Awakening Doctor
The Awakening Doctor podcast explores the personal stories of those who work in the medical and health professions. Each episode aims to highlight the humanity of an individual doctor or healer, and thereby challenge and transform social perceptions of the profession and the individuals who practice it. Join Dr. Maria Christodoulou as she meets with colleagues, leaders, and educators in healthcare to reveal the human side of being a medical professional.
Episodes
22 episodes
Dr Hloni Bookholane, Breaking Up With Medicine
Is it okay for a doctor to decide that medicine is not the nucleus of their life?In this episode of Awakening Doctor, we sit down with Dr. Hloni Bookholane, senior associate at the Boston Consulting Group and author of Becoming a Doc...
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Episode 22
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1:37:14
Dr Rosemary Pitsi, A Heart for People
Dr. Rosemary Pitsi is a dedicated young doctor currently working at a tertiary hospital in South Africa's North West province. She is also the founder of Book Buddies, a literacy initiative for underprivileged children, and the co-foun...
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Episode 21
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1:19:24
Prof Nomafrench Mbombo, A Bloody Difficult Woman
Prof. Nomafrench Mbombo is a distinguished leader with over three decades of experience spanning healthcare, academia, politics, and public service; a woman with an unwavering commitment to social justice, equitable healthcare and the empowerme...
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Episode 20
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1:44:48
Dr Moratwe Masima, A Driven Dreamer
From her achievement as the Miss South Africa runner-up in 2021 to her impactful roles as medical doctor, health advocate and social media influencer, Dr Moratwe Masima is determined to redefine what it means to be a health professional in the ...
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Episode 19
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1:21:19
Prof Elma de Vries, Doing What Her Hands Find To Do
In this inspiring episode of Awakening Doctor, senior family physician and MBChB Programme Coordinator at Nelson Mandela University, Professor Elma de Vries, reflects on her journey from growing up in apartheid-era South Africa to becoming a pa...
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Episode 18
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1:45:06
Dr Danielle Botma, A Junior Doctor
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to endure the sleepless nights and emotional highs and lows of being a doctor? In this episode of the Awakening Doctor podcast, Dr. Danielle Botma offers an intimate glimpse into the life of a junior doctor...
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Episode 17
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1:17:01
Dr Yonela Sanelisiwe Kentane, A Stellenbosch 'Dokter'
In this episode of Awakening Doctor, we meet Dr Yonela Sanelisiwe Kentane, a young doctor standing at the threshold of her medical career after completing six years of medical school, two years of internship, and one year of community service i...
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Episode 16
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1:13:36
Dr Nabeela Kajee, Walking Through Places of Privilege
Is it possible to be a full human being when your profession demands so much of you? Does being a clinician require you to be removed from your patient’s experience, or from your own experience as you witness theirs? What is it that we need to ...
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Episode 15
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1:27:00
Prof Regan Solomons, Shaping the Future of Paediatric Healthcare
What distinguishes a 21st-century paediatrician working in a resource-constrained setting from his predecessors? This is the question at the heart of Professor Regan Solomon’s leadership vision and one that he unassumingly answers with his own ...
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Episode 14
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1:23:11
Prof Hoffie Conradie, Navigating the Continuum of Care
In considering the landscape of modern healthcare, the conversation often centres around technological advancements, groundbreaking treatments, and cutting-edge research. In this episode of the Awakening Doctor podcast, Professor Hoffie Conradi...
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Episode 13
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1:47:03
Dr Gianna Brummer, Reclaiming the Soul in Medicine
If you’ve ever felt like a square peg in a round-hole world, especially within the hallowed halls of medicine, then this episode of Awakening Doctor is for you. Dr. Gianna Brummer, a medical doctor with extensive psychotherapeutic training, sha...
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Episode 12
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1:38:33
Dr Nondumiso Makhunga-Stevenson, Redefining the Narrative of a Medical Career
Dr. Nondumiso Makhunga-Stevenson is a medical doctor, clinical epidemiologist and physician coach whose story weaves together threads of traditional wisdom, social justice, and cutting-edge medical practice. In this episode of Awak...
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Episode 11
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1:30:44
Prof Lynette Denny, Living in the Body of the World
The late Professor Lynette Denny was one of medicine’s foremost trailblazers in the field of cervical cancer research. A world-renowned gynaecological oncologist, distinguished scientist, and passionate advocate for women’s health issues around...
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Episode 10
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1:41:21
Dr Paul Abramowitz, Bridging Biology & Consciousness
Dr Paul Abramowitz is a specialist periodontist, sex and intimacy therapist, and the author of "Sexed, Hardwired by Nature, Evolving by Choice". From childhood epiphanies about the nature of reality to the legacy of his family’s me...
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Episode 9
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1:17:30
Reflections on the First Year of Podcasting
In this special edition of the Awakening Doctor podcast, join host Dr. Maria Christodoulou and producer Amy Kaye, as we reflect on the podcast journey of 2023. With more than 1200 downloads, 8 episodes, and listeners in over 30 coun...
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Episode 8
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47:17
Irene Sullivan, The Heart of a Healer
In this episode of the Awakening Doctor podcast, we meet the extraordinary Irene F. Sullivan, a trauma nurse practitioner with a multifaceted career spanning art, medicine, theology, philosophy, and cultural anthropology.Her story takes ...
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Episode 7
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1:21:03
Dr Patrick Hanaway, Walking Between the Worlds
Dr. Patrick Hanaway is a board-certified family physician and leading role player in the evolution and expansion of Integrative and Functional Medicine across the globe. He is also an initiated Mara’akame (indigenous healer) in the tradition of...
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Episode 6
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1:04:45
Dr Lisa Joy Africa, An Artist in Medicine
Dr Lisa Africa’s journey into medicine was guided by her artistic sensibilities and her fascination with the intricate wonders of the human body. Today, she is a healer and a visual artist who seamlessly integrates her artistic ability and her ...
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Episode 5
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1:16:17
Rod Suskin, Astrologer & Sangoma
Rod Suskin is an internationally renowned astrologer, sangoma, teacher, author, academic, and TV and media personality based in Cape Town, South Africa. In this episode of Awakening Doctor, Rod shares his personal story of becoming a traditiona...
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Episode 4
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1:10:55
Dr Sheron Forgus, Family Physician
Dr Sheron Forgus is a specialist family physician, budding novelist, dedicated wife and mother, and passionate advocate for coaching and mentoring as a means to personal and professional wellbeing.In this episode of Awakening Doctor, Sh...
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Episode 3
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56:37
Dr Liana Roodt, A Woman in Surgery
Dr. Liana Roodt is a breast, endocrine and general surgeon based in South Africa. In this episode of Awakening Doctor, Liana shares with us her personal story of pursuing a career in a traditionally male-dominated field.We explore her mo...
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Episode 2
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37:32
Dr Keith Cloete, A Son of the Western Cape
From his humble beginnings in Cape Town’s District Six to his appointment as Head of the Western Cape Government’s Department of Health in 2020, Dr Keith Cloete shares his unique perspective on leadership as “a son of the Western Cape” and reve...
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Episode 1
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55:16
