About Dr Tony Tom

Dr Tony Tom is a qualified Specialist Physician, based at Melomed Tokai in the Western Cape. Dr Tom was raised in King William's Town in the Eastern Cape. He says he has always had a passion for helping people – “It didn't take long for me to realise that medicine was my life's calling. I am pleased that my work quickly earned the respect of highly-esteemed mentors and I look forward to meeting the medical needs of my patients”.

Dr Tom completed his Medical Degree at the University of the Free State (UFS) in 2008. He then completed his internship at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town and went on to spend a year working at Witbank Hospital near Pretoria. Dr Tom then entered the Specialist Physician training program at the University of the Free State, completing it in 2017. He opened his practice later that same year.

A specialist physician is a doctor who has completed advanced education and training in a specific field of medicine. Specialist Physicians usually focus on clinical medicine, where they diagnose and treat specific illnesses and health issues. They can also sometimes act as consultants to other Physicians. Patients are often referred to Specialist Physicians when their family doctors or General Practitioners feel that they require a more specific diagnosis and holistic care.

Dr Tom’s speciality is internal medicine. A doctor of internal medicine is also known as an Internist, or more colloquially, as an “adult paediatrician”. An Internist is described as a medical doctor who specializes as a diagnostician for adults. They provide overall health management for patients – offering diagnostics and nonsurgical treatment, and providing long-term, comprehensive care in which they manage common and complex diseases, whether they are routine, acute or chronic, or even the result of an injury. Dr Tom’s professional interests include lifestyle-related diseases, especially those associated with obesity and sleep disorders. In addition to his knowledge as an Internist, Dr Tom is able to draw on the expertise of the talented multidisciplinary teams available at Melomed Tokai and the Melomed group of hospitals, assuring his patients that their healthcare is in excellent hands.

Dr Tom has a compassionate and generous nature. At his practice, a patient’s wellness and privacy are paramount. He feels that it is important to take the personal perspective of his patients into consideration. Therefore, his medical approach is to take the time to gain an understanding of a patient’s beliefs, concerns, and expectations, earn their trust, and then use his resources, training and experience to administer the best care possible.