Janine Raubenheimer loves two things: motherhood and medicine. She continues to balance both with remarkable dexterity.
“Starting my own practice from scratch while being pregnant with my second child — that was the most difficult and challenging time of my life, but I pushed through and now have a beautiful daughter and a growing practice.”
Janine graduated from the University of Pretoria in 2009, and went on to obtain diplomas in HIV management and Child Health at the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa. She completed her internship and community service at Kimberley Hospital from 2010 to 2012, and started working in private practice in 2014.
Now as one of Pretoria’s preeminent professionals, she daily combines her passions for helping, teaching and learning. “I believe in getting people to understand their illness, how they’ll get better, and empowering them to become their healthiest selves.”.
Janine candidly discusses the challenges of healthcare regulations and protocols that limit doctor-patient face time. On the upside, many people have wider access to better care, but Janine stresses the importance of a thorough, holistic approach — preventing illness and treating the whole person, rather than simply writing a quick script to treat a symptom. She emphasizes integrative options and thinking bigger.
Currently, Janine continues to build on her education through the Institute of Integrative Medicine of South Africa, and through Student Health of the University of Pretoria.
Janine loves witnessing the difference good health can make in people’s lives, learning new things every day, and using this to improve people’s quality of life. “One good thing: people are starting to take more responsibility of their own health — doing some research and reading up and taking part in decision making.”.
In her downtime, Janine enjoys reading, writing, playing with her kids and her two Scottish terriers, taking walks in the park, and pilates exercise. She also listens to a wide range of podcasts — everything from Joe Rogan to the Happiness Lab with Dr Laurie Santos, to Enneagram Cast and Happy Hormones.
I believe in empowering people to take care of their own health, and in treating every patient as a holistic individual. One of the principles of the WHO, is that health is not merely the absence of disease, but a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing. As a doctor, mother, wife, and human, this is one of the principles I try to incorporate within my own life and work.
My first few years as a doctor were spent in both Kimberley and Pretoria, where I found a love for children’s health and women’s health, and for seeing the possibilities of what we can achieve by treating people with chronic diseases holistically. My further work in Child Health and HIV management only reinforced my belief in an integrative approach.
I found my calling as a general practitioner or, as I like to call it, a family doctor. Victor Frankl proposed that man’s life is a quest for meaning, and a family doctor is in the privileged position, especially with continuous care, to help find and create meaning for ourselves and our patients.
After learning a lot by working in different private practices, I opened my own practice in a leap of faith, to live out my values and principles while providing a level of excellence, within the world of patient-centred care.
I am grateful to be surrounded by superb healthcare professionals in a location where we can offer a one-stop service with a psychiatrist, dentist, physiotherapist, chiropractor, dietician, audiologist, orthotist and a neurophysiologist, all in the same place!
Medicine has always been a career that Nadine wanted to pursue, not only to help people but to learn and grow constantly. She completed her MBChB at The University of Pretoria and performed her 2 year Internship at Kalafong Tertiary Hospital and Community Service at KwaMhlanga Hospital where she worked mostly in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
She has a passion for surgery, surgical procedures, working in theatre, gynaecology and female health. She is currently assisting a general surgeon twice a week to enjoy the exposure to the surgical field and to keep updated on procedural protocols. Apart from being an excellent doctor when it comes to your daily healthcare needs, you are also in skilled hands when it comes to small procedures and gynaecological exams. Further studies and courses in Aesthetics is on the horizon and will hopefully be available at the practice in 2023. She regards medicine not just as a career but rather as a calling. A calling that requires sacrifices and people to keep you centred. Her marriage of 8 years to her husband provides that and much more. Together they have two beautiful sons and a rescue Africanis dog. Their youngest son was born with a lifelong bladder and kidney condition (Posterior Urethral Valve) and throughout the process of acceptance, she realized that God not only sent her medicine to help others, but to help her own family. She is part of a PUV support group and is considering writing a book or a blog when her son is older. The aim will be to help other families deal with and manage chronic conditions. She enjoys spending time with her family, nature, hiking and secretly hopes to have time again to run. She wishes that she shared her husband’s passion for Comrades, but will most probably settle for marathons!
Engela Theron loves people and their stories. She enjoys all aspects of healthcare in general practice.She completed her undergraduate training at the University of Pretoria in 2009, followed by internship in Pietermaritzburg and community service in Potchefstroom.
Thereafter worked in multiple general practices across Gauteng, before relocating to Cape Town to work in a chemical pathology laboratory and paediatric endocrinology clinic. On returning to Pretoria, she did a MSc in public health with research focus on endocrinology and endocrine disrupting chemicals.
Engela enjoys treating metabolic illnesses (obesity, diabetes mellitus and hypertension). She is passionate about the effect of lifestyle on health and nutrition as medicine. She believes in addressing the root cause of disease rather than merely suppressing symptoms, particularly for illnesses like chronic metabolic disease, allergies, and auto-immune disease.
Meet our newest team member, Nicolene Marais
Nicolene studied at the University of Pretoria and is a qualified Clinical Associate, registered with the HPCSA. She is the right-hand of the practice and makes sure that everything runs smoothly. Her warm-hearted nature and genuine care for patients is an asset for the practice and our patients.
Apart from performing ECGs, stress ECGs, lung functions, blood tests and assisting in minor procedures, Nicolene also consults and prescribes. This is an excellent opportunity to get quality medical care that suits your pocket.
