DR NICOLE BERNADETTE VAN DER WESTHUIZEN
graduated with an MBChB from the University of Stellenbosch in 2012. She always excelled academically after matriculating with distinction from Northern Cape High School. She also completed postgraduate courses in General Surgery through The Colleges of Medicine of South Africa.
Dr van der Westhuizen completed her medical internship at Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe Hospital, a tertiary hospital in the Northern Cape. After this, she worked as a community service medical officer at the district hospital, Prof ZK Mathews Hospital in Barkly West. While there, she took the initiative to start a triage system that involved patient and staff education, educational posters and triage forms. After she worked as a locum medical officer at Flora Clinic, Sandton Mediclinic and Mulbarton Netcare, to name a few, she was appointed as a medical officer at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital and registrar at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in the Department of General Surgery. Dr van der Westhuizen’s Master’s topic involves surgical techniques of sepsis control in patients with the condition, Diabetic Foot in Pretoria Hospitals.
Dr van der Westhuizen is passionate about assisting her patients. She strongly believes surgery is an art which is why it should be performed with great care and attention to detail. She specialises in surgical oncology, specifically soft tissue cancer and breast cancer and diabetic foot, hernia repair, laparoscopic surgery and appendectomy.