I have had the privilege of working with Dr Stan Landau at the CDE Academy of Teaching and Learning. I have learned so much from him in the past few months, and I am extremely grateful to be able to call him a colleague. He joined the CDE in 2003 and has been a valuable part of the team ever since.
Today, he shares his insights regarding his role in the diabetes management team as a consultant physician and medical education specialist.
Who is Dr Stan? How do you see yourself and your role in the diabetes management team
I am a senior specialist at the medical practice located within the national CDE office in Johannesburg. My late colleague and partner, Larry Distiller, invited me to join his large diabetes practice in 2003. I have been here ever since and confine my day-to-day clinical work to diabetes medicine alone.
Initially I was a peripheral member of a large inter-professional healthcare team. As time passed, I earned my stripes by working closely within, and amongst the much more experienced diabetes nurse specialists. The learning was thick and fast and deeply rooted in what was meaningful to the person with diabetes. Practical diabetes management in action!
Over time I found myself becoming a teacher in my own right and I was able to add to the learnings of the newcomers as they joined the growing practice. Here was where my passion for life-long learning was ignited. My subsequent role as an education facilitator and supervisor has matured and become more formalized, specifically after completing postgraduate training in medical education.
Much of my time is now spent with the education team in the CDE Academy. Thus, I now wear two hats- one directly client facing and the other in an education space. In essence both of these locales represent being part of a diabetes team, and I enjoy the different approaches required within each domain.
I recognise, appreciate and admire the grit displayed by my clients over their lifespan since I have been involved in their care. They too are my teachers as people with immense knowledge spanning decades of an authentic lived experience. In essence their diabetes journey is far longer than my own university training! I use these learnings to help shape my own teachings for the next generation of healthcare professionals.
Your number 1 tip for a person living with diabetes?
A single piece of advice to any person seeking medical assistance in the field of diabetes medicine is to remain honest and open. This helps foster the development of long-term relationships and adds to consistency in care provision. Likewise demand openness and honesty from your team and call them out if such is lacking.
I appreciate Dr Stan recognizing that considering lived experience provides a broader picture and some teaching. Lived experience is simply invaluable.
Next, we will meet Alisha Lalbeharie, a registered podiatrist, who will share her insights and the importance of seeing your podiatrist on a regular basis for foot risk screening and foot care education.
Continue the diabetes care and advocacy conversation with ‘not ARTIFICIALLY Sweetened’, a FREE weekly CDE Academy podcast, providing unfiltered reflections on all thing’s diabetes. These podcasts, aimed at both people with diabetes and the health professionals that facilitate their care, offer a free weekly knowledge, attitudes, skills and insight update. Join specialist physician Dr Stan Landau, and diabetes specialist nurse, Michael Brown in building bridges of shared insights between all people touched by diabetes. Now available on Spotify with listeners in 29 countries! If you see value in this podcast, we would appreciate you sharing either of the two image-based adverts attached with any health professional, or person with diabetes you know. If you have any questions, suggestions, comments or contributions for future episodes, please email Stan and Michael @ Podcast@CDEDiabetes.co.za
E xx
The Travellingmind 