10 Things I Learnt in My Practice of Medicine

By Dr. Nshalati Salvation Mathebula

I have been an MD for seven years now. It has been such a humbling journey ,one that fills me up each day.I don’t know what being late for work is. Casually missing work or lying around? Not on my name.

Recently, I was reflecting on a TikTok video about how I became the first MD in my deep rural village in Tzaneen. It still moves me every time I visit home. My job, to me, is a blessing and I treat it as such daily. I am constantly filled with gratitude that even an ordinary girl’s life could change just like that.

Now, where I come from doesn’t matter much anymore. Nobody knows I’m from a village with red, dry soil and that’s okay.

“It doesn’t matter what your background is or where you came from; if you have dreams and goals, that’s all that matters.”

— Serena Williams

To celebrate our 10th EPIFEM newsletter, here are 10 things I have learnt from my patients in my 7-year practice of medicine.

Interestingly, both 10 and 7 symbolize completeness and perfection. I truly believe we are aligned to God’s calling at the perfect time. It couldn’t have been a better moment to reflect.

Over the years, I’ve spent so much time in hospital corridors. Beyond the usual 40-hour work week, we add another 80 hours each month in nights and weekends. It’s demanding-physically, emotionally, and mentally. Especially for introverted doctors, the constant human contact can be draining. Yet through it all, here’s what I’ve learnt:

1. Service is sacred.

It’s my job to do the work, but to my patients, I am the help they have been hoping and praying for.When I say, “How can I help you today, ma’am? Or how are you today “?it carries weight. I pray to always serve with that awareness.

2. Respect goes both ways.

It has been so humbling, as a young female doctor, to be respectfully addressed .Long before the “I’m just a girl” trend, I already felt that deeply. It taught me to reciprocate respect, and I’ve seen how much it matters.

3. Patience is a healing art.

I love surgical procedures because they bring immediate results.But not every case needs a knife. Some require time, hope, and endurance.Telling a patient, “Mama, the results will take time. Continue your medication; we’ll repeat blood tests in three months,” has taught me to stretch my heart.My patience often becomes their peace.

4. Teaching is part of healing.

Medical language isn’t everyday language. Taking time to explain what’s happening in simple terms puts patients at ease.Teaching them what their diagnosis means builds trust and confidence.

5. See the person, not just the disease.

It’s easy to focus so much on the illness that you forget the individual.A simple, “How are you doing? How is everyone at home?” can transform a consultation into a moment of care.Compassion heals too.

6. Not every outcome is what we hope for.

Declaring that someone has died after journeying with them is one of the hardest parts of this calling.But I’ve learnt strength and the grace to stand firm, even when the results break my heart.

7. Never stop learning.

They always say a good surgeon knows when to stop. If you get stuck, call a colleague. Call a senior. Ask.There’s no shame in learning but only strength in growing.

8. Problem-solving .

Beyond science, we deal with people, systems, and circumstances and that has taught me to think, adapt, and respond with both intellect and empathy.

9. Hard work

The work is intense, the hours are long, and the demand never ends.But through it, you learn to love work and to find purpose in the persistence.

10. Being an encourager.

Sometimes, all a patient needs is your words.Even when it’s painful, we stand strong for them. We speak life where fear has settled.We remind them that healing is possible because hope itself is medicine.

 I hope you’ll see your doctor a little differently  not just as a clinician, but as someone deeply human, equally shaped by every encounter, and truly essential to the fabric of care.

I’m grateful to be chosen to do this job💙 To 7 years and more.