Dr Kruger obtained her MBChB degree from Tukkies in 1987 and started her career at Tygerberg Hospital, first in the paediatric and internal medicine sections and later as medical officer at the oncology department where she was also involved in research. “This was where my interest in oncology started.After eight years in the Western Cape I moved to Botswana and worked in the emergency room of a private hospital in Gaborone until a brand-new oncology department opened. After a few years I realised I needed to specialise and graduated as an oncologist in 2007 from the University of the Free State . I continued my career as a consultant at the national hospital until 2012, when I joined a private oncology practice at Mediclinic Bloemfontein.”Asked what her work means to her, Dr Kruger says it is much more than chemo drips and radiation. “It is a very emotional experience for patients and their family. For me, open and sincere communication is a very important factor, no matter how difficult it is for the patient and the doctor
