Dr Ben Bravery's Great Australian LIfe
Join Laura Turner and her guest Dr Ben Bravery. Dr Ben Bravery is a fascinating man whose experience as a patient lead him down a different life path and a huge career change from patient to doctor. It was his mission and calling to shake up the medical field and change lives – Author and doctor, Dr. Ben Bravery. In his eye-opening memoir ‘The Patient Doctor’ (released July 2022), Ben goes through his journey of how his initial cancer diagnosis moved him to become a doctor and an advocate in change within the healthcare system. At just 28 years of age, Ben Bravery awoke from a colonoscopy, only to be told that he had stage three colorectal cancer. As a scientist, Ben understood the seriousness of this prognosis, and was a literal cancer-kick to the guts. His life was forever altered with what he discovered as a patient, and a young one at that, is that the system was fundamentally flawed in key areas, and is not built for young people like him. During his arduous eighteen month process of ridding himself of cancer, between his treatments of aggressive chemotherapy and other treatments, Ben would often find himself scared, overwhelmed, sometimes invisible and often alone. It was through Ben's recovery process that it struck him! He could no longer go back to his former career, and decided that he would need to lead the helm in the change he wished to see for others. Ben changed careers, on a mission to become a doctor, and after passing his entrance exam; he then dove headfirst into the challenges of medical school and beyond. Ben’s journey is not your typical cancer memoir, it is so much more, and delves into what happened afterward his cancer treatment had been completed. It was through his mission and his inspiration driven by his own experience that he would tirelessly work to change both sides of the healthcare system. This patient-turned-doctor gives a gloves-off account of how Ben managed to overcome the trauma of his illness; to studying medicine; and the challenges he faced along the way. Ben's mission is to tirelessly work to change the approach and the levels of care and service within the medical field, and to remember that the patient's welfare, care and journey is the centre and the beating heart of the medical system. Listen to his unbelievable journey, challenges along the way, revelations and findings, all detailed in his new book ‘The Patient Doctor’. Connect with Ben via his website www.benbravery.com.au Great Australian LIves is proudly supported by Tobin Brothers Funerals - celebrating lives. This show is produced, engineered and edited by Jane Nield for SEN. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices