June — The Month of Momentum
Jeremy Wong
31 May 2026 — 8 min read
"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out." — Robert Collier
As we find ourselves halfway through the year, June presents an unusual moment of reflection. In the new year, January came with but many ambitious plans, new calendars, carefully colour-coded study schedules with washi tape, gym memberships, and promises to ourselves. June arrived a little differently for many of us. It found us tired, sleep-deprived, carrying a little more caffeine than blood in our veins, and wondering where exactly the first six months disappeared to. Many of us anxiously waiting/waited for the one pdf that could potentially summate the results of years of experience and months of dedication or plunge us into yet another abyss of studying.
Yet perhaps that is the point. Momentum rarely feels dramatic while it is happening in this all consuming .
It is not found in grand gestures or sudden breakthroughs. It is found in another early morning theatre list, another journal article read after hours, another difficult airway managed safely, another registrar helping a colleague prepare for an exam, and another patient cared for with professionalism and compassion.
As anaesthetists, much of what we do happens quietly. The patient remembers the surgeon, the operation, and hopefully very little else. But every day we continue to show up, often unseen, creating conditions that allow extraordinary things to happen.
This month, I encourage everyone to pause briefly and recognise how far they have already come this year. Perhaps the results went our way or we submitted a research proposal. Perhaps you survived a particularly difficult rotation. Even if we just simply kept going when things became difficult.
All of those deserve recognition. Congrats to Lionel becoming an accomplished publisher. This man literally is able to do it all. Last but not least, I would like to congratulate my fellow registrars/newly qualified specialists
✈️ UP Updates
🧾 Administrative Notes
- Please continue communicating leave requests via email.
- Please see leave roster link attached
- Dr Aggie Morosi [email protected]
- Call requests
- Please submit call requests early to accommodate early release of call rosters (by the 8th)
- Dr Noelle Ooisthuizen [email protected]
- FCA candidates - keeping you guys in our thoughts and prayer during this last push for exams
- Please keep new registrars and medical officers in the loop regarding new events if possible
- Watch this space for new registrars wink wink
Education Corner
Clinical Highlight of the Month
Controversies in the preoperative management of the vulnerable brain
These two articles are nice articles to read to put a little more emphasis on the vulnerable brain and physiology surrounding brain health in a preoperative environment and is worth the read.
Podcast recommendations
Anaestheasier
Nysora
BJA
Deep breaths
🎂 June Birthdays
To everyone celebrating a birthday this month:
Happy Birthday from all of us in the Department of Anaesthesiology.
Thank you for the expertise, humour, support, and dedication that you bring to the department every day. May the year ahead bring good health, happiness, professional fulfilment, and many moments worth celebrating.
- 2nd June: Dr Hulisani Thikathali
- 7th June: Prof Tinus Dippenaar and Dr Yolanda Sithole
- 13th June: Dr Ruan Scheepers
- 15th June: Dr Mafori Mphahlele
- 20th June: Dr Kelly Rosslee
- 25th June: Prof Sandra Spijkerman
Please populate the calendars on the different floors so we can celebrate you together as a department
Jeremy's Corner
We know I love a good recipe
Resident's Recipe Corner
Winter Chicken & Sweet Potato Cottage Pie
As temperatures drop and call rosters brutally assault our circadian rhythms, this month's recipe is dedicated to comfort, practicality, and minimal washing up.
This high-protein cottage pie can be prepared in advance, frozen in portions, and reheated after a long day in theatre—or after convincing yourself that reading one more chapter before bed was a good idea.
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 1 kg chicken mince (Ostrich is a reasonable substitute if desired)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 carrots, grated
- 250 g mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 250 ml chicken stock
- 1 tsp paprika (cayenne pepper for those that aren't spice intolerant)
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the topping:
- 800 g sweet potatoes (normal potatoes are okay too)
- 150 g plain Greek yoghurt/fat free cream cheese
- 50 g grated cheddar cheese
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Boil the sweet potatoes until soft and mash together with the Greek yoghurt.
- In a large pan, sauté the onion, garlic, carrots, and mushrooms.
- Add the chicken mince and cook until browned.
- Stir in the tomato paste, paprika, and stock.
- Simmer for 10–15 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Transfer the filling to an ovenproof dish.
- Spread the sweet potato mash evenly over the top (criss-cross the top if you're fancy like that)
- Sprinkle with cheese.
- Bake for 25 minutes until golden.
Approximate Macros (per serving)
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Protein: 42 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fat: 15 g
👋 Farewells and Best Wishes
One of the privileges of being part of a department is sharing in the journeys of colleagues as they arrive, grow, and eventually move on to new chapters. This month, we bid farewell to three valued members of our anaesthesia family.
🌟 Dr Pako Mabe
We would like to thank Dr Pako Mabe for her contributions to the department during her time with us. As you embark on your next chapter, we wish you every success and fulfilment in your future endeavours. May the skills, friendships, and memories forged here continue to serve you well wherever your journey takes you.
🌟 Dr Mvuko Malange
To Dr Mvuko Malange, thank you for the energy, dedication, and perspective you have brought to the department. Working alongside you has been a privilege, and your contributions have helped strengthen our team and the care we provide. Your professionalism, collegiality, and commitment to patient care have been greatly appreciated by both colleagues and patients alike.
We wish you all the very best as you pursue new opportunities and challenges. May your future be filled with continued growth, success, and happiness.
🌟 Dr Getrude Siyaka
This farewell carries particular significance as we celebrate the retirement of Dr Getrude Siyaka after many years of dedicated service to the department.
Throughout her career, Dr Siyaka has contributed not only through her clinical expertise, but also through her wisdom, and unwavering commitment to the patients. The impact of a career in medicine is often difficult to measure, but it is reflected in the countless lives touched, lessons shared, and standards upheld over the years.
Retirement marks the conclusion of one chapter, but the beginning of another. On behalf of the department, we extend our sincere gratitude for your years of service, dedication, and contribution to our anaesthesia community.
Dr Siyaka, thank you for the legacy you leave behind. We wish you good health, happiness, well-deserved rest, and every joy that retirement has to offer.
Motivational words
Chill mix on spotify
June has always felt like the month where reality catches up with ambition. The excitement of a new year has faded. Examinations are closer than we would like. Research deadlines appear on the horizon. The weather is colder. The alarm clock somehow becomes more offensive every morning. Yet there is something beautiful about June.
It reminds us that progress is not measured only by milestones. It is measured by persistence. The registrar who studies after a difficult call. The consultant who stays late to teach. The colleague who checks in on a friend.
The researcher who revises a manuscript one more time. The person who chooses to keep moving forward despite uncertainty. Momentum is built in ordinary moments. So wherever you find yourself this month—thriving, surviving, studying, teaching, celebrating, or simply trying to stay afloat—I hope you recognise the progress you have already made.
The first half of the year is almost complete. Take a moment to appreciate how far you have come. Then keep going.
The best chapters may still be ahead.
Stay warm. Stay kind.
Until next month,
Jeremy
