- Hello, my names Chris Low.
- Hello, my names Chris Low.

I'm an ENT surgeon and working in Tauranga New Zealand.
I'm an ENT surgeon and working in Tauranga New Zealand.

ENT stands for ear, nose and throat.
ENT stands for ear, nose and throat.

I'm a surgeon and I have been so for the last
I'm a surgeon and I have been so for the last

15 years or more.
15 years or more.

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So a typical day for me would be
So a typical day for me would be

either seeing patients in the clinics
either seeing patients in the clinics

or doing operations in the hospital theaters.
or doing operations in the hospital theaters.

So I get to meet on average about
So I get to meet on average about

seven or eight patients in half a day
seven or eight patients in half a day

and if I have clinics both in morning and afternoon,
and if I have clinics both in morning and afternoon,

I could probably see around 15 to 20 people sometimes.
I could probably see around 15 to 20 people sometimes.

So this is my private clinic.
So this is my private clinic.

It's very quiet and nice setting.
It's very quiet and nice setting.

Very comfortable for patients
Very comfortable for patients

when they come and see me here.
when they come and see me here.

My usual tools when I see a patient are one of these.
My usual tools when I see a patient are one of these.

This is what we call an auriscope or an otoscope.
This is what we call an auriscope or an otoscope.

This is what I use to look into peoples ears
This is what I use to look into peoples ears

and if I wanted to look into their ears
and if I wanted to look into their ears

with a little bit more detail,
with a little bit more detail,

I would use a microscope
I would use a microscope

and I've got a microscope right behind me
and I've got a microscope right behind me

and if I want to look into someones nose,
and if I want to look into someones nose,

I can use an endoscopic camera that would go up the nose
I can use an endoscopic camera that would go up the nose

to have a detailed look inside their nasal cavity.
to have a detailed look inside their nasal cavity.

Some of the problems can be resolved
Some of the problems can be resolved

without having to have surgery
without having to have surgery

and patients may just need advice
and patients may just need advice

or even medical treatment
or even medical treatment

and things will settle down for them,
and things will settle down for them,

but in our specialty,
but in our specialty,

most of the problems may require surgery
most of the problems may require surgery

and then I will talk them through the surgical procedure
and then I will talk them through the surgical procedure

that is necessary for them
that is necessary for them

and I will take them through to another hospital
and I will take them through to another hospital

to have an operation.
to have an operation.

So often ENT surgeons are also known as
So often ENT surgeons are also known as

head and neck surgeons
head and neck surgeons

and some ENT surgeons,
and some ENT surgeons,

like myself,
like myself,

we enjoy doing aesthetic surgery
we enjoy doing aesthetic surgery

and so we're often known as facial plastic surgeons as well.
and so we're often known as facial plastic surgeons as well.

So I work in a secondary hospital as well
So I work in a secondary hospital as well

apart from my private clinics
apart from my private clinics

and a secondary center consultant is quite different
and a secondary center consultant is quite different

from what they call a tertiary hospital consultant.
from what they call a tertiary hospital consultant.

Tertiary hospital consultants tend to be
Tertiary hospital consultants tend to be

a little bit more specialized
a little bit more specialized

in a smaller area of the ear, nose and throat
in a smaller area of the ear, nose and throat

because they are a lot more volumes
because they are a lot more volumes

in a tertiary center hospital
in a tertiary center hospital

which is usually based in a large city
which is usually based in a large city

and so for instance,
and so for instance,

an ear, nose and throat surgeon would focus primarily
an ear, nose and throat surgeon would focus primarily

on ears only or just the nose only
on ears only or just the nose only

or say just a head and neck cancer only.
or say just a head and neck cancer only.

So that's what the difference between
So that's what the difference between

a tertiary center consultant
a tertiary center consultant

as opposed to a secondary hospital consultant like myself,
as opposed to a secondary hospital consultant like myself,

which I would sill do quite a lot more general things.
which I would sill do quite a lot more general things.

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So here we are and this is the operating theater
So here we are and this is the operating theater

I normally work in.
I normally work in.

In an operating theater you've got to have enough space.
In an operating theater you've got to have enough space.

It's quite spacious here.
It's quite spacious here.

They've got good lights and a very, very good
They've got good lights and a very, very good

strong operating table where the patients would lie on.
strong operating table where the patients would lie on.

In an operating theater,
In an operating theater,

you will also find an unaesthetic machine
you will also find an unaesthetic machine

and that's the machine that my nurse anesthetists
and that's the machine that my nurse anesthetists

would put patients at ease and put them to sleep
would put patients at ease and put them to sleep

very, very soundly
very, very soundly

and so they keep very still for the operation.
and so they keep very still for the operation.

So at the age of 17 or 18
So at the age of 17 or 18

I went onto University of Dundee
I went onto University of Dundee

and that's where I started my medical school.
and that's where I started my medical school.

It's a fantastic medical school
It's a fantastic medical school

and I've enjoyed all the activities
and I've enjoyed all the activities

that they provided there in my training.
that they provided there in my training.

Approximately when I'm in my mid-twenties
Approximately when I'm in my mid-twenties

I did my first job as an ENT Junior Doctor
I did my first job as an ENT Junior Doctor

and I found that this specialty suited me
and I found that this specialty suited me

in terms of the technical abilities.
in terms of the technical abilities.

They tend to use a lot of gadgets and technology
They tend to use a lot of gadgets and technology

and they have to utilize very, very innovative
and they have to utilize very, very innovative

and clever ways of looking into areas where it's difficult.
and clever ways of looking into areas where it's difficult.

The type of surgery that's performed
The type of surgery that's performed

for ear, nose and throat
for ear, nose and throat

tend to be very delicate type surgery
tend to be very delicate type surgery

so it suited my personality and my abilities,
so it suited my personality and my abilities,

but more importantly there was a group of ENT surgeons
but more importantly there was a group of ENT surgeons

who kind of inspired me to get into this specialty.
who kind of inspired me to get into this specialty.

So it's very important to have
So it's very important to have

your interests, enthusiasm
your interests, enthusiasm

and having mentorship to kind of inspire you
and having mentorship to kind of inspire you

into doing something
into doing something

because that's gonna be something you're gonna be doing
because that's gonna be something you're gonna be doing

for the rest of your life.
for the rest of your life.

So getting into a medical career is really exciting,
So getting into a medical career is really exciting,

but there are some things if you don't have an insight
but there are some things if you don't have an insight

because you've not come from a medical background
because you've not come from a medical background

you'll be quite surprised once you get into it
you'll be quite surprised once you get into it

there are some things that can be quite difficult.
there are some things that can be quite difficult.

For instance, we work long hours
For instance, we work long hours

and we have to be quite committed
and we have to be quite committed

and we often have to sacrifice a lot of things
and we often have to sacrifice a lot of things

to stay on course.
to stay on course.

Medical career can be quite a selfish career
Medical career can be quite a selfish career

and you have to stay very focused,
and you have to stay very focused,

but what really keeps me going
but what really keeps me going

is at the end of the day
is at the end of the day

when you see your patients being treated
when you see your patients being treated

and they are very happy, grateful and thankful to you.
and they are very happy, grateful and thankful to you.

That brings me a lot of joy.
That brings me a lot of joy.

Sometimes I get the occasional letters
Sometimes I get the occasional letters

of compliment and thanks.
of compliment and thanks.

These are the kinds of things that keeps me going
These are the kinds of things that keeps me going

when I encounter some difficult challenges.
when I encounter some difficult challenges.

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Hi.
Hi.

Here we are in part of Tauranga that's close to my home.
Here we are in part of Tauranga that's close to my home.

This is called The Lakes
This is called The Lakes

because there's a lake behind me.
because there's a lake behind me.

It's an awesome place to relax
It's an awesome place to relax

and to unwind and you can even do activities like kayaking.
and to unwind and you can even do activities like kayaking.

I know what you're thinking.
I know what you're thinking.

Surgeon, great lifestyle,
Surgeon, great lifestyle,

living in nice,
living in nice,

beautiful part of the country, having it all.
beautiful part of the country, having it all.

Yes we have reason to be comfortable,
Yes we have reason to be comfortable,

reason to be well paid,
reason to be well paid,

but that's not the only reason that you should be thinking
but that's not the only reason that you should be thinking

of if you want to choose medicine
of if you want to choose medicine

and moving forward,
and moving forward,

if you intend to go into medicine,
if you intend to go into medicine,

you should think about your abilities
you should think about your abilities

to demonstrate empathy.
to demonstrate empathy.

You should think about having some real insights
You should think about having some real insights

as to what the job entails
as to what the job entails

because those are the real attributes that will help you
because those are the real attributes that will help you

see you through your career and be very, very successful
see you through your career and be very, very successful

in your career.
in your career.

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