Page 53 - Standard Bank KZN Top Business Women 2021

Sometimes you will not be celebrated along the journey; people

celebrate at the end, but that does not make your goal impossible.

Specialist Neurosurgeon at Inkosi Albert Luthuli realised that some people can judge your intellectual that aim to derail you, whether they are good or bad, or
Central Hospital capacity based on your gender, which was disheartening.” friends, or family. My motto in life is to never let someone’s
dysfunction determine my destiny, someone’s dysfunction
The next challenge Dr Shezi faced was joining the male
of misogyny must not determine whether I step into the
r Nomusa Shezi works as a specialist dominated neurosurgery department. She commented,
room, someone’s dysfunction of seeing my melanin must
neurosurgeon for the Department of Health “Currently in government, I am the only female who is
not determine my destiny, someone’s dysfunction of looking
within the Department of Neurosurgery at a neurosurgeon amongst six other men. In the province,
at my background, how I speak, how I present myself, must
DInkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital. there are three females in total, probably against ten male
not determine how I pursue or reach my goals.”
Dr Shezi qualified in 2017 as the first African female neurosurgeons. The challenge of sexism is sometimes
neurosurgeon in KwaZulu-Natal and went on to complete overt, and sometimes just subjective, which is one of the Her second biggest advice is to believe in where you are
a Master of Medicine in Neurosurgery at the Nelson R biggest challenges that I have had to face. I had to see going, as the voices of people that you allow to influence
Mandela School of Medicine in 2019. myself as a neurosurgeon, even if no one else in the room you, will have a great impact on how you move forward
could see me as a neurosurgeon.” and the things you achieve. “Sometimes you will not be
Dr Shezi states that her career path has been shaped by a
celebrated along the journey; people celebrate at the end,
myriad of experiences. Her biggest motivators have been Another challenge was learning how to deal with failure.
but that does not make your goal impossible, so set your
her father, who was a pastor, and her mom, who worked in Dr Shezi had never failed an exam all the way to becoming
vision and focus on that,” she adds.
the health sector. Dr Shezi says that they both shaped how a doctor until she started training as a neurosurgeon.
she looked at the world and how she could be of service to Writing an examination and not succeeding, she says, was Open the door
her community. “My dad inspired me to find how I could be painful but it was an important lesson as she learnt that
Most importantly, she says, is to be the change you
of service to my community amidst apparent hopelessness, failures don’t define you. “That lesson has served me well
want to see. “The fact that I’ve gone through challenges
and also instilled in me the pursuit of excellence with because not every patient I touch has a favourable outcome,
means that the person that comes after me, must not go
failure not being an option. Initially, when I said I wanted and I need to always aim for excellence in my work
through the same challenges.” As the lone female in her
to be a doctor, my mom would take me to the HIV clinics without giving up should I fall short. Those challenges, as
department, Dr Shezi says that whenever any female
and introduce me to the doctors that were working there, painful as they were, shaped my worldview, so now I am
joins the unit, she endeavours always to avail herself for
so that I would know what I was getting myself into.” able to be gentler with myself, forgive myself and still find
any advice, guidance or mentorship. She says, “I believe
motivation to continue without external validation.” it’s of huge importance when we move into spaces where
Her other inspiration has been God, who has been the
we might be the lone voice, to always make sure that you
centre of her identity regardless of what happens around Set a vision for yourself
open the door behind you, so that eventually you are not
her, success or failure. In addition, Dr Shezi says she stays
Her future work goal is to establish a functional neuro- the lone person. If you get a chance to get a seat at the
true to herself. “I believe that if I work hard and achieve
surgery unit within the neurosurgery department in proverbial table, you must own the seat to allow others to
what seems impossible; others will see their ‘impossible’
the public sector. “I’m very passionate about functional follow suit.”
dreams as feasible.”
neurosurgery because I think it’s not just enough for us
In conclusion Dr Shezi says, “The biggest part for me
The challenge of sexism to save lives by removing brain tumours, but it is also
is making yourself available to serve others and aim for
important to provide therapy to improve the quality of
Dr Shezi says that the first challenge she faced was after collective success. How I foster this version of success
life to those with debilitating disorders like Parkinson’s
completing her matric. She attended Pietermaritzburg is making sure that in the space I own, I allow as many
disease in the underserved public sector.”
Girls High, which was an all-girls school and there she others around me, more especially females, the support
learnt how to interact with people from different walks In advising other females or any person, she states that to succeed. When I’ve done my 25 percent, someone will
of life. “When I went into medicine, I met up with the it is essential to set a vision for yourself even if it seems do the next 25 percent and we’ll reach 100 percent of
academic challenges and the social challenges of meeting impossible to other people. “It’s impossible until you do whatever vision of perfection within neurosurgery in the
racism, for the first time, in a more overt manner, and it,” she explained. “There are a lot of distractions in life province looks like.”

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