Episode 48 - ”Culture is Everything” with Dr Andrew Hattam

Moments of Clarity

Today on Moments of Clarity, I speak to Dr Andrew Hattam. Andrew is an advanced trainee in Vascular Surgery with interests in trauma and transplant surgery. He holds a Bachelor of Biomedical Science in which he trained in lab-based research, and obtained his honours in epidemiology from the University of Melbourne. He studied Medicine in Cairns and holds a graduate diploma in applied anatomy by dissection. He also holds a PhD in Cardiovascular Physiology from the University of Melbourne. Andrew is passionate about medical and surgical education and sits on the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Surgery of Trauma education committee. He is also a founding member of the faculty of the Anatomy of Surgical Exposure Course in Cairns, helping to develop the curriculum and textbook. If you would like to follow some of Andrew’s work he is on Twitter @andrewhattam.

In Part 1 of today’s podcast, we discuss Andrew’s unique position working as a surgeon in major hospitals in both Melbourne and Sydney at the height of each city's Covid-19 outbreak. This first-hand perspective is a real eye opener and well worth the listen. I am in awe of our health care workers and am proud of all Australians who have done the right thing through this pandemic to ensure they feel supported and valued at this difficult time.

My discussion with Andrew was recorded in late November 2021, so a lot of the Covid talk is pre-omicron. On that note, I hope everyone is safe and healthy. Book in your booster if you haven't already and let’s get on top of this thing.

In Part 2 of the podcast, Andrew explains vascular surgery, the daily life of a surgeon and how he got into the profession. Andrew’s alternative pathway into the medical field is an inspiring one and illustrates that not everyone has to take the same road and sometimes all we need is someone to believe in us.

Part 3 of the podcast delves into some of the experiences that make Andrew the surgeon he is today, including some incredible stories from his time in a trauma hospital in South Africa.

Thank you for listening.

Time Stamps

Introduction: 0:00 - 3:08

Part 1: 3:09 - 27:51

Part 2: 27:52 - 62:52

Part 3: 62:53 - 91:02

Conclusion: 91:03 - 91:42

Moments of Clarity

Instagram: @momentsofclaritypodcast

Facebook: @momentsofclaritypodcast

Twitter: @BarneyMOC

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Podcast by Matthew Sortino

Music by Christian Prochilo

Artwork by Michael Chrisanthopoulos