Dr Cooper has an impressive 15-year trajectory of rigorous medical training under his belt. His journey began with undergraduate medical training at the esteemed University of Stellenbosch, culminating in a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) degree in 2004.

Following this achievement, Dr Cooper completed his Internship and Community-Service training, serving the communities at Pretoria Academic and Rustenburg Provincial Hospitals.

An avid interest in the interplay of psychology and neurobiology within illness contexts led Dr Cooper back to Pretoria. Here, he dedicated a full year to Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital. This tenure was marked by successful completion, with distinction, of postgraduate courses in Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology.

Driven by an aspiration to delve into Internal Medicine – a specialty distinguished by its demand for sophisticated clinical reasoning and diagnostic acumen – Dr Cooper moved to Cape Town. He took up a position as a Senior Medical Officer at Eersteriver Hospital for a year. The dream of becoming a Specialist Physician became a reality in 2009 when he joined a formal four-year training programme at Tygerberg Academic Hospital, under the auspices of the University of Stellenbosch and the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA). In 2012, he proudly received his Master of Medicine (MMed) in Internal Medicine, and simultaneously became a Fellow of the College of Physicians of South Africa.

Dr Cooper’s engagement with Internal Medicine sparked a fervent interest in Rheumatology. Upon earning his Specialist Physician status, he pursued a two-year formal training programme in Rheumatology at Tygerberg Academic Hospital. Concurrently, he served as an Internal Medicine Consultant and contributed to the education and training of undergraduate medical students, general practitioners, and specialists.

Dr Cooper successfully completed the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) postgraduate course on Rheumatic Diseases in Prague and was awarded Best Speaker at a Rheumatoid Arthritis Expert Forum in March 2014, attended by international experts. By 2014, he had completed his training, culminating in a sub-specialist qualification in Rheumatology from the CMSA.

The year 2015 saw Dr Cooper’s appointment as a Consultant at Paarl Provincial Hospital, enhancing his expertise as a Rheumatologist and Specialist Physician. In 2016, he transitioned to full-time private practice in Stellenbosch. His tenure at Winelands Rheumatology and Medical Research Centre lasted until August 2019, after which he practised independently at the state-of-the-art Mediclinic Stellenbosch from August 2019 to May 2023. As of June 2023, Dr Cooper is now advancing his practice at the Mediclinic Durbanville.