Craig Burns remembers having to catch a taxi from Mitchell’s Plain to his granny’s house in Hanover Park so that he could attend school in Lansdowne. For any kid growing up on the Cape Flats, this was a tiring and dangerous journey but he knew that the only way out was through education.
Craig’s sacrifices paid off when, in 2015, he graduated with a medical degree. Graig however, had planned on becoming a specialist surgeon, so after 7 years of an internship, community service and working as general surgeon, he registered for a Masters degree in Surgery from the University of the Witwatersrand, working as a general surgeon for the University’s hospital.
Now, for those that don’t know, a specialist surgeon is basically the main doctor in the surgery room, asking the nurses to hand him the scalpel. To become a specialist in this area means that you have reached the highest level of your medical career and this is what Craig aimed for.
After graduating with his masters in 2025, Craig had to take one final step and that is to get admitted to the College of Surgeons of South Africa. The college focuses on improving the skills of specialist surgeons, bringing them in line with international standards. Craig will then have to write a specialist exam and if he passes, he will be one of the top doctors in his field of surgery.
The married father of two says that a lot of kids on the Cape Flats feel like they are stuck but he hopes to inspire them into pursuing an education. He wants to show them that they have options and the only thing that needs to change is their mindset.
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