The Dr Coffee Podcast

The Dr Coffee Podcast

By Dr. Simon FraserMedicineHealth & Fitness
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The Dr Coffee Podcast episodes

  • Episode 18: Spotlight on Allieds: Biokineticists - Coffee with Bertie Herbst (Biokinetics Association of South Africa)

    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...

    Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...

    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 [email protected] 

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

    45 min
  • Episode 17: Protecting your practice - Arlene Mulder (Dire Wolf Financial Services)
    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 [email protected]. 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!
    33 min
  • Episode 16: Surgery - Coffee with Professor Thifhelimbilu Luvhengo
    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 [email protected]. 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!
    57 min
  • Episode 15: Obstetric Critical Care - Coffee with Prof Shastra Bhoora
    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 [email protected]. 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!
    46 min
  • Episode 14: Ophthalmology - Coffee with Dr Johann Lamprecht
    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 [email protected]  Thank you for listening and thank you for your support!
    57 min
  • Episode 13: Endocrinology - Coffee with Dr Ruchika Mehta & Dr Constance Adams
    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 ].
    43 min
  • Episode 12: Paediatric Surgery - Coffee with Dr Jason Mcmaster
    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 [email protected].
    1 hr 11 min
  • Episode 11: Comm Serve Reflections - Coffee with Dr Naeem Vallee (MO at Chris Hani Baragwanath)
    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 ].
    1 hr 26 min
  • Episode 10: Internship: Adventure confirmed ...Now what?

    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 ].

    1 hr 12 min
  • Episode 9: Clinical Microbiology - Coffee with Dr Vindana Chibabhai
    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
    49 min

About The Dr Coffee Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to the Dr Coffee Podcast: Your weekly blend of motivation, encouragement, education and insight into all things medicine for junior doctors & medical students in South Africa. We feature…