ABOUT

Dr Petrie van der Merwe grew up in the small Karoo town, De Aar. He had the privilege to enjoy farm life and learn the values of community, respect and hospitality.

During his childhood he developed a keen interest in medicine and serving others, inspired by his grandfather, who was a respected general practitioner in De Aar. He went on to study dentistry at the University of the Western Cape and qualified in 2009. This allowed him to simultaneously pursue his interest in medicine and his love for working with his hands.

In 2012, Dr van der Merwe got the opportunity to start working in the Maxillofacial and Oral surgery department of Pelonomi hospital in Bloemfontein. During this period he completed numerous courses and workshops, including a postgraduate Diploma in Oral Surgery at the University of the Western Cape in 2014.

Prior to his specialist training, Dr van der Merwe also worked as a medical officer in the Maxillofacial and Oral surgery department at the University of Pretoria where he was involved with postgraduate academic activities and clinical teaching of undergraduate students.

In 2016 he started his specialist training at the University of Pretoria. With an urge and passion to understand and treat his patients holistically, he opted to do the integrated course and obtained his MBChB in 2022 at the University of Pretoria.

He obtained his MChD (ChirMaxFac-Med) degree in 2023 at the University of Pretoria and completed his fellowship examinations at the College of Maxillofacial and Oral Surgeons of South Africa (FCMFOS)(SA).

During his specialist training he developed a keen interest in Head and Neck Oncology surgery, Orthognathic surgery and Implantology. Furthermore, he has published his Master’s research in an international peer- reviewed journal.

During his spare time, Dr van der Merwe cherishes time spent with his family and takes opportunity to explore the outdoors with a keen interest in golf and hunting.