Dr. Bernie Maree grew up in Bloemfontein, South Africa and matriculated at Sentraal High School with full colors. He completed his undergraduate training at the University of the Free State in 2002 and did his internship at Edendale Complex in Pietermaritzburg. He did his community service at Frere Hospital, East London. Following community service, he spent two years in the UK doing surgery, emergency medicine and several courses to broaden his medical experience. 

Dr. Bernie Maree obtained his Fellowship from the College of Surgeons at Stellenbosch University in October 2011. He was awarded the Sanofi-Aventis prize for his Master's in The Eradication of Helicobacter Pylori and was invited to present at the international congress, Society of Academic Research Surgery (SARS), in the UK in 2011. He held an appointment as a Consultant Surgeon at Tygerberg Hospital prior to moving to the private sector. 

He is very involved in training and promoting surgery in southern Africa, he currently is the secretary for the South African Society of Endoscopic Surgery (SASES). 

Dr. Bernie Maree has a specific interest in surgical gastroenterology which includes gastric and colorectal surgery. He attends workshops on hernia surgery and has lectured on laparoscopic hernia repair. He joined the world-class laparoscopic skills lab at Red Cross Children’s Hospital, where he lectures in laparoscopic suturing training.

Dr. Bernie Maree, Dr. Ian Lorimer and Dr. Anna Coccia started Disa Specialist Surgeons, practicing mainly at Vincent Pallotti Hospital in Cape Town. 

He is a keen sportsman and was presented with provincial and national colors at university. He particularly enjoys mountain biking, SUP boarding and running. He is happily married to Nicky Brice, a pediatrician, and has three children, James, Ella and Sarah.