Who Says You Can’t Become an Anaesthesiologist?

Whether intentional or not, the article reeks exclusivism, which is something I think medicine can do without. I don’t need a superhero complex.

“What Makes Anaesthetists So Special?”

It is a well-known fact that anaesthetic doctors in South African public hospitals have guaranteed pre-call and post-call. The medical officers that I know from other surgical departments, all appreciate the reasons we insist on safe working hours. I have never heard them suggest it be taken away. But management staff and senior consultants (of

An Africa Day Collective

Today is (was) Africa Day. My favourite way of celebrating Africa is by celebrating her literature – and by implication, her narratives. I have loads of posts about South African books, but not one about the continent. Here is a handful of my favourite pan-African books. There are many more. I am shamefully missing a

A Key To Disillusionment In Work And Play

Shame, I feel sorry for us; because all we want is to belong, but somewhere along the line we have taught ourselves that to belong means to be among people who think like us; never realising how deprived such a community would be.

Patients Don’t Want Exhausted Doctors

Before you read what I have to say, you should read Dr Nikki Stamp’s post: How tired is too tired? One day, I’d like to have a study to prove the post title. But for now, we’ll have to settle for another anecdote:

Dear Medical Student: Med School Is Not Worth Your Self-Harm

Dear Medical Student: medical school is worth a lot of things. I can tell you that because I went from hating medical school to loving being a doctor (well, on most days).

But it’s not worth that.

I Can’t Treat You Like A Private Patient

There are things that private patients get that I wish you could have too: fluffy duvets, enough pillows, air-conditioning, smaller wards, speedier test results…

I wish all my patients could have a “private patient” experience; but I need you to know that there are certain things I will not do.

Dear Graduates: You Should Be Supporting #FeesMustFall

As alumnae, you are the elders. You should be safeguarding tertiary education in this country. Who are you sucking up to by decrying these protests? Which lecturer are you still trying to impress?

What I See In Your Photos With “Poor African Children”

5. I see someone who took a picture of an attraction.

We take pictures of the Taj Mahal and Mauna Loa and the Shwedagon Pagoda and Table Mountain and so, why not, of these adorable African children. And we post them online too, because the world must see what we saw.

The Passion Deception: Beyond What You “Like”

If you have been told your whole life that you need simply to do what you love (and you’ll “never work a day in your life”, yada yada yada), you might not know HOW else to choose a path forward.