In conversation with ...
Professor Mashudu Tshifularo
The Professional was fortunate to speak with world-renowned Professor Mashudu Tshifularo : South Africa ’ s 3D-printing transplant pioneer ; Ear , Nose & Throat ( ENT ) specialist ; Head of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Pretoria .
Professor Tshifularo who performed the world ’ s first middle-ear transplant using 3D printed bones in 2019 shares with us why he is excited about the future of medicine .
Do you believe in miracles ?
Yes . My innovation comes from spiritual inspiration and I believe there are many more to come .
You were a herdsman in Mbahela outside Thohoyandou : did that teach you anything about the medical profession ?
Yes , medicine was learnt already as a herdsman because I had to see to the health , injuries and pregnant domesticated animals . Also , I learnt about discipline , obedience , patience and care which plays a crucial role as a doctor and innovator .
Any other plans for the use of 3D printing in your work ?
I plan to take sabbatical leave in 2021 to focus on my clinical trial and research . I am working on eight to ten patented medical devices including three bones in the middle-ear ; middle-ear grommets ; instrumentation used in surgeries ; laryngeal blades ; and male and female 3D condoms , to mention some .
Why did you become an ENT specialist ?
I believe that it was my destiny to become a ground-breaking black ENT specialist and the third in South Africa . My motive was to serve communities in need of an ENT doctor .
What would you tell your younger self ?
Believe in yourself irrespective of what the opposition does . Even though I had to climb so many mountains to get to this point , I believe that I am on the right track and I can bring more change to medicine . Be determined and remind yourself about your ambition .
What ’ s the most interesting thing about you that people don ’ t know ?
I am one of South Africa ’ s most pioneering inventors , a birdwatcher , an eco-freak , saxophonist , author of seven books and musician .
What is the one investment you wish you had made , or made earlier ?
Establishment of an African Centre of Excellence that concentrates on curing deafness and hearing-loss rehabilitation .
I also have a charity fund called Professor Mashudu Tshifularo Foundation ( Hear Foundation ) that aims to provide cochlear implants ( costs about R300k per device ) to at least five hundred children and to restore hearing in an African child .
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