NIKKI Stamp promises to get to the heart of some serious health issues at an upcoming talk.
The Fiona Stanley Hospital heart and lung surgeon will present as part of the Fiona Wood Public Lecture Series on November 13.
Dr Stamp has been a social campaigner and an advocate for the #ILookLikeASurgeon movement in Australia, which started to challenge stereotypes.
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READ NOW“A lot of people think that surgeons tend to be older men, they have a particular personality and they think we do nothing but work,” she said.
“That campaign showed surgeons from so many different ages, races and backgrounds doing things like parenting, triathlons and charity work.
“It’s grown into academic, educational collaboration, clinical collaboration, friendships, scholarships and it’s opened doors for people.”
Dr Stamp said she hoped to engage the audience at her lecture and encourage them to take care of themselves.
“Sometimes I challenge them to put me out of a job,” she said.
“I want people to see behind the scenes and demystify what we do and fall in love with how amazing our body machinery is.
“There is a lot of information about health around at the moment and not all of it comes from great sources.
“I do really simple things, eat a healthy diet with lots of veggies, don’t smoke, exercise, it doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive, control your stress and talk to your doctor.”
Dr Stamp has also written a book called Can You Die of Broken Heart?
“It’s one of the most common questions I get asked in social situations,” she said.
“It’s not an exercise program or diet advice, it was a way of sharing with people what I love about the heart and how amazing our bodies are.
“Preventative medicine is a really important part of what I do because 80 per cent of heart disease is preventable and it’s so important for us to get that message out there.
“The answer (to the book’s question) is technically yes but most of us will be fine.”
The essentials
What: Fiona Wood Public Lecture Series
When: 6pm on Tuesday, November 13
Where: Fiona Stanley Hospital
Book by clicking here.