Tag: Women in medicine

Welcome to Womanity Women in Unity, for our special compilation of select programs over the last year. We hope to inspire you through the words of three young successful women. Miss South Africa 2022 Ndavi Nokeri who advocates for education equity, she explains the importance of education in her life and lifting communities out of poverty and discusses the goals of her community project Ed-Unite, which campaigns for quality education. Another outstanding talented young woman is Tatjana Schoenmaker, a South African Olympic Athlete, who won the gold medal and set the world record in the 200 metre breaststroke event at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She also earned a silver medal in the 100 metre breaststroke at the Olympic Games. She takes us through her journey to Tokyo during the global Covid 19 pandemic. Mental illness has been in the spotlight for 2022 and our last guest in today’s feature is Dr. Yumna Minty, who is a specialist psychiatrist that focusses on mental health, and lectures in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of the Witwatersrand. She shares some of her views on mental health and disorders that affect women in particular; offering some practical tips to help women cope.

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December 22, 2022

Reflections from 2022: Building positive mindsets with female achievers

Welcome to Womanity Women in Unity for our special compilation of select programs over the last year. We hope to inspire you through the words of three young successful women. Miss South Africa  2022 Ndavi Nokeri  wh...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Ledile Mokoka who specialises in nephrology at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital. Kidney disease is often a secondary effect of other conditions like hypertension and diabetes, according to the diabetesatlas.org,  24 million people in Africa (1 in 22) have diabetes.  These are non-communicable diseases that could be prevented if adequate awareness and education were offered to communities.  We discuss some of the kidney disorders that she treats and highlight conditions that women are more predisposed too. We note the healthcare challenges that women living in rural areas are exposed to, including the lack of access to facilities and presenting late stage diagnoses. Dr. Mokoka shares signs for women to be on the lookout for (like fatigue, loss of appetite and nausea) and address with health care practitioners. Tune in for more…

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December 14, 2022

Dr Ledile Mokoka – Nephrologist – Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital (rebroadcast)

Reflecting on some of our past shows from 2022, tune into our previous conversation with Dr. Ledile Mokoka who specialises in nephrology at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital. Kidney disease is often a secondary eff...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Shahpar Motakef, who is the Clinical Head of the Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) unit at Charlotte Maxete Academic Hospital. She lectures at the University of the Witwatersrand in the Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) department and is an ENT specialist at Fourways Life hospital and is a member of the Rhinoplasty Society. We note that there is still an underrepresentation of female doctors to male doctors, but gender transformation is taking place. For Example Dr Motekef was the first woman to study ENT at Wits and during the early part of her career there were only four female ENTs in South Africa. However, today in her hospital the majority of registrars are women. To get more women into medicine starts early, in high school, encouraging girls to shine, to be ambitious and not supress their passions. Medicine is a hard field and sometimes women are put off from pursuing it because of the misconception that it is impossible to feel they are not able to pursue a challenging career and also have a family. Dr Motekef believes that with planning and discipline both are possible but should be approached through staging and patience. Women can have everything, just not necessarily at the same time. Tune in for more

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December 1, 2022

Dr. Shahpar Motakef – Clinical Head of the ENT unit at Charlotte Maxete Academic Hospital

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Shahpar Motakef, who is the Clinical Head of the Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) unit at Charlotte Maxete Academic Hospital. She lectures at the Unive...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Yumna Minty, who is a specialist psychiatrist and also lectures in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of the Witwatersrand. Some of her areas of interest include women’s mental health, mental health in adolescents and young adults, depression and anxiety disorders, and older age mental disorders. She reflects that mental health is not just the absence of illness but should refer to a state of mind and being where people function optimally. She notes that in general women are two to three times more likely to develop a psychiatric disorder when compared to men. Common disorders affecting women include anxiety, stress, eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There are both inherent and environmental factors the contribute to psychological difficulties and stresses. Environmental variables can be changed and thereby reduce negative impacts on women. For instance women are more prone to physical abuse, emotional neglect and less emphasis may be placed on a girl’s education than a boy’s development. In modern society women bear dual responsibilities of maintaining their homes and pursuing careers, which increases the potential risk for burnout. Her top three tips for women to help manage their mental health are aiming to lead a healthy lifestyle for body and mind, have healthy relationships and ask for help when needed. Education is an important enabler for women, it gives them the possibility to attain economic freedom and independence to take control over their destiny. In a world that is always changing, our situations change, and new developments arise in our respective fields of interest; if we do not keep up with lifelong learning we are doing an injustice to ourselves and those we serve through our vocation. Tune in for more…

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November 17, 2022

Dr. Yumna Minty – specialist psychiatrist and lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of the Witwatersrand

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Yumna Minty, who is a specialist psychiatrist and also lectures in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of the Witwatersrand. Some of ...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Lizanne Langenhoven who is a clinical and radiation oncologist with the Panorama Mediclinic in Cape Town. October is breast cancer awareness month, which serves as an annual international campaign to raise awareness about breast cancer; and 13 October is International Metastatic Breast Cancer Day. In today’s conversation we continue to raise awareness of this important issue that effects many women and their families across the continent. From a breast cancer awareness perspective Dr. Langenhoven encourages women to take responsibility for themselves and loved ones, being our sisters’ keepers and ensuring we have regular screenings. Early detection of cancer is half the battle. Dr. Langenhoven shares her team’s multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment, where experts from their respective disciplines work collaboratively - seeing the same case through different eyes to derive the most suitable treatment for the patient. Cancer research is ongoing and newer treatments have become highly targeted honing into specific cancer cells to deliver therapy at a cellular level. Medicine is still a male dominated field and this sometimes impacts on the way that female doctors are perceived by patients, the way they put in double the effort required to perform their work, and causes them to mimic male voices rather than embracing their female emotive voices of empathy, care and love. Dr. Langenhoven is actively shifting the narrative to combine male and female voices to deliver the best of both to treat patients and personnel more holistically and humanly. We note that working women, whether professionals or shift workers, experience universal challenges of fulfilling their work commitments at the expense of their home lives, and consider there is room to change the current status quo to one that allows women to achieve greater balance in their lives, without compromising their responsibilities. Tune in for more…

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October 19, 2022

Breast Cancer Awareness with Dr. Lizanne Langenhoven

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Lizanne Langenhoven who is a clinical and radiation oncologist with the Panorama Centre For Surgical Oncology in Cape Town. October is breast...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Dineo Tshabalala, who is a medical oncologist at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital (CMJAH) and senior lecturer at the University of Witwatersrand. October is breast cancer awareness month, which serves as an annual international campaign to raise awareness about breast cancer; and 13 October is International Metastatic Breast Cancer Day. In today’s conversation we unpack some of the stats, early warning signs, risk factors, preventative measures and treatments. According to the 2019 National Cancer Registry (NCR), apart from non-melanoma skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women of all races, with a lifetime risk of 1 in 27 in South Africa. Dr. Tshabalala highlights some of the modifiable risk factors that may cause cancer like alcohol, smoking and unhealthy diets. She mentions that diseases like diabetes, obesity and HIV can make women more susceptible to developing breast cancer. She also discusses the role of genetics. Early detection of breast cancer increases survival outcomes and women play a critical role in checking themselves for abnormalities and seeking out further screenings with healthcare practitioners. Dr. Tshabalala also shares her journey to medicine and reasons for specialising in oncology. She reminds us of the importance of hard work, perseverance, persistency and constantly driving forward to materialise your dreams to live the life you deserve. Tune in for more…

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October 13, 2022

Breast Cancer Awareness with Dr. Dineo Tshabalala – Medical Oncologist at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Dineo Tshabalala, who is a medical oncologist at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital (CMJAH) and senior lecturer at the University of Witwate...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Jyoti Bajpai, a Professor of Medical Oncology at the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai India and Dr Nermean Mostafa a lecturer of clinical oncology and early detection at the Ain Shams University in Cairo Egypt. They share some of their motivations for pursuing oncology as a specialisation and give an overview of the field in their countries. For example, Egypt has an intensive screening campaign for early detection of cancer and is improving palliative care. India has a population of more than 1.4 billion people and has wide variations in the type of care and infrastructure available to citizens, however there is a marked deficit of oncologists to cancer patients, currently the ratio stands at 1:2000, whereas in the USA it is 1:100. We note some of the challenges female oncologists experience, which often stem from social stereotypes and patriarchal cultures that limit people’s perceptions of women reducing them to mothers and care givers, not seeing them as professionals who excel in their chosen fields. Our discussion centres on the recent Global Women for Oncology Summit (GLOWS) which received delegates from every continent. GLOWS addressed pressing issues faced by women in their careers, such as how to navigate politics in the workplace, how to break the glass ceiling, the importance of #networking and the value of #mentorship and #sponsorship. We discuss distance mentorship, as a concept implemented through digital platforms to provide mentorship between women in different regions. Some of the benefits of this mode of mentorship for women include saving on travel expenses like accommodation or visas, the ability to remain at home and maintain family responsibilities, and connecting to the right mentor irrespective of geographic location. Tune in for more…

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September 21, 2022

Oncology Specialists Prof. Jyoti Bajpai (India) & Dr Nermean Mostafa (Egypt)

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr Jyoti Bajpai, a Professor of Medical Oncology at the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai India and Dr Nermean Mostafa a lecturer of clinical oncology ...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Ledile Mokoka who specialises in nephrology at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital. Kidney disease is often a secondary effect of other conditions like hypertension and diabetes, according to the diabetesatlas.org,  24 million people in Africa (1 in 22) have diabetes.  These are non-communicable diseases that could be prevented if adequate awareness and education were offered to communities.  We discuss some of the kidney disorders that she treats and highlight conditions that women are more predisposed too. We note the healthcare challenges that women living in rural areas are exposed to, including the lack of access to facilities and presenting late stage diagnoses. Dr. Mokoka shares signs for women to be on the lookout for (like fatigue, loss of appetite and nausea) and address with health care practitioners. Tune in for more…

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June 1, 2022

Dr Ledile Mokoka – Nephrologist – Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Dr. Ledile Mokoka who specialises in nephrology at the Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital. Kidney disease is of...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof Vanessa Steenkamp, the Deputy Dean of Teaching & Learning in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria. As an active member of scientific organizations she holds among other an executive role as President of the South African Association of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, President of the Federation of South African Society of Pathology and Vice-President of the Toxicology Society of South Africa. Her remit at the University of Pretoria encompasses 43 departments within Dentistry, Health Care Sciences, Health Systems and Public Health, and the School of Medicine. She emphasises that teaching and learning is an evolving process and institutions aim to equip students with skill sets to help future proof them for jobs which don’t yet exist; instilling lifelong learning and embracing technology. We discuss a couple of recent initiatives geared towards the well-being of students. Namely a food parcel project, noting that at least 30% of students are food insecure and the other the UP Sight project which addressed students’ vision. We highlight the fact that there are still low levels of women entering STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) and remark on interventions to build a pipeline from school to university to the workplace. We also remark on the underrepresentation of women in leadership roles. Prof. Steenkamp encourages more women to embrace opportunities to rise to the top, urging women to stand together, support each other, join industry networks and participate in mentoring initiatives. Prof. Steenkamp shares her formulas for living life to the full, making space for family and a professional career. Tune in for more…

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May 18, 2022

Professor Vanessa Steenkamp – Deputy Dean: Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof Vanessa Steenkamp, the Deputy Dean of Teaching & Learning in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Uni...

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof. Prisilla Seipati Makunyane – Head of Ophthalmology at the University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academic Hospital. Prof. Makunyane is one of the first black female doctors to qualify as an ophthalmologist in South Africa, she serves as a role model and advocate for her specialisation encouraging more women to follow in her footsteps.  We reflect on the fact that medical training is a lengthy undertaking and the process can compromise women who want to start a family or have young children during this period. To help mitigate some of these issues training time could be extended as well as introducing flexible leave arrangements to help women fulfil their roles in the worlds of family and work.  Medicine is a rewarding and humbling discipline that impacts the well-being of societies. Tune in for more…

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May 4, 2022

Professor Prisilla Seipati Makunyane – Head of Ophthalmology at the University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academic Hospital

This week on Womanity-Women in Unity, in our series on women in medicine, Dr. Amaleya Goneos-Malka talks to Prof. Prisilla Seipati Makunyane – Head of Ophthalmology at the University of Pretoria and Steve Biko Academi...

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