Name:
Lethabo Machaba-Simelani

Where do you hail from/ where are you originally from (city, country)?
Limpopo, South Africa

Where do you currently live (city/country)?
Broadacres, South Africa

What did you study after completing high school?
Bachelor of Medicine (Mbchb) at UCT, Master of Medicine at WITS and Fellowship in Paediatrics with College of SA

Why did you choose to study that particular course/courses?
I enjoy working with people and making them feel better. It feels good to do that and get remunerated for it

Did you get any funding from an organisation cover your studies?
I was sponsored by Gallagher Foundations whom I had applied to through a South African company called Careerwise.

What was your first job?
I did various jobs as a student: I firstly worked as a dining hall monitor at Fuller Hall residence. Then worked as sub-warden in Forest Hill and as a deputy sub-warden in the same residence. After completing my degree, I started out as Intern medical doctor in Tembisa hospital.

Your current job title?
Currently I am a Paediatrician. I have a fellowship in Paediatrics from the college of South Africa. ( FCPaeds)

Industry you work and a brief description of the function of your industry (if Industry is too broad i.e. Banking, please describe it in the context of your specific team)
I work in health, currently based at Baragwanath hospital in the paediatric department.

Are you a manager of people, if yes how many?
In medicine, in an academic setting, we have a hierarchy. Professors- Consultants- Registrars-Medical Officers – Interns- students. This continually changes due to changes in rotation. At Baragwanath I am currently working as paediatric registrar and have an estimated 10 -15 medical officers, interns and students I must supervise at one point in time. From 2017 May I, will function as a Consultant in a different hospital, which will increase the number of people I manage.

What is a key leadership principle you have learnt/applied over the years in managing people?
Respect is earned. You need to give it ????rst to receive it, even to the “least ‘of people.

Describe a typical day in your life from the time you arrive at your office? 
My day often starts with a handover round of all the newly admitted patients. Often this is interrupted by a resuscitation that can last hours, which often forces us to break up and work in teams. My job is a very high adrenalin packed environment, often resulting in no lunch or tea breaks. It is difficult to tell when the day starts or end as sometimes our shifts can be 30hours when “on-call”. It involves talking to parents and getting a history, examining patients, procedures such as taking blood, inserting chest drains, ventilating patients etc.

What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started your first job?
A proper sleep cycle would not always be possible and also, there wouldn’t be much time to socialise outside work.

What challenges did you find along the way to where you are now in your career and how did you overcome them? 
How to balance a career that involves intense studying always and having a family. After 6 years of medical school, I had to do a two-year internship programme and 1 year of community service. Then after this enrolled for a registrar programme in paediatric academic hospital to become a paediatrician, of which I had to do a further four years for.

Share your secret to success, what would you say has allowed you to stand out from your peers? 
Firstly, having a strong relationship with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ inspired the key word: PERSEVERANCE. Perseverance allowed me to withstand all the highs and the lows.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t ever give up. “It always seems impossible until its done.” Nelson Mandela.

What advice would you give to a young person who wants to break into your industry?
They don’t make it easy for anyone to enter the programme. They choose exceptional people. Anyone can be exceptional with hard work.