Welcome to the President’s Chat with Dr Shabnam Gujadhur.
About Today’s Guest – Dr Shabnam Gujadhur
Dr Shabnam Gujadhur was born in Mauritius and moved to Australia to follow in her parents’ footsteps and pursue her lifelong dream of studying medicine. In early 2022, at the outset of her first year of medical practice, and just a few weeks after her 30th birthday, she was diagnosed with Stage 1 Ovarian Cancer. This diagnosis was a bitter pill to swallow both personally and professionally, with Dr Shabnam never expecting that she would have to experience the healthcare system from the perspective of a patient so soon in life and at such an early stage of her professional career.
This leap from being a doctor to being a cancer patient overnight was definitely not her choice. It was a harrowing journey filled with complex emotions, silent worrying, internalisation, and uncertainty. Yet, she took it in her stride and lived through the challenges every day with courage and resilience. Discovering a passion to advocate for ovarian cancer research, she also reached out to the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF), Australia’s largest independent funding body dedicated to supporting ovarian cancer research. She is currently serving as an OCRF community ambassador to raise awareness about ovarian cancer and the critical funding shortages for research in this field.
This March marks one year since her cancer diagnosis. Driven by this unique experience of having experienced both side of the healthcare system, Dr Shabnam wants to share her experiences from this period of her life, which she perceived as a hiatus. It has made her confront her increasingly workaholic nature and has given her time to rethink what truly matters to her. Dr Shabnam urges junior doctors in training to look after their wellbeing, whilst working in a healthcare system that is often harsh and neglects its healers.
Upcoming Event – Doctors Health Queensland Forum
Dr Gujadhur will be speaking at the DHQ Forum “Doctors Unmasked: being human in medicine” at the Hotel Grand Chancellor on Friday 2nd June 2023.
Building on our previous learnings and recent experiences, this 2023 Forum will be focused on establishing key concepts of diversity in medicine, wellbeing, humanising health professionals, and sharing stories of experiences of inspiring doctors across the profession with the aim of improving the health of doctors and medical students.
Tickets are available online.
View The President’s Chat
