Nine questions with Doctor NOS

In a sea of true crime and reality tv recaps, Doctor NOS offers a totally unique podcast on all things medicine, mental health and diversity in the field. We had a chat with podcasting Doctor extraordinaire, Dr. Maple Goh, to inspire your next listening obsession. 

Your first podcast covers a bit about you. Can you tell our readers who you are and what your podcast is about?

I was born and raised in Brunei Darussalam, and migrated to Dunedin/Ōtepoti when I was 12. I studied at the University of Otago/Te Whare Wānanga o Otago Medical School before moving up to Tāmaki Makaurau for work. 

In my podcast, I interview a diverse range of doctors to offer career guidance and leadership for our junior doctors in New Zealand. It explores the different ways our doctors can carve out a personalised career to meet their needs – while promoting equity for our marginalised groups by showcasing diversity in medicine. 

While there are plenty of medical podcasts out there, there aren't many that are made here in New Zealand. Why did you decide to start a podcast?

So much of medicine is following a template, which isn't always accessible. I founded this podcast because as an ethnic minority, migrant, and a female in medicine, I wanted more visibility for our minority medical leaders. It's so important to provide solid role-models for our junior doctors to be able to figure out their own journey in medicine. 

We know that, for example, Māori doctors have a significant rate of dropping out during specialisation. So we need to ask the hard questions of why, and provide better manaaki and guidance. There's also an unspoken curriculum about how to get into different training programs, which makes it even more inaccessible for people without a legacy of medicine in New Zealand. 

For our non-medical students, what does 'Doctor Not Otherwise Specified' mean, and how did you come up with it?

'Not Otherwise Specified' is a medical term used to diagnose conditions that are 'outliers', undifferentiated, or don't quite fit the criteria. It's very much how I feel in medicine, which I think this resonates with a lot of people – we found ourselves being doctors, but we don't necessarily fit the "template" the system wants us to conform to. 

You're a third year 'not-otherwise-specified-doctor'. Do you have any tips for beginner doctors and graduates around what to expect after university?

Expect to work hard and to work a lot! But the most important thing is to make sure you look after yourself well. There's no other 'you' out there. 

Taking care of others can be stressful. How do you take care of your mental health so you can continue providing a great standard of care?

Working in medicine is multifactorially stressful – it is compounded by the life-and-death decisions we are making on a daily basis, the constant interruptions in our workflow by different taks, the high acuity of every situation, the antisocial hours that prevent us from seeing our friends and family... I could go on and on. 

For those just starting out, the most important thing I can tell you is to look after yourself – call in sick to have a mental health day, sleep 8 hours a night, eat well, exercise in whatever form suits you, make time to see your loved ones. It sounds basic, but as a doctor it's so important to look after yourself. 

As a doctor, you're front and centre with a lot of the challenges COVID-19 brings. What has the pandemic taught you about being a doctor?

We reckon with the grim reaper on a daily basis in the hospital. But there's nothing like a pandemic to tell you that you are just as vulnerable a human being as every other person out there. For the first time, I realised I could die doing my job, and that was a terrifying revolution. 

You've already had some amazing guests on your podcast. Can you give us a sneak preview of who else you've got coming on the show? What other topics will you be diving into on upcoming podcasts?

There are some incredible people coming on the show, which I'm so excited about:

• General medical specialist and award-winning, published poet and former clinical director of Auckland City Hospital, Dr. Arthur Nahill;
• Forensic pathologist and decorated author, Dr. Judy Melinek, who actually worked through the horrors of 9/11;
• Public health specialist, Dr. Mariam Parwaiz, who's leading our national response to the COVID pandemic in the Auckland Regional Public Health Unit...

The list goes on. Topics covered include the journey of how each of them got to where they are. But there will also be episodes that unpack racism, sexism, LGBTQIA+ marginalisation, parenthood, mental health and chronic illness, and how they all intersect in our medical careers.

If our readers want to start a podcast, what advice would you give them to get started?

It's a steep learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, you'll be fine! For anyone who wants to start a podcast, feel free to get in touch. I'm very happy to have a chat.

You talk about some of the inequalities students without a medical legacy can face. What's your hope for the future of medicine in New Zealand?

More flexibility, more diversity, and more support for our up and coming doctors. I hope gender, race, sexual orientation and identity, can all achieve equity and equality in our medical professions. 

Want to hear more from Doctor NOS?

Check out her podcast here, or get in touch at doctornos@pm.me