What do you do when the plan you’re committed to doesn’t work out the way you’d hoped, but your sense of purpose stays the same?

Dr Bianca Leigh Edwards - or Dr B, as she’s affectionately known by her patients - had her heart set on becoming a paediatric oncologist even in her teens. Life, however, had other plans.

In this episode of Awakening Doctor, we reflect on the early childhood influences that catalysed her passion and learn about her challenging personal journey with medicine. One marked by years of perseverance, repeated rejections, and the courage to keep pivoting in the midst of thwarted ambitions.

Together, we explore her postgraduate medical school experience and reflect on the harsh realities she faced as a young COVID intern. Bianca speaks candidly about signing multiple death certificates on her first day as a doctor, the fear of bringing the virus home, the difficult decision to postpone her wedding, and the wise friends and small rituals that helped carry her through that time.

We also reflect on how motherhood has changed the way she practices medicine, and explore the grief and frustration of having to let go her dream of specialising due to a lack of registrar posts. An unforeseen obstacle that eventually forced her to formulate a Plan B.

Today, Bianca runs a thriving GP practice for children in Cape Town, allowing her to reframe her vocation and honour her passion in ways she didn't anticipate.

If you’ve ever wondered whether being “just a GP” can serve a calling, or how to rebuild a dream when doors are closed and posts are frozen, this episode is for you. Join us for a thought-provoking reflection on the complex interplay between vocation, ambition, individual agency and systemic realities.

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If you enjoy these conversations and would like to support this work, please consider donating to our podcast fund using the link above. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and keep bringing you great content. No amount is too small and your support means the world to us. Thank you for listening!

Host:
Dr Maria Christodoulou

Follow us on Social Media:
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Website: https://www.awakeningdoctor.com/podcast

Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared are those of the individual guest and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or the Awakening Doctor podcast. All accounts are personal and have not been independently verified. No responsibility is assumed for the accuracy or completeness of the information shared.

From growing up among political exiles to advocating for the right to health and shaping national policy, Professor Lydia Cairncross's career traces the edges of the operating table and the front lines of social change.

Voted one of Mail & Guardian's 50 most powerful women in 2022, she is a pioneering researcher in breast and endocrine surgery, and the first female Head of the Department of Surgery at the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital. A human rights activist committed to equitable healthcare for all.

In this episode of Awakening Doctor, we reflect on the intersection between the professional and the political in her personal story. Lydia speaks candidly about the importance of self-awareness in leadership, the invisible labour women often carry, and the identity shifts that motherhood demanded of her in a system not designed for breastfeeding or work-life balance.

Together, we explore her ongoing struggle to define the margins of burnout and reflect on her vision for a surgical department where people are seen, gifts are valued, and bureaucracy doesn't suffocate passion. Along the way, we dismantle tired stereotypes of surgeons and consider what it means to remain hopeful in a system stretched by austerity.

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation with a leader who is profoundly practical, fiercely optimistic and unapologetically feminine in her bid to change the world.

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Support the show

If you enjoy these conversations and would like to support this work, please consider donating to our podcast fund using the link above. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and keep bringing you great content. No amount is too small and your support means the world to us. Thank you for listening!

Host:
Dr Maria Christodoulou

Follow us on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakeningdoctor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AwakeningDoctor

Website: https://www.awakeningdoctor.com/podcast

Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared are those of the individual guest and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or the Awakening Doctor podcast. All accounts are personal and have not been independently verified. No responsibility is assumed for the accuracy or completeness of the information shared.

What would the world be like if we understood that each time a patient shares their story, they are inviting us into the sacred ground of their life? What wisdom might we gain from truly listening to those we aim to help? How might we transform our institutions to better serve our communities?

For Professor Tasleem Ras, family physician, educator, researcher, and Head of UCT's Department of Family, Community and Emergency Care, these questions lie at the heart of the academic endeavour.

In this episode of Awakening Doctor, Prof Ras shares his personal story and reflects on the pivotal moments that have shaped his career: the epiphany that surgery would not fulfil a deeper calling; building a family practice in his childhood community; the difficult decision to leave clinical practice for academia; and managing the CTICC Hospital of Hope during the COVID-19 pandemic – a time when shared vulnerability created unprecedented unity and humanised care.

Together, we explore the lessons he learned from working in under-resourced communities, the existential and ideological tensions facing healthcare today, and the vital role of faith, trust, and humility in medicine.

Through each transition and reflection, Prof. Ras’s philosophy becomes clear: medical education must balance technical competence with empathy and wisdom, must recognise the knowledge that resides in communities, and honour the sacred dimensions of healing.

Join us for a thought-provoking reminder that education, at its best, is an act of hope - shaping not only better doctors, but a better world for us all.

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Support the show

If you enjoy these conversations and would like to support this work, please consider donating to our podcast fund using the link above. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and keep bringing you great content. No amount is too small and your support means the world to us. Thank you for listening!

Host:
Dr Maria Christodoulou

Follow us on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakeningdoctor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AwakeningDoctor

Website: https://www.awakeningdoctor.com/podcast

Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared are those of the individual guest and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or the Awakening Doctor podcast. All accounts are personal and have not been independently verified. No responsibility is assumed for the accuracy or completeness of the information shared.

In this episode of Awakening Doctor, we meet Dr Yumna Moosa, a clinician-scientist, mathematician, mother, activist, and truth-teller.

Fresh from her PhD graduation, Yumna speaks with striking honesty about navigating motherhood and dealing with the breakdown of her marriage while completing her studies. She reflects on how trauma can disrupt even the most resilient among us, and how the love and support of family and friends helped her to reclaim her vibrant, fiery self.

She also recounts taking a public stand against bullying and harassment as a medical intern, and the price she paid for speaking truth to power. Together, we explore the uncomfortable reality that junior doctors face many of the same challenges even today, and reflect on what it means to pursue excellence in medicine without being dehumanised.

Amidst the seriousness, Yumna shares the passions that keep her grounded in joy - from motherhood, dancing and capoeira to mathematics, teaching and the celebration of learning. Join us for a heartfelt conversation about resilience, courage, and the power of truth-telling.

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Support the show

If you enjoy these conversations and would like to support this work, please consider donating to our podcast fund using the link above. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and keep bringing you great content. No amount is too small and your support means the world to us. Thank you for listening!

Host:
Dr Maria Christodoulou

Follow us on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakeningdoctor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AwakeningDoctor

Website: https://www.awakeningdoctor.com/podcast

Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared are those of the individual guest and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or the Awakening Doctor podcast. All accounts are personal and have not been independently verified. No responsibility is assumed for the accuracy or completeness of the information shared.

What are the deeper reasons that draw us into the healing professions, and how do they shape the way we practice medicine?

In this episode of Awakening Doctor, Dr Angela de Sá – family physician, integral coach, and senior lecturer at UCT's Department of Family, Community, and Emergency Care – reflects on the experiences that have shaped and defined her medical career. From childhood illness and loss, to leading a busy community health centre for 16 years, and the recent pivotal decision to step away from clinical practice in search of greater balance in her life.

Angela speaks candidly about the work ethic instilled by her immigrant parents, the role coaching played in opening up new ways of listening, leading, and relating, and the surprising difficulty of letting go of a long-standing role to embrace a new chapter.

We explore themes of identity, resilience, and the unspoken costs of a profession that too often prioritises self-sacrifice over self-care. We also reflect on the complex relationship between creativity, perfectionism and self-worth, and the idea that tending to the 'human’ in healthcare is a pathway to transforming the practice of medicine.

Whether you’re a medical professional, a patient navigating the health system, or simply contemplating change, this episode offers a compassionate, thought-provoking look at what becomes possible when humanity is at the heart of healthcare.

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Support the show

If you enjoy these conversations and would like to support this work, please consider donating to our podcast fund using the link above. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and keep bringing you great content. No amount is too small and your support means the world to us. Thank you for listening!

Host:
Dr Maria Christodoulou

Follow us on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakeningdoctor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AwakeningDoctor

Website: https://www.awakeningdoctor.com/podcast

Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared are those of the individual guest and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or the Awakening Doctor podcast. All accounts are personal and have not been independently verified. No responsibility is assumed for the accuracy or completeness of the information shared.

Professor Hennie Botha is a renowned gynaecological oncologist and the Executive Head of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Stellenbosch University. A leading clinician, teacher, mentor and researcher, with a particular interest in cervical cancer treatment and prevention.

In this episode of Awakening Doctor, Prof Botha joins Dr Maria Christodoulou to reflect on his leadership journey and medical career. From his early clinical years at a small rural hospital in Malawi to leading an academic department through a time of socio-political transformation, he shares thoughtful insights into the challenges and rewards of academic leadership, and the cultural shifts he has witnessed in medicine over time.

Together, we explore the non-linear path of a medical career, the emotional complexity of working with cancer patients, and the importance of healthy boundaries for navigating grief as a clinician. We also reflect on the restorative power of music and mountains, and the role of humility, openness, and curiosity in facilitating meaningful change.

From quiet introspection to systemic transformation, this episode offers a measured yet powerful perspective on what it means to lead, to serve, and to grow - both as a clinician and as a human being. Join us for a thoughtful reminder that medicine is never just medical; it’s also personal, relational, and political.

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Support the show

If you enjoy these conversations and would like to support this work, please consider donating to our podcast fund using the link above. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and keep bringing you great content. No amount is too small and your support means the world to us. Thank you for listening!

Host:
Dr Maria Christodoulou

Follow us on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakeningdoctor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AwakeningDoctor

Website: https://www.awakeningdoctor.com/podcast

Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared are those of the individual guest and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or the Awakening Doctor podcast. All accounts are personal and have not been independently verified. No responsibility is assumed for the accuracy or completeness of the information shared.

Servant leadership is not a job description; it’s a way of being. One that Professor Beth Engelbrecht has embodied with rare clarity and quiet conviction across more than three decades of public service in South Africa.

In this episode of Awakening Doctor, we learn about her extraordinary personal and professional journey from young district surgeon to transformative leader shaping a more ethical and resilient health system.

With honesty and humility, Prof. Engelbrecht reflects on the moments of awakening that have directed the course of her career and propelled her rise to leadership through South Africa’s transition to democracy and beyond.

We explore some of the challenges she has encountered as a woman in leadership and discover the strategies she employs to navigate power differentials, political complexity, and personal sacrifice. All whilst remaining deeply grounded in her commitment to faith, family, and service.

Join us for a thoughtful exploration of the inner workings of both a health system in transition and a servant leader with enduring grace.

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Support the show

If you enjoy these conversations and would like to support this work, please consider donating to our podcast fund using the link above. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and keep bringing you great content. No amount is too small and your support means the world to us. Thank you for listening!

Host:
Dr Maria Christodoulou

Follow us on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakeningdoctor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AwakeningDoctor

Website: https://www.awakeningdoctor.com/podcast

Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared are those of the individual guest and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or the Awakening Doctor podcast. All accounts are personal and have not been independently verified. No responsibility is assumed for the accuracy or completeness of the information shared.

As a child, Dr. Anita Parbhoo waited in the car outside Cape Town’s world-renowned Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital while her father did pre-med ward rounds. Today, she leads that very same hospital as its CEO, and her innovative leadership contributions are setting a benchmark for excellence in child health services nationwide.

In this episode of Awakening Doctor, we trace her journey from those early formative moments to becoming a nationally recognised health leader and recipient of the 2024 Jakes Gerwel Award in Public Health.

Anita reflects candidly on the path from clinician to executive, sharing insights on overcoming imposter syndrome, navigating perfectionism as both a doctor and a mother, and learning to trust her intuition in uncharted terrain. With warmth and humility, she discusses the milestones that shaped her, her passion for mentoring future healthcare leaders, and her deep commitment to advocating for the voiceless.

Her leadership at Red Cross Children’s Hospital exemplifies a powerful evolution in healthcare - one that embraces emotional intelligence, recognises the interdependence of health systems, and remains rooted in compassion, connection, and purpose.

Whether she’s abseiling in a Snow White costume for a cause, championing small but impactful actions, or making time for meaningful connections, Anita’s story is an inspiring call to lead with heart and to see beyond hospital walls to the communities and environments that shape our children's health outcomes.

Join us for a heartfelt exploration of leadership, legacy, and the dedication it takes to change the system from within.

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Support the show

If you enjoy these conversations and would like to support this work, please consider donating to our podcast fund using the link above. Your contribution helps us cover production costs and keep bringing you great content. No amount is too small and your support means the world to us. Thank you for listening!

Host:
Dr Maria Christodoulou

Follow us on Social Media:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awakeningdoctor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AwakeningDoctor

Website: https://www.awakeningdoctor.com/podcast

Disclaimer: The views and experiences shared are those of the individual guest and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or the Awakening Doctor podcast. All accounts are personal and have not been independently verified. No responsibility is assumed for the accuracy or completeness of the information shared.