Why Did I Become A Doctor South Africa
Why Did I Become A Doctor - Real Stories from Professionals Who Chose Their Path
Honest conversations about career, calling, and life choices. Unfiltered journeys of doctors, dentists, nurses, engineers, accountants, and professionals across South Africa and beyond.
In-depth interviews exploring professional pressures, burnout, career pivots, mental health, and the moments that made people question their calling.
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✨ Raw conversations with diverse professionals
🎯 Resilience, burnout & career change stories
💡 Medicine, dentistry, nursing, engineering, finance & more
🔥 Unexpected journeys (doctors → musicians, engineers → car reviewers!)
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Why Did I Become A Doctor South Africa
He Crawled Across a Border to Become a Dentist | Dr Reggie Reddy
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Dr Reggie Reddy is a dentist with over 35 years in practice. He holds a post-graduate diploma in periodontology and has worked extensively across community dentistry, oral medicine and orthodontics, with a particular focus on holistic dental medicine. Over three decades in Springs, he built a patient base of 25,000. He has served as national president of the Sathya Sai Organisation of South Africa and remains a passionate mentor to young dental graduates.
Reggie grew up on a thousand-acre farm outside Kloof, where his family lived completely off the land. That world ended when the Group Areas Act declared the area a Black township. Given 90 days' notice, his family lost the farm and relocated to Greenwood Park in Durban with nothing. He was six years old.
He excelled at Sastri College and set his sights on dentistry from the age of four, inspired by his uncle, Prof Jairam Reddy, the first Black dean of the UWC dental faculty. After being rejected by Wits, he enrolled in a BSc at the University of Durban-Westville. What followed was extraordinary — involvement in the ANC underground, an escape through the Swaziland border crawling through grass in the dark, safe houses in Mozambique, transit camps in Tanzania, and eventually dental school in Lucknow, India.
He returned to South Africa, completed his conversion exams, earned a diploma in periodontology at UWC, and did his internship in Soweto — where he worked with Prof Ruben Sher on one of the country's earliest HIV/AIDS studies involving dental patients. His entry into private practice came through stepping in to help a colleague in Durban after a devastating car accident. That path led him to Springs, where he built one of the largest practice bases in the area.
A remarkable conversation about resilience, spirituality, mentorship and what it means to stay and serve.
Co-hosted with Dr Yakshen Lindy.
This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. The views expressed by guests do not necessarily represent those of the podcast or hosts and do not constitute professional advice. Always consult with qualified professionals for medical, financial, or career decisions.
🎙️ Why Did I Become A Doctor shares honest, unscripted conversations with doctors, dentists, healthcare professionals, and other inspiring individuals who are shaping the future of healthcare and beyond.
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