Dr Kat Evans from #badEM interviews ICEM2016 Keynote Speakers Sa’ad & Kamil – Cape Town Emergency Physicians:
Who are they?
- Cape Town Emergency Physicians & educators
- Dr Sa’ad Lahri – Khayelitsha Hospital & EMECG (& Barista in his spare time!) – Twitter: @slahri7
- Dr Kamil Vallabh – Mitchells Plain Hospital & of EMECG & Plain EM – Twitter: @KamilVallabh
Kat (#badEM): The theme for ICEM 2016 is ‘Knowledge, action & accountability’. Both being EM Physicians in South Africa with EM being a very new speciality, what do you know now that you wish you had known 5 years ago?
Sa’ad: Some lessons, and especially the hard ones, cannot be taught… They simply must be experienced and only once learning these you get better. EM is a discipline built on relationships and these must be fostered. Resilience and grit are key… Never give up. Lastly… have to be healthy body, mind and soul… to last.
Kamil: EM has evolved so rapidly in our South African context in the last 5 years and I can safely predict that the current generation of EM leaders are paving the way for a very successful and sustainable speciality…impacting patient care on the frontline and having the ability to make a difference in the patient’s healthcare journey. For me, being an EM physician is not solely about clinical service delivery…it is so much more. I get a chance to be a leader, a teacher, a student, a shoulder to cry on and a carer. I get to impact some at their most vulnerable moments and I get the opportunity to give others hope and sometimes consolation. I get the chance to inspire others to be better but most of all I get the privilege to make a difference. Leadership, teamwork and mental fortitude are key elements in EM…I’ve learnt this in the last 5 years. The environment will always be chaotic but manageable if the above elements are kept in alignment.
Kat (#badEM): Your talk at ICEM is entitled “Its not who you are underneath, but what you do that defines you”.. we notice this is a quote from Batman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-zNnq7kHMI (Check it out at minute 2:23).
I have two questions relating to the above video clip:
- Over the last few years of various EM conferences the two of you have ended up dressed as various Superheros/Batman/Robin/Jedis etc.. What gives you the inspiration?
Sa’ad: All those that work within emergency medicine (doctors, pre hospital, nursing etc) are superheroes once they realise that with great power comes great responsibility
Kamil: No words.. Only..
Kat (#badEM):
- Will the two of you be wearing appropriate swimming attire for the fountain? (0:37)
Kamil: q2…who wears swimming wear for a fountain! ? all will be revealed on the 19th!
Sa’ad: The answer to q2 is that you have to come to the keynote to witness something dramatic
