help some doctor or medical student who needs to hear it.

Consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support! If you have feedback on what you thought of this episode or anything else on your mind, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com

Important Mental Health Resources

1. Healthcare Workers Care Network - https://www.healthcareworkerscarenetwork.org.za/
2. South African Depression and Anxiety Group - https://www.sadag.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11&Itemid=114
3. Discovery helpline for medical students - https://www.discovery.co.za/corporate/young-doctors

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In this week's "Coffee with Consultants" feature, my guest is Professor Joji Mercier, an associate professor at the University of Pretoria. Prof Joji has experience as an emergency medicine doctor with international SOS - flying doctors involved in medical rescue and transportation across borders and overseas - as well as extensive experience as a lecturer of medical students and scientific researcher. She was enthusiastically recommended by another consultant guest on the podcast, Professor Ryan Blumenthal, from Episode 24 of the Dr Coffee Podcast. Prof Joji has a really engaging and interesting journey in medicine, as well as a number of key insights to share with junior doctors and medical students. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation, and I’m sure you will as well.

The Dr Coffee podcast was recently featured on ⁠Feedspot’s global list of the Top 45 motivational podcasts for Students⁠. This list is based on a combination of social media reach, podcast audience on major podcast platforms, and the amount of people sharing and interacting with the content. The Dr Coffee Podcast appears at number 24. Check it out!

2 June 2023 is the date of the annual CRAZY SOCKS 4 DOCS initiative, which is all about shining a light on mental health of doctors. Multiple studies have demonstrated that not only do our South African doctors have a higher prevalence of depression than our general population, they also have a higher prevalence of burnout than doctors in other countries, with a higher incidence of emotional exhaustion and depersonalisation. These same studies also show that due to the stigma associated with mental health disorders, denial or just pure lack of awareness, South African doctors with depression or burnout do not seek help or treatment. The WARDWORX APP are on a mission to change that. To encourage conversations, break the stigma, and remind you that you aren’t alone, and it’s okay to not be okay. Click the link below to visit the WardWorx Linktree for more information on Crazy Socks 4 Docs, and visit their instagram for a chance to WIN special edition SOX for yourself and your team mates!

Important links and resources mentioned in this episode:

1. The Dr Coffee Podcast Linktree - https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza
2. Google Form [collaborate with us] - https://forms.gle/tfWyJxMh9FqMjQJY9
3. Feedspot’s global list of the Top 45 motivational podcasts for Students
4. Crazy Socks 4 Docs - What is CS4D? https://www.crazysocks4docs.com.au/
5. WardWorx and Crazy Socks for Docs - https://linktr.ee/wardworxCS4D
6. WardWorx App - https://linktr.ee/Wardworx

If you have feedback on this episode, please get in touch and send us an email to drcoffeeza@gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

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This special episode of the Dr Coffee Podcast, we feature a non-profit organisation doing amazing work in our community and country. It’s our pleasure to present this episode in collaboration with the Smile Foundation SA and Burnshield. The month of May has been marked as Burns Awareness Month by the National Burns Association of South Africa (NBASA), with a key focus on the week between the 6th and 12th of May 2023. I was privileged and honoured to be invited to the Smile Foundation offices in Hyde park, Johannesburg, to discuss "burns awareness week", as well as the Smile Foundation Smile week occurring at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital, sponsored by Burnshield.

My guests today are Kim Robertson Smith, the CEO of Smile Foundation, Cara Garnitz, the head of Marketing at Burnshield, and Brian Smith, the donor officer at Smile Foundation. They educated and inspired me with the incredible work of the Smile Foundation and the amazing products produced by Burnshield, definitely an important part of the acute management of all kinds of burns on all skin types for all ages of patients.

Links to Smile Foundation and Burnshield

1. Smile Foundation:

2. Email: info@smilefoundationsa.org

3. Volunteer - https://smilefoundationsa.org/volunteer/
4. Linktree - https://linktr.ee/SmileFoundationSA

5. Donate: https://smilefoundationsa.org/public-donations/

6. Burnshield

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BurnshieldZA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BurnshieldZA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burnshieldza/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLscPDNPN7eNegtWVMhpVvQ

Whatsapp Burn Bot: wa.me/+27872502876?text=Hi

As always, If you have feedback on this episode, please get in touch and send us an email to drcoffeeza@gmail.com. Thank you for your support!

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Welcome (again) to this special episode of the Dr Coffee Podcast, produced in collaboration with the Wits Students’ Physician Society. In this episode, we're talking all about the Graduate Entry into Medicine Program (GEMP) at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) in Johannesburg, South Africa. A podcast in two parts, this episode was recorded at a live event which took place on the 26th of April 2023 at the Faculty of Health Sciences lecture halls at WITS. The event was well-attended, and recorded in front of a live audience of prospective medical students who wanted to learn more about GEMP and the WITS Additional Placement Test (WAPT).

To recap, in part 1, our panelists explained their journeys into GEMP. Now in Part 2, our panel addressed specific questions about the WAPT exam and GEMP that were submitted via a google form in the weeks leading up the event. We had an overwhelming response, and were able to aggregate the questions to ensure we provided the most helpful answers possible to the most possible people. You’ll also learn a little more about what you can expect once you are accepted into medicine, and what the student timetable is like in the 4 years of GEMP.

1. WITS GEMP website - https://www.wits.ac.za/health/gemp/

2. AMP’d for the WAPT

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ampd4wapt?lang=en

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ampd4thewapt/?hl=en\

Telegram group - https://t.me/joinchat/Vlkgs9ttCGIUlYil

Google Drive - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1D1uBsYCsG9VbyQxsDWdUCUDXp8oJBYTD

1. The WITS Students’ Physician Society

Email: thephysiciansociety@gmail.com

Instagram: @wits_physician_soc - https://www.instagram.com/wits_physician_soc/

YouTube: The Wits Students’ Physician Society - https://www.youtube.com/@thewitsstudentsphysicansoc220

1. The Dr Coffee Podcast

Email: drcoffeeza@gmail.com

Instagram: @drcoffeeza - https://www.instagram.com/drcoffeeza/

YouTube: Dr Coffee ZA

Podcast Platforms: The Dr Coffee Podcast

https://linktr.ee/drcoffeeza

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Welcome to this special episode of the Dr Coffee Podcast, produced in collaboration with the Wits Students’ Physician Society. In this episode, we're talking all about the Graduate Entry into Medicine Program (GEMP) at the University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) in Johannesburg, South Africa. A podcast in two parts, this episode was recorded at a live event which took place on the 26th of April 2023 at the Faculty of Health Sciences lecture halls at WITS. The event was well-attended, and recorded in front of a live audience of prospective medical students who wanted to learn more about GEMP and the WITS Additional Placement Test (WAPT).

In part 1, I’m joined by 4 current medical students at WITS to explain our journeys into GEMP. We’ll share a lot of practical advice along the way and I’m sure you’ll be able to identify with parts of our stories, whether you’re currently a medical student or considering studying medicine at Wits.

In Part 2, our panel dives further into some more specific questions about the WAPT exam and GEMP, as well as sharing a little more about what you can expect once you are accepted into medicine, so be sure to tune into part 2 as well.

1. WITS GEMP website - https://www.wits.ac.za/health/gemp/

2. AMP’d for the WAPT

Twitter - https://twitter.com/ampd4wapt?lang=en

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ampd4thewapt/?hl=en\

Telegram group - https://t.me/joinchat/Vlkgs9ttCGIUlYil

Google Drive - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1D1uBsYCsG9VbyQxsDWdUCUDXp8oJBYTD

1. The WITS Students’ Physician Society

Email: thephysiciansociety@gmail.com

Instagram: @wits_physician_soc - https://www.instagram.com/wits_physician_soc/

YouTube: The Wits Students’ Physician Society - https://www.youtube.com/@thewitsstudentsphysicansoc220

1. The Dr Coffee Podcast

Email: drcoffeeza@gmail.com

Instagram: @drcoffeeza - https://www.instagram.com/drcoffeeza/

YouTube: Dr Coffee ZA

Podcast Platforms: The Dr Coffee Podcast

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Welcome to episode 32! This week we dive into the topic of locum work - freelancing as a medical professional in a practice that is not your own. This can be an extremely rewarding and profitable work option for junior doctors after internship and community service years, and has the added benefit of giving the medical professional a measure of autonomy and freedom, while you explore your interests and build your portfolio. As such, of course this makes it an important topic for junior doctors and medical students.

Our guests this episode:

This episode of the podcast we’re featuring LocumBase.com, the independent online booking and management platform connecting freelance medical professionals and practices. You can visit their website https://www.locumbase.com/ or their socials here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/locumbase/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LocumBase/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/locumbase/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LocumBase

Zulé Vuuren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zule-vuuren/

Jovana Harkhu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/missjovanaharkhu/

Important links from this week's episode:

1. If you would like to partner with the Dr Coffee Podcast, either by collaborating on an event for medical students or junior doctors, sponsoring a segment or an episode of the podcast, or purchasing advertising time, please get in touch with us via email or our new contact form, available here and on our Linktree at linketr.ee/drcoffeeza - https://forms.gle/FN71kurimdzXruhN6
2. AMP'd for the WAPT is a student-led pre-med mentoring group that provides notes, summaries and encouragement for those preparing to write the WAPt exam and enter GEMP. You can find their Telegram group via their social media channels: Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.
3. The Graduate Entry to Medicine Program (GEMP) at the University of the Witwatersrand: https://www.wits.ac.za/health/gemp/
4. Our Book Reviewed: Autopsy - Life in the trenches with a forensic pathologist in Africa (Ryan Blumenthal). Jonathan Ball Publishers. Buy it here: https://www.takealot.com/autopsy/PLID69358159

If you have feedback on this episode, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, with the username “@DrCoffeeZA". While you're here, please consider leaving a review or rating of the podcast on whatever platform you're currently listening on.

If you enjoyed this episode, you may want to check out our other episodes, or share with a friend who think might be interested. You can find the Dr Coffee Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

Thank you for listening and have a great week!

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Welcome to episode 31! In this week’s coffee with consultants feature, we break new ground by featuring our first interview with a consultant from the Western Cape! Thanks to the nomination of their intern curator by a number of the Groote Schuur interns, I had the immense privilege and honour of interviewing hepatologist Professor Mark Sonderup at the Liver Clinic at Groote Schuur Hospital. Professor Mark Sonderup is an internal medicine physician and specialist Hepatologist at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH). He has research interests in the treatment of chronic and acute liver diseases, including HIV, viral hepatitis and drug-induce liver injuries.We discussed his journey into and through medicine, including his pharmacy degree which he completed prior to entering medicine at UCT, his internship experiences, and what led to him choosing to specialise in internal medicine, with the experience of becoming a registrar at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis in South Africa, as well as some of the interesting factors around that time such as the HIV-denialism that had wide-reaching implications for patients and the public health system.In the latter half of this episode, we also discussed his role mentoring, monitoring and guiding interns and medical students, and some of the observations he has made from this and what advice he has for junior doctors. If you’re someone who has been grappling with indecision, or experienced self-doubt in your journey to becoming and being a doctor, you’ll definitely want to stick around for that because it is seriously rich and wise insight and advice to digest and take to heart.I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and I’m sure you will as well. For more information about anything we discussed in this episode, or to share your thoughts on it, send an email to drcoffeeza@gmail.com.

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Welcome to episode 30! In this week’s coffee with consultants feature, I had the immense privilege and honour of interviewing Dr Efrat Barnes, a clinician at the Teddy Bear Clinic, an important part of the Teddy Bear Foundation’s work against child abuse in all its forms, as well as a neurodevelopmental specialist at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. 

Dr Efrat is a fantastic human being, a mother, a wife, and a doctor working to save and improve the lives of children who have either been through intense trauma or are at serious risk of harm. She has also been through extreme trials over the past three years in her own physical and mental health - something we address during the interview - and has so much to share with you - the listeners of the Dr Coffee Podcast, to enlarge your understanding and equip you for being a better doctor.

It’s almost impossible to overstate the importance of the work the Teddy Bear Clinic is doing, as an important medico-legal and forensic clinic for assessing victims and their families and building cases that ultimately put the perpetrators of abuse behind bars. In addition, they offer counselling and support services to victims and families, conduct outreach and education programmes, and train multi-disciplinary teams as well as specialists such as paediatric registrars and consultants to diagnose, treat and refer in cases of all forms of abuse.

This episode, which only touches the surface of what Dr Efrat and the Teddy Bear Clinic does, is part of our desire and effort on the Dr Coffee Podcast to spotlight topics that are especially important to practising medicine in South Africa. Of course, we love podcasts, and there are many podcasts available about the wide world of medicine and surgery and the array of subspecialties within them, but few that are set in a South African context and address uniquely South African problems and solutions. It is a privilege to be able to contribute to the conversation and development of junior doctors and medical students in South Africa.

In addition to this episode, we hope to have Dr Efrat Barnes on the podcast for a future panel discussion episode we have planned all about the problem of Gender-based violence in our country, so watch out for that. It goes without saying that the nature of the content of this episode of the Dr Coffee podcast may be triggering to some listeners, so please be advised, and do reach out for help if necessary.

Thank you again to our special guest, Dr Efrat Barnes, for sharing so freely from her professional and personal life. If you have feedback on what you thought of this episode or anything else on your mind, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is ⁠drcoffeeza@gmail.com⁠. We’re also on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ and ⁠Youtube⁠. Submit a voice message to the Dr Coffee Podcast ⁠here⁠: https://anchor.fm/simon-fraser8/message

Lastly, while you’re here, please leave a rating or review of the podcast! Consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

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BUYING A CAR - whether new off the showroom floor or secondhand - is one of the biggest financial commitments a young professional can make. For junior doctors especially, the opportunity to purchase a motor vehicle usually comes only after 6 years (or longer) of hard work as a student, and with a sudden increase in financial resources and funding models. Many banks and financial institutions are willing to offer large amounts of credit finance to graduated doctors at appealing interest rates, banking on the future success of these young professionals and their earning potential. While the decision of what car to purchase may seem a daunting one, applying a number of important principles to your search can make doing your due diligence an adventure and significantly easier.

In this episode of the Dr Coffee Podcast, I interviewed Matthew Kanniah [Heart of Motion], a motoring journalist and professional car-content creator who is one of South Africa's leading young voices when it comes to cars. Matthew provides 'new-generation' knowledge of the motoring industry and the finance options available from dealers to buyers, as well as the latest features and perks to watch out for in new model cars. We were joined by Sebastian Karsas, co-owner and director at Car Sales Exclusive, who not only provided a brilliant setting for our interview in their garage surrounded by luxury cars, but also weighed in to the discussion with his experience of the secondhand motor vehicle industry in South Africa and the value proposition to young professionals seeking to buy a new car with a bit of 'flex' without breaking the budget. You can check them out at https://carsalesexclusive.co.za/, or simply search Car Sales Exclusive on Google. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation, and I'm sure you will as well.

This episode might not tell you exactly which model of car is best for you, but by the end of it you should have a much clearer idea about what sort of car buyer you are and what deal suits you best, so you can make the best decision possible in finding a car that is 'fit for purpose' and makes your travels a pleasure. In addition, it's worth noting that this podcast episode was almost "the most-anticipated interview that didn't make it". That's because of some significant challenges in post-production, particularly with the audio, so I am extremely happy that we're all finally able to enjoy this episode, more than three months after recording. Check out the video interview in full HD on YouTube - I think it deserves the 1hr20minute runtime, and I hope you'll agree by subscribing to the channel on YouTube, liking and sharing this episode, and engaging in the comments.

If you have feedback on what you thought of this episode or anything else on your mind, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube.

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We learn so much in internship!

Hi, and welcome to this week’s episode of the Dr coffee podcast. Your weekly blend of motivation, encouragement, education and insight into all things medicine, for junior doctors and medical students in South Africa. The title of today’s episode is “The story so far: lessons from being an intern." This is our 1st episode featuring our social media queen, Dr Nox Mpambukeli! In addition, we feature our 1st "dumb ways to die slot" - we hope you'll love it!!

If you have feedback on what you thought of this episode or anything else on your mind, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube.

You’re also invited to submit messages, questions, or responses to anything you heard in the podcast via our new “voice message” link - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/simon-fraser8/message. All you need to do is download the anchor app for free, and your voice message may make it into an episode of the podcast!

Consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

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Hi, and welcome to this week’s episode of the Dr coffee podcast. Your weekly blend of motivation, encouragement, education and insight into all things medicine, for junior doctors and medical students in South Africa.In this week’s Coffee with consultants feature I had the great privilege of interviewing Dr Mario Rankin, representing his specialty of Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr Rankin is a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the King Edward VIII hospital in Durban, and a lecturer in the department of orthopaedics at the University of Kwazulu-Natal (UKZN). He is also the intern coordinator for his hospital complex, and has a keen interest in the development of junior doctors in his hospital and the nation.We unpacked the path to specialising in orthopaedic surgery, the perks, perils and pitfalls of this discipline, and what it takes to shine during your junior years and registrar time. THEN, in Segment 2 of this podcast we discuss the role of intern curators in the hospital complex, how to be the best intern you possibly can, what seniors can do to encourage and motivate interns and how internship can be improved in the future. So if you’re a medical student or a current intern, you’ll definitely want to stick around for that!This episode is available as a full video episode on our Youtube Channel. If you’re heading over that way, please like the video, leave a comment, and subscribe - it’s the easiest way to support this podcast and help it grow.Important Links mentioned in today's episode:1. OrthoBullets.com - a fantastic orthos resource whether you are a student or professional.If you have feedback on what you thought of this episode or anything else on your mind, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YoutubeConsider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

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In this week’s Coffee with Consultants feature, my guest is Dr Yvette Lazarus, a specialist physician and Rheumatologist currently in private practice in Sandton, Johannesburg. Dr Yvette completed her undergraduate medical degree at Wits in 2005, and had a slightly non-linear path to registrar time in internal medicine. She excelled in her FCP exams and qualified as a physician in 2014, and completed her sub-specialist training in Rheumatology in 2019. In addition to private practice and teaching WITS medical students, Dr Yvette has been a key note speaker on ENCA, CNBC Africa, Good News Community Radio, and the Forbes Africa Health Summit. She has also been quoted in Forbes Magazine and nominated as a “Woman of stature 2021”. Dr Lazarus is married to Wesley and has 2 beautiful children.

Dr Lazarus unpacks her journey in medicine and tells us all about her specialty Rheumatology, which includes the treatment of autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, gout, scleroderma, and many more. We also spoke about being your best for your patients, making diagnoses for friends over whatsapp, and overcoming impostor syndrome. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and i’m sure you will as well!

If you have feedback on what you thought of this episode or anything else on your mind, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. You’re also invited to submit messages, questions, or responses to anything you heard in the podcast via our new “voice message” link over here. We also have social media profiles on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube.

While you’re here, please leave a rating or review of the podcast. Consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

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In this week’s coffee with consultants feature, I interviewed Dr Alicia Porter from the Child and Family unit in the department of Psychiatry at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, about her path in medicine and her choice to specialise in Psychiatry. Dr Porter is passionate about all things mental health; she's a mental health advocate, and she is also one of the founding members of the Healthworkers Care Network, that was established as a mental health support and training network during the Covid-19 pandemic. Because of this, the mental health of junior doctors and medical students became an important topic during our conversation.

If you are concerned about your own mental health and want to reach out for help, please access one of the resources available below:

1. Healthcare Workers Care Network - https://www.healthcareworkerscarenetwork.org.za/
2. South African Depression and Anxiety Group - https://www.sadag.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11&Itemid=114
3. Discovery helpline for medical students - https://www.discovery.co.za/corporate/young-doctors

Thank you to our special guest, Dr Alicia Porter. I hope you enjoyed it and feel motivated, encouraged and inspired. If you have feedback on what you thought of this episode or anything else on your mind, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube.

If haven’t listened to episode 24 of the podcast yet, do it now! Remember to send us your stories of medical procedures you’ve performed on yourself or your loved ones, for a chance to be featured on Episode 26! Simply submit your story as a voice message here: https://anchor.fm/simon-fraser8/message

While you’re here, please leave a rating or review of the podcast! Consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

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Professor Ryan Blumenthal is a senior Specialist Forensic Pathologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Forensic Medicine at the University of Pretoria (UP). He has published widely in the fields of lightning, suicide and other areas involving the pathology of trauma. He published his first article in 2004 and has since published more than 29 articles in the scientific literature. Prof Blumenthal has been involved in the publication of several textbooks, and has helped generate both national and international standard operating procedures and guidelines. Professor Blumenthal is also involved in collaborative research with several departments and universities, both locally and internationally. In 2020, he published a book titled Autopsy – Life in the Trenches with a Forensic Pathologist in Africa, which became a non-fiction best-seller locally. He also hosted an eight-part documentary series called Lightning Pathologist, which aired on various channels on DSTV and has been viewed by more than 2 and a half million people. Both the book and the series have had a significant public health impact, and Going forward, Prof Blumenthal would like to continue with his passion for the public communication of science

Important Links mentioned in this episode:

• Dr Leonard Rogozov - the surgeon who performed an appendectomy on himself
• Lightning Pathologist TV series
• Prof Blumenthal's hobby - magic!
• Buy Prof Blumenthal's book: Autopsy: Life in the trenches with a forensic pathologist in Africa
• Prof Blumenthal's Instagram profile
• SAAFS - South African Academy of Forensic Sciences

If you have feedback on what you thought of this episode or anything else on your mind, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram and Youtube.

Please leave a rating and review of the podcast while you're here! Consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

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Welcome to Episode 23! Since this week marks the start of the academic year for many students, or the start of their clinical rotations, and because the new interns and comm serve doctors are finding their feet, this week's episode is all about setting up healthy habits and behaviours for success! Many of the keys presented are things you might know, but life is often not about what we know, but rather about what we routinely do. With the right mindset, study methods, and self-care habits this year, 2023 is going to be your best year yet!

Important Links and articles in this week's episode:

1. Wardworx app - the free task and patient management app. Find it online, or in the Google Play Store or Apple App store
2. James Clear “Continuous improvement - how it works and how to master it” - https://jamesclear.com/continuous-improvement
3. Aesthetikos photography portrait studio - website or Instagram [@aesthetikos.studio]
4. My current read! Doctor on Everest - Dr Kenneth Kamler (2000). Constable & Robinson.
5. My book recommendation! When Breath Becomes Air - Dr Paul Kalanithi (2017). Random House.
6. Pomodoro technique - by MedSchool Insiders - https://medschoolinsiders.com/pre-med/the-pomodoro-technique/ and how NOT to use it - https://medschoolinsiders.com/study-strategies/pomodoro-mistakes/
7. www.teachmesurgery.com
8. uptodate.com
9. First Aid for the USMLE - https://www.mhprofessional.com/usmle
10. Khan academy medicine on YouTube

11. TenMinuteTut playlist on Youtube - Dr Coffee ZA

12. Zhao, et al., 2020. Recommended physical activity and all cause and cause specific mortality in US adults: prospective cohort study

If you have feedback on what you thought of this episode, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram and Youtube, with the username “@DrCoffeeZA”. If you’ve got anything else on your mind, such as a request for additional topics or further information on how to engage with our guests, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.

While you’re here, please leave a rating or review! Consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

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My guest on the podcast this week is Dr Nishlin Naidoo, a consultant in the Department of Surgery at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH) and a Fellow in Colorectal Surgery at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa. Dr Naidoo unpacks his adventures in medicine as an intern and community service doctor (apparently his memory only starts where medical school ends!) with encouragement to all junior doctors that you don't need to 'know it all'. Dr Naidoo then shares why he gravitated towards surgery during his junior time and the perks and pitfalls of completing training in general surgery, and then further specialising in colorectal surgery. He also shares his perspectives and experiences with much more technical issues: oncological resections, robotic surgery, and the training of surgical specialists in South Africa. I thoroughly enjoyed this interview and I'm sure you will as well!

Thank you to our long-term partner of the Dr Coffee podcast - Aesthetikos Photography portrait studio. Check out their work and be sure to mention “Dr Coffee” when you make a booking with them to receive 15% off the price of your photography package. They're also on Instagram at @aesthetikos.studio

If you have a suggestion of an episode topic, or know of a consultant or senior registrar in a specialty that YOU would like featured on the Dr Coffee Podcast, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram and Youtube, with the username “@DrCoffeeZA”. If you’ve got anything else on your mind, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you. Please consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. It's as easy as two clicks - simply post/share the link to this episode, or tag @drcoffeeza in a post related to the content. Thank you so much for your support!

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Welcome to the 1st episode of the Dr Coffee Podcast for 2023! We wish a happy and blessed New year to all of our listeners and followers. Whatever adventure 2023 has in store for you, I pray you have incredible success and above all enjoy it!In this week’s episode, I interview a dynamic young brother and sister duo about health system innovation, studying medicine abroad, and the wait for internship placement when you return, amongst other things. My guests on the podcast today are Dr Brett Lyndall Singh and Dr Michaela Singh. Both are graduates out of Wenzhou Medical University in China, where they earned their bachelor of medicine and bachelor of surgery degrees. They’re also the founders of Alpha and Omega MedTech, a Medical supplies platform and supplier of diagnostic and therapeutic medical devices. You’ll hear them tell us more about their company and the journey behind it, but by way of introduction it’s important to know that their company has one of the youngest founding teams to hold a license from SAHPRA. Dr Brett Singh has presented at a number of local and international business and health innovation summits, and his efforts have been recognised with his inclusion in the Forbes Africa Magazine’s “30 under 30”, for which he was one of the cover models, as well as inclusion in the Mail and Guardian top 200 Young South Africans.Connect with Dr Brett Lyndall Singh on Instagram [@drbrettlyndall], Youtube, LinkedIn, & TwitterConnect with Dr Michaela Singh on Instagram [@michaelatsingh], & YouTubeThank you to our long-term partner of the Dr Coffee podcast - Aesthetikos Photography portrait studio. Check out their work and be sure to mention “Dr Coffee” when you make a booking with them to receive 15% off the price of your photography package. They're also on Instagram at @aesthetikos.studioIf you have a suggestion of an episode topic, or know of a consultant or senior registrar in a specialty that YOU would like featured on the Dr Coffee Podcast, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram and Youtube, with the username “@DrCoffeeZA”. If you’ve got anything else on your mind, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.Please consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. It's as easy as two clicks - simply post/share the link to this episode, or tag @drcoffeeza in a post related to the content. Thank you so much for your support!

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In this week's Coffee with Consultants feature, I interview Professor Laurel Baldwin-Ragaven, professor in the department of Family Medicine & Primary Care at the University of Witwatersrand (South Africa), as well as the Clinical Head in the department of Family Medicine for the Gauteng Department of Health (Southern Districts). Professor Laurel graduated from medical school at MacGill University in Montreal (Canada) in 1983, and after a career in medicine spanning almost forty years, she is now focussing on more non-clinical work such as on the social determinants of health and advocacy. Not only has she worked in higher education and training of medical students and doctors across 3 continents, she is also a human rights activist and an accomplished researcher with dozens of publications and hundreds of citations (some of which can be found on her ResearchGate bio - https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Laurel-Baldwin-Ragaven )I strongly believe there is something for everyone to take home from the wisdom and insights shared in this episode, and it is my privilege to bring it to you through this podcast. Thank you to our partners on this episode:

1. AESTHETIKOS - Aesthetikos portrait studio - based in Sandton, Johannesburg. Visit their website on https://www.Aesthetikos.art and follow them on instagram with the username @Aesthetikos.studio. Quote "Dr Coffee" to get 15% off your portrait package when you order.

2. DIRE WOLF - Dire Wolf financial services - protecting the practice. Watch/listen to Episode 17 of the Dr Coffee podcast to learn how Dire Wolf provides tech-driven solutions to medical professionals' financial and legal needs. They've also kindly given listeners of the Dr Coffee podcast free access to their CPD courses. All you need to do is register at www.DireWolf.co.za/DrCoffee.

If you know of a consultant or senior registrar in a specialty that YOU would like featured on the Dr Coffee Podcast, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram and Youtube, with the username “@Dr Coffee ZA”. If you’ve got anything else on your mind, such as a request for additional topics, further information on how to engage with our guests, feedback on the show, or anything else, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.

Please consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

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In this week’s episode, we feature a specialty requested by a lot of this podcast's listeners. The 17th of November each year marks World Prematurity Day. It’s a day to raise awareness of the causes and complications of preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide. Approximately 15 million babies are born preterm each year, accounting for about one in 10 of all babies born worldwide. It’s a day that's really close to my own heart, as all three of my beautiful children were born premature. My firstborn son was born at 33 and a half weeks, my daughter at 35weeks, and my youngest son born at the the very stroke of 28 weeks gestation. All of them spent some time in the neonatal ICU, or ‘NICU’ before coming home: my firstborn spent exactly 50 days in hospital, my daughter was in NICU for just one night before they gave her the all clear, and our youngest spent 142 days in NICU before coming home! I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to get an episode about prematurity out to coincide with World Prematurity Day, but nevertheless I’m really glad to share this episode with you, which is all about the paediatric sub-specialty of neonatology.

Dr Robin Saggers is a consultant paediatrician and neonatologist at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, who is also currently completing a fellowship in paediatric critical care. Dr Saggers always dreamed of becoming a paediatrician and he shares with us his journey from junior doctor to consultant, and what it is like actually working as a neonatologist.

Thank you to our partners on this week's episode:

AESTHETIKOS - Aesthetikos portrait studio is a photography studio based in Sandton, Johannesburg. In keeping with today’s theme, Aesthetikos offers Newborn and Baby photo sessions that are baby-led, non-posed and result in beautiful portraits of your baby. They also do professional portraits and headshots, so if you’re looking for an upgrade for your professional medical practice, LinkedIn profile or social platforms, check out their website https://www.aesthetikos.art or find them on Instagram with the username @aesthetikos.studio

DIRE WOLF - Dire Wolf is all about protecting the practice, and providing tech-driven financial services to medical professionals. Dire Wolf have given listeners of the Dr Coffee podcast free access to their helpful online curriculum of courses. The courses are HPCSA accredited and will provide you with up to 16 CPD points for completion! All you need to do is register for the courses using the provided DireWolf voucher codes, which you can receive by visiting www.direwolf.co.za/drcoffee

If you know of a consultant or senior registrar in a specialty that you would like featured on the Dr Coffee Podcast, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram and Youtube, with the username “@Dr Coffee ZA”. If you’ve got anything else on your mind, such as a request for additional topics, further information on how to engage with our guests, feedback on the show, or anything else, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.

Please consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

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In this episode, I sat down with Bertie Herbst, the current president of the Biokinetics Association of South Africa (BASA), to discuss his path and the importance of allied health professionals to clinical practice of medicine.

What I learnt is that Biokinetics is a highly advanced and scientific discipline that practices evidence-based medicine. Far too often, junior doctors and medical students do not give due respect to our allied colleagues, often perceiving them as people who wanted to do medicine but were rejected for whatever reason. The reality is far from that false belief, and we would do well to appreciate the training and skill of our allied colleagues and their valuable role in patient care!

Thank you to today's episode partners:

1. Aesthetikos portrait studio - Based in Sandton, Johannesburg, Aesthetikos specialises in professional individual, newborn/baby and family portraiture. Check out their excellent work online at https://www.aesthetikos.art/or on Instagram at @aesthetikos.studio,and quote "Dr Coffee" when making your booking for 15% off!

2. Dire Wolf Financial Services - Dire Wolf's mission is to "protect the practice", by empowering professionals with knowledge and access to insurance products. They've very generously provided listeners of the Dr Coffee Podcast with FREE access to their CPD-accredited education courses: www.direwolf.co.za/drcoffee

I hope you enjoy this episode! If you do, please show your appreciation by leaving a 5-star rating. For more like this, check out the Dr Coffee Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/2NsKKXA...

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Google Podcasts - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0...

We're also on Instagram & YouTube, with the username "DrCoffeeZA". https://www.instagram.com/drcoffeeza/

If you'd like to get in touch, please send an email to DrCoffeeZA@gmail.com

Thank you for watching/listening and thank you for your support!

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Welcome to episode 17! On today’s episode we take a bit of a detour from clinical medicine to discuss the tricky world of medical protection, financial services, and insurance. My guest on the podcast today is Arlene Mulder, the MD of Dire Wolf, a financial services practice that aims to protect and provide insurance solutions to healthcare professionals. Arlene was actually accepted to medical school, however she decided to pursue studies in mathematics. She now holds an M.Sc. in Business Mathematics & Informatics, and uses her knowledge and talent to find and build solutions that empower medical professionals with knowledge and give them access to insurance products with tech-driven solutions. With 7 years of experience in investment banking, Arlene has also won numerous awards and accolades:

Winner of the Forbes Woman Africa Technology and Innovation Award in 2019, and featured on the cover of Forbes Women Africa as one of the 20 New Wealth Creators on the African continent in 2019 Selected for the International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) by the US Consulate in 2017 Global ambassador for She Loves Tech.

She is also a past-CEO of WeThinkCode & and Founder of BiB, Africa’s digital audio library. I hope you enjoy our conversation on the podcast today.  *CPD/CEU points up for grabs!*** Dire Wolf have given listeners of the Dr Coffee podcast FREE ACCESS to their helpful online curriculum of courses for medical professionals! These courses feature legal and medal experts presenting on topics such as understanding medical negligence, informed consent, disclosures and record keeping, and what to do when you are sued, amongst other subjects. The courses are HPCSA accredited and will provide you with up to 16 CPD/CEU points for completion! All you need to do is register for the courses at www.direwolf.co.za/drcoffee, then use the provided DireWolf x DrCoffee voucher codes. I hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, you can also watch this episode on YouTube. If you know of a consultant or senior registrar in a specialty that YOU would like featured on the Dr Coffee Podcast, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram, with the username “@DrCoffeeZA”. If you’ve got anything else on your mind, such as a request for additional topics, further information on how to engage with our guests, feedback on the show, or anything else, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you. Please consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

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In this week’s "coffee with consultants" feature, I have the immense privilege and honour of interviewing another ‘heavy hitter’ - My guest this week is Professor Thifhelimbilu Luvhengo, Head of the Department of Surgery at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH). During his career, Professor Luvhengo has been, a member of the College of Surgeons of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa, the Association of Surgeons of South Africa, the Surgical Research Society of Southern Africa, the South African Gastroenterological Society, and the South African Medical Association. Prior to joining the Wits circuit, Professor Luvhengo served as the Clinical Head of Department of Surgery and as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pretoria and as the Clinical Head of the Department of Surgery at the Kalafong Provincial Academic Hospital. Professor Luvhengo is widely published, has been the recipient of several awards, and a member of a number of sector committees. His stories will captivate you and enrich your experience of medicine and surgery, as well as give some perspective of what it is like for medical doctors from poorer rural communities to return to serve there once they have graduated and the weight of expectation put upon them. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and I’m sure you will as well. If you know of a consultant or senior registrar in a specialty that YOU would like featured on the Dr Coffee Podcast, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram and Youtube, with the username “@Dr Coffee ZA”. If you’ve got anything else on your mind, such as a request for additional topics, further information on how to engage with our guests, feedback on the show, or anything else, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you. Please consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

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Welcome to episode 15! In this week’s coffee with consultants, I share the wonderful conversation I had with Professor Shastra Bhoora, a specialist in Obstetrics and Critical Care at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. I learnt that working in an ICU is not a specialty on its own, but rather requires you to have done some advanced training in specialising in another area in medicine. That is, in order to specialise in critical care in South Africa, you first need to go through one of Anaesthetics, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, Obs and Gynae, or Surgery - and you’ll notice I listed those in alphabetical order so as not to show favouritism to any one in particular! In addition, Prof Bhoora shared some wonderful insights into the delicate balance between following an algorithm developed to enhance patient outcomes, and the need for excellent clinical skill and wisdom to know when a decision algorithm needs to be adjusted or even rejected in some cases. I hope you enjoy this episode and get a lot of wisdom and insight from it.

If you know of a consultant or senior registrar in a specialty that you would like featured on the Dr Coffee Podcast, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram and Youtube, with the username @DrCoffeeZA. If you’ve got anything else on your mind, such as a request for additional topics, further information on how to engage with our guests, feedback on the show, or anything else, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.

Please consider sharing this episode with fellow junior doctors and medical students in your world who you think would benefit from the content and enjoy it. Thank you so much for your support!

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Welcome to Episode 14! In this week's "Coffee with Consultants" feature I sat down with Dr Johann Lamprecht, a specialist ophthalmologist in private practice, to discuss the highlights of his specialty and his path in medicine.  What I learnt is that Ophthalmology is a highly sought-after specialty, and many doctors spend a lot of time in MO posts before registrar posts become available. Dr Johann shares why he believes ophthalmology is so appealing, and offers advice for those considering this sub-spec as a career.   I hope you enjoy this episode! If you did, you might be interested to know that this episode is also available on YouTube at the following link: https://youtu.be/ru9qFpBx5Bk We're also on Instagram, with the username "DrCoffeeZA". https://www.instagram.com/drcoffeeza/ If you'd like to get in touch, please send an email to DrCoffeeZA@gmail.com  Thank you for listening and thank you for your support!

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Welcome to Episode 13! In this week’s episode, I had the opportunity to interview not one but two physician fellows specialising in Endocrinology in the department of internal medicine at my base hospital, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. I’m sure when you hear 'endocrinology' some of the first associations you make are with common condition such as diabetes, thyrotoxicosis and hypothyroidism. However, just as there are many many more hormones in the body, so there are plenty of conditions that endocrinologists manage in both inpatient and outpatient settings. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this week’s episode featuring Dr Ruchika Mehta and Dr Constance Adams. Whether endocrinology is a sub-spec you’ve considered a career in or not, it’s helpful to appreciate the journey to specialisation that fellows and consultants go through and the decision-algorithm that guided their choices. Whereas only a few of us will become endocrinologists, we’re all guaranteed to consult endocrine for an opinion at some point! As Dr Adams puts it, being an endocrinologist is about being a good general physician of the whole patient, rather than just an expert in a single organ or system. I enjoyed our conversation and I’m sure you will as well.  Thank you to our sponsors for this episode! FLASHMED. FlashMed is a new type of medical study flashcards, pre-packaged and formatted to assist you to be more effective as a student and ultimately help you become a better doctor. Comprising pharmacology revision flashcards, clerking sheets, muscle anatomy flashcards and revision notes, amongst others, FlashMed products are printed using the highest quality paper and each set consists of 50 flashcards or pages. You can find FlashMed on Instagram at @FLashMedSA, and order direct from them via DM, with nationwide delivery. WARDWORX. Wardworx is a FREE patient list & task management app that allows doctors to simplify the way they work. Proudly South African and created for doctors, by doctors. Use Wardworx to keep track and easily access your patient’s information, location and wardwork! Wardworx is a web-based app that can be accessed through your internet browser on mobile or desktop, simply by visiting https://wardworx.app/ . You can also find the downloadable applications on the Apple App Store [ https://apps.apple.com/za/app/wardworx/id1545167665 ] and Google Play store [ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.wardworx ].

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Welcome to Episode 12!

In this week’s “Coffee with consultants” feature, we’re going off-brand a bit and interviewing a registrar in our featured specialty. Nonetheless, this week’s episode features a specialty that so many of you have requested that I simply could not wait! And so, I’m very pleased to introduce this week’s episode, which is all about the path to specialising in paediatric surgery.

Dr Jason Mcmaster is currently a registrar in paediatric surgery at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital in South Africa. After completing internship and community service, Dr Mcmaster held a medical officer post in the paediatric burns unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, where he discovered his calling and passion. It was a great privilege to interview Dr McMaster for this podcast, and I’m sure you’ll find the interview extremely interesting.

Whether you’ve had any exposure to paediatric surgery or not, it should please you to know that the training available in South Africa in paediatric surgery is excellent and compares favourably with high-income countries, who often send their surgeons to South Africa to further their skills. Listening to Dr Mcmaster, it was encouraging and motivating to learn just how highly esteemed the South African clinical setting is. We would do well to appreciate the opportunities we get as junior doctors and medical students, even amongst the challenges.

Links to articles and the podcast mentioned in this episode:

• "Don't trust your thoughts after midnight" - https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953619307695
• Europe surgeons vs SA logbooks - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34407553/
• Discover paediatric surgery podcast http://www.discoverpaediatricsurgery.com/

Thank you to our sponsors for this episode!

FLASHMED FlashMed is a new type of medical study flashcards, pre-packaged and formatted to assist you to be more effective as a student and ultimately help you become a better doctor. Comprising pharmacology revision flashcards, clerking sheets, muscle anatomy flashcards and revision notes, amongst others, FlashMed products are printed using the highest quality paper and each set consists of 50 flashcards or pages. You can find FlashMed on Instagram at @FLashMedSA, and order direct from them via DM, with nationwide delivery.

WARDWORX Wardworx is a FREE patient list & task management app that allows doctors to simplify the way they work. Proudly South African and created for doctors, by doctors. Use Wardworx to keep track and easily access your patient’s information, location and wardwork! Wardworx is a web-based app that can be accessed through your internet browser on mobile or desktop, simply by visiting https://wardworx.app/ . You can also find the downloadable applications on the Apple App Store [ https://apps.apple.com/za/app/wardworx/id1545167665 ] and Google Play store [ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.wardworx ].

If you know of a consultant or senior registrar in a specialty that YOU would like featured on the Dr Coffee Podcast, please get in touch. The podcast’s email address is drcoffeeza@gmail.com.

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This week’s episode focuses on the next level of junior doctor years with conversation and reflection on Community Service. I was privileged to spend time with Dr Naeem Vallee, who was an intern at Bara when I first began clinical rotations at Wits Medical School. Dr Naeem is well-loved by his colleagues, seniors and students alike, and well-known for his use of fountain pens in his clerking notes and impressive skills as a barista and coffee connoisseur… when he’s not hard at work serving patients and people at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, where he is currently completing his community service year. Although internship and community service journeys are as unique as the doctors who take them, I think you’ll find that there is a lot to draw from our conversation and some profound thoughts that can become really actionable and practical things to take into your own workday and career Thank you to our sponsors for this episode! FLASHMED. FlashMed is a new type of medical study flashcards, pre-packaged and formatted to assist you to be more effective as a student and ultimately help you become a better doctor. Comprising pharmacology revision flashcards, clerking sheets, muscle anatomy flashcards and revision notes, amongst others, FlashMed products are printed using the highest quality paper and each set consists of 50 flashcards or pages. You can find FlashMed on Instagram at @FLashMedSA, and order direct from them via DM, with nationwide delivery. WARDWORX. Wardworx is a FREE patient list & task management app that allows doctors to simplify the way they work. Proudly South African and created for doctors, by doctors. Use Wardworx to keep track and easily access your patient’s information, location and wardwork! Wardworx is a web-based app that can be accessed through your internet browser on mobile or desktop, simply by visiting https://wardworx.app/ . You can also find the downloadable applications on the Apple App Store [ https://apps.apple.com/za/app/wardworx/id1545167665 ] and Google Play store [ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.wardworx ].

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Welcome to Episode 10!

With around 100 days left (!) before this year’s students become qualified doctors, this week’s episode is all about how to have an adventure in internship. Loaded with practical advice pooled from dozens of junior doctors, the information included in this episode is especially for those about to take the ride that is internship. I hope you find it useful and enjoy it! Be sure to visit the links below to follow-up on any resources and links mentioned in the episode, as well as to find our wonderful sponsors. Thank you for your support.

Timestamps for key segments in this week’s episode

00:00:00 - Welcome!

00:00:12 - Prologue

00:01:34 - 3 lessons about work

00:03:46 - Introduction to this episode

00:04:14 - Flash Med study flashcards

00:05:10 - Wardworx app

00:06:22 - Internship: adventure confirmed, now what?

00:08:07 - Overview of key topics covered

00:10:30 - Having the right mindset

00:22:07 - Managing your money

00:32:10 - Professionalism

00:36:20 - Practical tips for internship

00:36:32 - Clothing

00:41:10 - Technology

00:43:57 - Footwear

00:46:04 - Best apps for interns

00:54:21 - Food

00:58:59 - Having a life outside of work

01:00:23 - Hydration and coffee

01:08:47 - Conclusion

01:10:15 - Sign out and contact details

Optimising your sleep: Sleep toolikit; tools for optimising sleep & sleep-wake timing. HubermanLab podcast EP 84. for https://hubermanlab.com/sleep-toolkit-tools-for-optimizing-sleep-and-sleep-wake-timing/

Thank you to our sponsors for this episode!

FLASHMED FlashMed is a new type of medical study flashcards, pre-packaged and formatted to assist you to be more effective as a student and ultimately help you become a better doctor. Comprising pharmacology revision flashcards, clerking sheets, muscle anatomy flashcards and revision notes, amongst others, FlashMed products are printed using the highest quality paper and each set consists of 50 flashcards or pages. You can find FlashMed on Instagram at @FLashMedSA, and order direct from them via DM, with nationwide delivery.

WARDWORX Wardworx is a FREE patient list & task management app that allows doctors to simplify the way they work. Proudly South African and created for doctors, by doctors. Use Wardworx to keep track and easily access your patient’s information, location and wardwork! Wardworx is a web-based app that can be accessed through your internet browser on mobile or desktop, simply by visiting https://wardworx.app/ . You can also find the downloadable applications on the Apple App Store [ https://apps.apple.com/za/app/wardworx/id1545167665 ] and Google Play store [ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.wardworx ].

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On this week’s episode, I grabbed a post-call coffee and spent time chatting with Dr Vindana Chibabhai, a consultant clinical microbiologist at the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. Dr Vindana has a keen research interest in antimicrobial resistance, antimicrobial stewardship, healthcare associated infections and invasive fungal infections. Her interests lead her to create the MICROBE MAIL podcast - a medical podcast for the busy practitioner or student covering topics in microbiology, infectious diseases and infection control.  Thank you to our sponsor for this episode: FLASHMED. FlashMed is a new type of medical study flashcards, pre-packaged and formatted to assist you to be more effective as a student and ultimately help you become a better doctor. Comprising pharmacology revision flashcards, clerking sheets, muscle anatomy flashcards and revision notes, amongst others, FlashMed products are printed using the highest quality paper and each set consists of 50 flashcards or pages. Made for students, by students. You can find FlashMed on Instagram at @FLashMedSA, and order direct from them via DM, with nationwide delivery. I hope you enjoy using their products. Links to resources mentioned in this episode: South African Journal of Infectious Diseases [SAJID] — https://sajid.co.za/ The American Society for Microbiology [ASM] — http://www.asm.org/ European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases [ESCMID] — https://www.escmid.org/ Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of South Africa [FIDSSA] — https://www.fidssa.co.za/ Microbe Mail Podcast — https://microbemail.captivate.fm/ Social media links: Twitter: @microbemail Instagram: microbe_mail Facebook: Microbe Mail Dr Vindana Chibabhai LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vindana-chibabhai-5090102

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In this episode, I had the privilege to sit down for a post-call coffee and a chat with Dr Rob Kieser. Dr Rob is perhaps best-known for his antics on social media and his obsession with coffee, his witty take on life, and importantly for this podcast, his outspoken views on the pressure to specialise that many medical students and junior doctors feel. His views have led some to even call him an "anti-specialist". While he's certainly not against specialising, Dr Rob promotes a more balanced view of post-graduate education and training. I hope you enjoy this episode!

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Dr Naadiyah Laher is a Fellow in trauma surgery, currently working at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. A self-described "Bara baby", she completed her junior years in & around Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, before continuing on and completing her five years of registrar time in General Surgery. As mentioned, she is now a consultant surgeon and Fellow in trauma surgery, and nearing the end of her training towards this specialty. I sat down with Dr Naadiyah to ask her about her path in medicine, why she chose to specialise in trauma surgery, and how the realities of working in trauma compare to the often glamourised depictions on television and in films. With this week marking the occasion of Women’s Day in South Africa, we also diverted down a brief but frank discussion about the experiences of women in medicine. It’s sure to provide much food for thought, and I hope you enjoy listening and learning in this week’s episode. Enjoying the podcast? Got something to say? Let us know by emailing drcoffeeza@gmail.com. You can also follow us on Instagram at @DrCoffeeZA. Be sure to tag us in your story with the hashtag ' #Howzitbrew ' and a picture of you with your coffee cup.  Thank you for your support.

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In this week’s “Coffee with Consultants” feature, we hear from doctor Jarrod Zamparini, about his path in medicine and his passion for the lesser known specialty of Obstetric medicine.

Dr Jarrod Zamparini is a specialist physician at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital and Wits University in the department of infectious diseases. He is also the founding head of the department of obstetric medicine at Charlotte. We discussed his journey to specialisation, his thoughts on work-culture in medicine, and what it was like managing the very first COVID-19 patients in South Africa.

It’s an incredible privilege and honour to have Dr Zamparini on the Dr Coffee Podcast. Besides being a great physician, he is also a keen coffee-drinker, a fantastic teacher of students and junior doctors, and a loving husband and father to two small children.

Twitter accounts mentioned by Dr Zamparini that are suggested resources for Obstetric Medicine:

@ObstetricMedic

@StephenLap

@OBMedicine

@ObstetricMedSA

@nelson_piercy

Dr Jarrod zamparini can be followed at @JZamps

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In this week’s “Coffee with Consultants” feature, we hear from Professor Graham Paget, about his path in medicine and what it takes to be a specialist physician in nephrology. Professor Graham Paget is a consultant Nephrologist at the Donald Gordon Medical Centre and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. His daily work is concentrated on the management of patients with end-stage and chronic kidney disease, dialysis, and organ transplants. He is also a member of numerous national oversight committees and councils, as well as a past-president of the South African Nephrology Society. It’s an incredible privilege and honour to host Professor Paget on the Dr Coffee Podcast. In person, he is witty and engaging, and a fantastic teacher of junior doctors and medical students in the wards. This interview took place in the department of nephrology at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.

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In this week’s “Coffee with Consultants” feature, we hear from Professor Adam Mahomed, about his path in medicine and what it takes to specialise in internal medicine and gastroenterology. Professor Adam Mahomed is a Specialist Gastroenterologist involved in the pre and post care of liver transplant patients. He is a past president of South African Gastroenterology Society and the head of the department of Internal Medicine at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. He generously offered to join us as a guest on the podcast to share his wisdom and experience for the benefit of junior doctors and those preparing to become them. Professor Adam is passionate about shaping the attitudes and worldviews of junior doctors in South Africa: to embrace a professional attitude to adversity, to always give their best for patients, to be diligent in small details that impact outcomes, and be excellent human beings over and above having good clinical skills. Besides sharing his heart-felt and passionate pleas to young doctors to hold themselves to high standards, he also encourages us to share our experiences and seek support for the multiple traumas and moral injuries contributing to burnout and depression our profession.  I trust you enjoy the episode and feel inspired, challenged, and motivated by Professor Adam's wisdom and experience.  Links to resources mentioned/described in the interview:  1) Colleges of Medicine in South Africa: https://www.cmsa.co.za/Default.aspx  2) Online courses: https://www.getsmarter.com/products/view-all  3) Diploma in Public Health: https://online.up.ac.za/postgraduate-diploma-in-public-health/?utm_source=ADS&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=10284060931&utm_content=582787625890&utm_term=diploma%20in%20public%20health&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8uOWBhDXARIsAOxKJ2HpMEaIQs-N6TUK7g2BGKvyl-xrcBXWuMiJNNaej7FKvRJK2gCa2TEaAsXJEALw_wcB  4) Diploma in Internal Medicine: https://www.cmsa.co.za/view_exam.aspx?QualificationID=55  Thank you for listening!!

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In this week’s “Coffee with Consultants” feature, we hear from Dr Phetla from Doctorpreneur, about her path in medicine and her consulting services training medical professionals to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit and successful medical practices. With over 13 years in private practice & a Masters in business administration (MBA), Dr Phetla is invested in consulting with doctors to build & sustain their career and the business of medicine. Doctorpreneur emphasises the importance of having a business mentor and planning a path while still a junior doctor, to begin as you mean to go on; uncover your purpose, passion and values; and determine the right time to take opportunities. We also discussed some of the key elements of "medical-entrepreneurship" and pursuing a sustainable balance between the business- and clinical sides of a fulfilling career in medicine. You can reach Dr Phetla via email at admin@doctorpreneur.co.za and their website at www.doctorpreneur.co.za You can also find an engaging conversation between Dr Phetla and the Money & Medicine team on Youtube, at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVzWQ6Xs7ng

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Dr Simon Fraser, 1st-year medical practitioner intern at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, gives a breakdown of some important points to consider when applying for internship. Topics include: how the application process on ICSP works, the process of HPCSA accreditation of both individuals and sites and why you'll get good opportunities wherever you get posted; how to decide what hospitals are the best fit for you; what to do if you have children; and busting some myths about getting your first choice.

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In this week’s “Coffee with Consultants” feature, we hear from Dr Mark Torres Holmes, about his specialty and his path in medicine.

Dr Mark Torres-Holmes is an oto-rhino-laryngologist with further training as a head and neck surgeon. He specifically focuses on benign and malignant tumours and conditions of structures within the head and neck, as well as rare paediatric airway and neck lump problems. He graduated from the University of Pretoria Medical School in 2001, and completed his internship training at Tygerberg, before returning to Johannesburg to complete comm serve at Helen Joseph Hospital. Dr Mark currently works as a consultant surgeon with the Morningside Head and Neck Multidisciplinary Team who meet weekly to discuss patient’s head and neck problems. He is also a sessionary consultant at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria. 

If you know of a consultant or senior registrar in a specialty that YOU would like featured on the Dr Coffee Podcast, please get in touch at the email address drcoffeeza@gmail.com. We’re also on Instagram, Twitter and Youtube, with the username “@DrCoffeeZA”. If you’ve got anything else on your mind, such as a request for additional topics, further information on how to engage with our guests, feedback on the show, or anything else, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.