Dr Nikki Stamp FRACS is a cardiothoracic surgeon, one of only 13 female heart surgeons in Australia. She has a strong desire to change the way we think about health by making it accessible and achievable. She is currently studying a PhD and has appeared as host of ABC Catalyst, Operation Live and many other TV segments. Her writing has featured in the Washington Post, Mamamia, the Sydney Morning Herald, Huffington Post and The Guardian.
Today, Dr Nikki Stamp is on the blog to answer a few questions about her new memoir, Scrubbed. Read on …
Dr Nikki Stamp
Please tell us about your book, Scrubbed!
NS: Scrubbed is a memoir but it’s not about my story per se. More importantly, the stories I tell are a way to discuss some of the important things – both good and bad – that are a part of life inside a hospital and being a surgeon. It’s a way to discuss some of the things that we can do to make healthcare better for patients and healthcare workers alike.
Why was it important to you to write this memoir?
NS: I think there are many wonderful stories in medicine but for me, the reason to tell this story is to be able to speak openly and honestly about some of the things in medicine that need desperate attention. It was also a way for me to explore where I want my future to lie.
Where did your interest in heart surgery and medicine come from? What keeps you drawn to the profession today?
NS: I’m not exactly clear! Except to say that as a child, I absolutely loved everything about the way the human body worked. I think even today, that same fascination sustains me. We really are quite remarkable, although as I started working as a doctor, the patients and their incredible stories really augmented that love of medicine.
Is there anything you’d change about the current medical system? If so, what would it be?
NS: Medicine loses bright and talented doctors all the time due to things like sexism, bullying, burnout, an inflexible culture and a system that is filled with bureaucracy and inefficiency. We need to treat our healthcare workers as the precious resource that they are by addressing inefficiencies and toxic workplace culture, which is long overdue.
‘I think there are many wonderful stories in medicine but for me, the reason to tell this story is to be able to speak openly and honestly about some of the things in medicine that need desperate attention.’
Looking back on your career as a cardiothoracic surgeon, what’s the one thing you’d tell your younger self?
NS: Never lose your passion for making things better.
Who did you write this book for? Who do you wish would read it?
NS: I’d like to think that a lot of people can relate to this book. I think anyone who has experienced burnout will find this relatable and certainly anyone who works in healthcare may relate. I also think that we all have contact with the healthcare system and so as patients, we have very powerful voices to drive positive change in the system and I hope anyone who reads this will do so.
Can you tell us a little bit about your journey towards becoming a writer?
NS: It wasn’t exactly intentional! I started writing a blog nearly ten years ago out of interest which snowballed into writing for outlets like The Huffington Post which then led to my first two books, Can You Die of a Broken Heart and Pretty Unhealthy. I love writing, it’s really become a passion for me and I’m very fortunate to have been able to do it.
What is the last book you read and loved?
NS: I recently read Girlhood by Melissa Febos and Doing Politics by Judith Brett. I’ve been really getting into reading books on politics and political issues recently, so these two were great to read.
What do you hope readers will discover in Scrubbed?
NS: Hope, that even when things seem difficult, you can redirect those difficulties into a resolve to make things better.
And finally, what’s up next for you?
NS: Changing the world, I hope!
Thanks Nikki!
—Scrubbed: A heart surgeon’s extraordinary memoir of life, death and everything in between by Dr Nikki Stamp (Allen & Unwin) is out now.
Scrubbed
A heart surgeon's extraordinary memoir of life, death and everything in between
Raw, honest and compelling, Scrubbed is Dr Nikki Stamp's account of her life as one of Australia's leading cardiothoracic surgeons. A life lived at the very edge of modern medicine, where heart surgeons walk the thinnest of lines between life and death, and yet where the greatest challenge can be the medical system itself.
From childhood Nikki Stamp wanted to be a doctor. It was a calling, not a career. Her love for her vocation only grew as a medical student, and as a young registrar going through...
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