In addition to being one of only seven licensed female vascular surgeons in the nation, Dr Asha Malan (36), Head of the division for Vascular Surgery in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State, is also the first female vascular surgeon to lead an academic unit in South Africa and the youngest Head of Vascular Surgery to date.
In the historically male-dominated area of vascular surgery, Dr Malan says it is an honour to represent women. Her current main goal is to encourage more women to enter this industry.
“To be very honest – I had not previously thought about this (being the first female to head a unit for Vascular Surgery). I have always been of the opinion that if I achieve something in life, it should be because I worked hard enough for it and was blessed with God-given opportunities. This was one of the life lessons taught to me by my two amazing parents,” says Dr Malan.
She adds that it is an absolute privilege to be in this position at such a young age. “I have been in the fortunate position where hard work indeed paid off and to a large extent, I was incredibly lucky. I believe my age counts in my favour – I am keen to learn (which is a daily exercise) and take on new opportunities. I am still naive enough to dream big and market my dream of offering state-of-the-art vascular surgical care for all.”
Due to the long hours and demanding nature of the work, surgery has always had a negative reputation, claims Dr Malan. Surgeons must be available, virtually constantly, which is a schedule that doesn’t fit with what women are typically expected to do.
“This is especially true for vascular surgery because many of our patients need urgent care outside of working hours.”
Dr Malan, on the other hand, asserts that she thinks most women have the capacity to multitask effectively. “Not only can we do a number of things at once, but can also do them well. Females have mastered the art of balancing the demands of both their work and personal lives more and more and society is generally more receptive to this as well. This provides a definite advantage to not only function, but flourish in the field of surgery and vascular surgery.”
According to Dr Malan, proving it is possible, is the first step in encouraging more women to pursue careers in this field. Globally, there are more women in surgical leadership positions than ever before, and strong role models are essential to spark their interest and boost their self-confidence.
Justine Fortuin
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