Dentist | Psychiatrist

CHRIS PISTORIUS

DENTIST PRIVATE PRACTICE

WHY DENTISTRY?

I did an aptitude test, which showed that I should study to be a dentist or electrical engineer. I have a big love for people and that pushed me to choose dentistry between the two.

WHAT DID YOU STUDY?

I studied dentistry at Stellenbosch Dental Faculty. It is a fi ve and a half year degree, so you really have to want to do it.

THE PERFECT SMILE

NATURE VS NURTURE

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY

My days have a pretty routine setup. My appointment book is mostly full, so I always know who and what is coming next. But there are usually a few surprise visits, and sometimes an emergency. I also spend a lot of time making people feel comfortable and getting around their anxiety.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR WORK?

I enjoy engaging with my clients and helping them. These days we don’t just check your teeth and do fi llings – huge advances in the materials we use and technology we have access to make it possible to create the most beautiful smile in a single visit.

WHAT HURDLES HAVE YOU HAD TO OVERCOME?

I could only study with the help of a student loan. So that, plus the huge expense of setting up a private practice left me with a lot

specialist training in working with people who have mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, bipolar mood disorder and schizophrenia. I use medication and therapy to treat these conditions. of debt. I am (14 years later) only now paying off the last of it.

WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU?

Having my own business and watching it grow over the years. And it’s still going strong.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?

I aim to change the way people perceive dentistry – one patient at a time.

IS EXPERIENCE AS IMPORTANT AS TRAINING?

Yes, defi nitely, and maybe even more important. After fi ve and a half years of studying, you are only half way there. It took me a further fi ve years to really be comfortable in my practice.

IS THERE A PERSONALITY BEST SUITED TO THIS WORK?

You have to be a people person, with lots of empathy and patience. It also takes a lot of business skill to run a private practice successfully. You have to be willing to commit a large amount of time and energy (and weekends) to studying and working, if you want to be a really great dentist.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE STARTING OUT IN YOUR LINE OF WORK?

Start out by working with/for another dentist; gather as much hands-on knowledge about dentistry and running a business as you can.

DESCRIBE YOUR JOB IN THREE WORDS

Challenging, (but) big rewards.

BAVI VYTHILINGUM

PSYCHIATRIST SELF-EMPLOYED

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE PSYCHIATRY?

I like talking to and interacting with a wide variety of people. I like the workings of the brain and understanding how genetics and the environment intersect to create ill health and how we can work with medication and therapy to make people well. I like being at the cutting edge of medicine.

WHAT TRAINING DID YOU DO?

I did a 6-year medical degree at the University of Natal (now UKZN), and then a 4-year specialist degree in psychiatry at the University of Stellenbosch.

DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY

I start with ward work (seeing patients admitted to the clinic) from around 7:15am until around 8:45am. I then start consulting with my outpatients until about 4:30pm, when I do admin and paperwork until about 5:30/6pm.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT IT?

I love the interaction with lots of diff erent people and that it’s meaningful interaction. I really get to know people – I have seen some of my patients fi nish school, go through varsity and start work, others get married and have kids.

ANY HURDLES?

I had my fi rst child while I was studying and then had three small children while I was in the early stages of my career. It was diffi cult juggling the needs of my family and the demands of a career.

WHAT’S BEEN THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR CAREER?

I set up the Women’s Mental Health Clinic at Groote Schuur Hospital – the fi rst joint obstetric/ psychiatric clinic providing services to women with mental illness in the public sector.

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS?

I want to write more about mental health and translate research fi ndings into easy-to-read pieces for the average person.

EXPERIENCE VS FORMAL TRAINING?

Experience is very important – you have to know how to read people, as every patient is diff erent. There is a saying in medicine: “patients don’t read textbooks”, meaning patients don’t behave like the textbooks say they should and its experience that allows you to understand the true picture.

IS THERE A TYPE OF PERSONALITY BEST SUITED?

You have to be persistent, methodical and compassionate, but also thick-skinned – people often take out their frustrations on you and you have to know how to shrug it off .

ADVICE FOR SOMEONE STARTING OUT?

Try to spend some time working in a state hospital where more experienced colleagues can guide you. Keep current with the literature.