It's Brain Surgery
Welcome to It’s Brain Surgery, where we explore the mental, physical, and philosophical tools that help high performers thrive in high-stakes, uncomfortable, and uncertain parts of life.
I’m Dr. Andrew Brunswick, a neurosurgeon, athlete, and wellness advocate sharing first-hand insights from the operating room and the training ground. Here you’ll find conversations, strategies, and tools to help you:
•Strengthen your mindset 🧘
•Optimize physical and mental performance 💪
•Improve recovery and resilience 🔄
•Learn practical lessons from real neurosurgery stories 🧠
•Explore the latest in fitness, mindfulness, and wellness 🌱
Expect weekly podcast episodes, in-depth explainers, and highlight clips featuring guests ranging from doctors and elite athletes to thought leaders in mindset and recovery.
If you’re passionate about neurosurgery, health, fitness, mindset training, or unlocking peak human potential, you’re in the right place.
👉 Subscribe now and join a growing community of high achievers committed to mastering both body and mind.
It's Brain Surgery
The Only Neurosurgeon in Sierra Leone: Dr. Alieu Kamara’s Fight to Save Lives
Imagine being the only neurosurgeon in a country of over 8 million people. No backup. Limited equipment. Families raising money before life-saving surgery can begin. That is Dr. Alieu Kamara’s daily reality in Sierra Leone.
In this episode, Dr. Kamara shares how growing up during the civil war shaped him, why he left a secure post abroad to return home, and what it takes to make life-or-death decisions when resources are thin. We talk trauma care, CT access, weekends in the OR, training the next generation, and what kind of help would actually move the needle.
This conversation is not about outrage. It is about responsibility, courage, and practical ways to support care where it is most needed.
What we cover:
Being the only neurosurgeon in the country
Childhood during the civil war and the path to medicine
Training in China and the decision to return home
Daily workload, burnout risk, and mindset under pressure
Trauma, tumors, and what happens when patients cannot pay
Imaging, blood, and the long list of missing tools
Building capacity: CT installation, future C-arm, training plans
How international colleagues and organizations can help
Chapters (add timestamps after upload)
Intro
Civil war childhood
Training abroad and coming home
Life as the only neurosurgeon
Trauma care, imaging, and costs
Building a service and training others
How to help
About Dr. Allieu Kamara
Neurosurgeon, Connaught Hospital, Freetown, Sierra Leone. Focused on neurotrauma and building sustainable neurosurgical care in a low-resource setting.
How to support
Interested clinicians: short volunteer stints, case discussion, remote consults
Donors and partners: consumables, imaging support, instruments, C-arm, training funds