Liné Visser graduated from Stellenbosch University in 2014 with a BSc in Human Life Sciences (stream Biology). She later obtained a National Diploma in Neurophysiology and a BTech-degree in Neurophysiology at the Tshwane University of Technology. Liné is working as a clinical neurophysiologist at Groenkloof Hospital in Pretoria.
“Working as a neurophysiologist is interesting and ever changing," Liné says. “There are new things emerging every day, one can never get bored. It is an absolute pleasure to meet and work with people every day. Typically, in the morning the neurologist I work with will let me know if there were any admissions the previous evening that need a consultation with me. I finish up these first. Then I have booked patients from 10am onwards. In my current position my consultations are either electroencephalographies (EEGs), where we are recording and interpreting brainwave activity in order to help physicians diagnose neurology-related disorders such as epilepsy, or nerve conductions (NCS) and electromyographies (EMG), where we are stimulating and recording peripheral nerves in order to identify diseased or damaged nerves. We give relevant information to the referring doctor in order to help the diagnosis of specific disorders of the nervous system."
Liné's BSc-degree was the first stepping stone towards her career in neurophysiology and provided an important basis. “As a result of my time at Stellenbosch University, I am flourishing where I am today," she says. “Even though I am not working in the field I initially started with, being at Stellenbosch for my BSc-degree made me who I am and forced me to learn all the valuable life-skills that I use every day. What I learned there was way beyond what could be taught in a classroom.
“I think in any scientific field, you should have an absolute love and passion for the field. I do believe that if you love what you do, it doesn't feel like work. If your heart is not in it, search until you find your niche," she concludes.
This BSc-alumnus profile is part of the Faculty of Science's #100CareersinScience project. E-mail us at science@sun.ac.za if you want to share your career journey with current students.
Photo: Liné Visser. Photo supplied
