Even as a child growing up in Mafikeng, North West, Dr. Aobakwe Segwe knew she was destined for a career in medicine. She did not play with dolls; she had ‘patients’ – insects that she collected to administer treatment to. It was no wonder that the A-student would fly through her studies, culminating in specialist qualifications in radiology, her field of expertise.
She entered medicine with no firm grasp of other fields but says she was drawn to Radiology by the fascinating discussions they would have with her lecturer, a Professor Joseph. Today she is virtually the poster child of Radiology. Her maiden degree – Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) was acquired at the University of Pretoria, followed by a Master’s degree in Medicine (MMed) from the University of the Witwatersrand and then a Radiology Fellowship from the College of Medicine South Africa (FCRad CMSA).
She is the founder and CEO of CMI Radiology and leads her team as a Specialist Radiologist with demonstrated history of working in the medical industry.
“I am also skilled in clinical research, medical education, entrepreneurship and,” she says, skipping to her extra-curricular passion, “youth development.” “My postgraduate education, training and experience in Radiology have provided me with a strong background in the field. I have become a specialist in interpreting imaging from various modalities. For example:
- MRI – commonly used in Neurology and Neurosurgical emergencies, ENT Imaging, Vascular, Paediatrics, Orthopaedic and Spine, Ophthalmology, Oncology.
- CT – popular applications in Trauma, General Surgical Emergencies, Neurology, Pulmonology, Urology, Oncology, Angiography, Paediatrics, Orthopaedics, Maxillofacial surgery.
- Flouroscopy – provides dynamic imaging during HSG fertility workup, cystograms for urological disorders, enemas and swallows for gastrointestinal conditions.
- Plain X-rays – broadly applied modality for Pulmonology, Orthopaedic injuries and chronic musculoskeletal conditions, surgical emergencies and paediatric use as guided by ALARA principles.
- Ultrasound, which is utilised for the musculoskeletal system, abdomino-pelvic complaints, venous thrombosis, valuation of soft tissue masses and in pediatric use including neonatal cranial ultrasounds.
- Mammography and Breast Ultrasound – used in evaluation and follow up of breast pathology, including breast carcinoma.
- Bone Densitometry – for review of Bone Mineral Density and fracture risk classification in Osteoporosis.
Dr Segwe continues to attend local and international congresses to “improve my skills in emergency diagnostic and interventional radiology”. “I continue to enjoy being part of registrar training.” Typical of young professionals of her generation, Dr. Segwe is tech-savvy. She delights in the fast-paced world of technology in Radiology: “Even as we speak, there’s a new machine being developed.” Her rooms at clinics in Gauteng and Mpumalanga are kitted in state-of-the-art radiology equipment, courtesy of a R30 million investment.
As a Radiologist in private practice, her business employs 25 people – and counting. At the Life Carstenhof Hospital, in Midrand, her interaction with staffers is as jovial as it is professional. In another world, they could just be age mates, peers. Nothing in her demeanour suggests she is the ‘boss lady’.
She is not all work and no play, though. Her corporate social investment (CSI) engagement is carried out via a Non-profit organisation (NPO) – Working for Good – where they go out to schools to punt medical trading, in her words “normalise qualifying as doctors”. Gazing into her crystal ball, the future for Dr Segwe, the height of her own career, is seeing herself play a huge role in the roll-out of the National Health Insurance (NHI).
A regular jogger, she is married with one child – to an engineer “who cooks better than me”.
