Studenten 2024

Michelle Shabela Moloto is a 5th year Medical student, born and raised in a township called Seshego, in Limpopo. I lost my father at a young age, which left me with my mother and 2 siblings, with my mother as the sole breadwinner. Growing up, I was privileged to attend schools that nurtured my curiosity and allowed me to explore my interests. However, it was within my home that my passion for medicine truly took root. My father would often joke about his wish for a doctor daughter. Little did he know, his remarks would plant a seed, spark something in my heart that would eventually blossom into a profound calling.
I come from a home filled with love and compassion, where caring for others was not just a duty, but second nature. I naturally developed a heart for helping people because of this. It was in this nurturing environment that my love for medicine was also born. Tragically, my father passed away due to heart failure. This loss profoundly impacted but also solidified my desire to pursue medicine.. I experienced firsthand the heartbreak of watching a loved one suffer and feeling powerless in the face of their suffering. It was the dedication and compassion of our family doctor, Dr Manthata, during my father’s health challenges that inspired me to follow in his footsteps, and to dedicate my life to serving others. It was because of grief that I also found solace in the thought that I could make a difference in the lives of others facing similar challenges. I then became determined to channel my grief into something meaningful, to transform this loss into a legacy of healing and compassion too.
My journey towards medicine was not just driven by personal experiences, but also by a deep-seated desire to contribute to my community, and society at large in a meaningful way. I actively participated in social impact-like initiatives, regularly engaging in outreach programs that allowed me to impact the lives of those in underprivileged communities. These experiences not only helped enrich my understanding of healthcare disparities but also reaffirmed my commitment to pursuing medicine. These experiences allowed me to impact the lives of others, and allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of the importance of accessible medical care, particularly in under-served communities.
Growing up in a township provided me with a unique perspective on the challenges faced by rural communities, in terms of healthcare access. Most of these communities struggle for adequate healthcare and are forced to deal with limited resources. I am drawn to the opportunity to make a meaningful difference. My decision to pursue rural medicine is rooted in the belief that equitable healthcare access for all is important and possible. I am drawn to the idea of serving those in communities where healthcare disparities are stark. I believe that everyone, regardless location, deserves access to good-quality healthcare and I would love to be part of the people that contribute to this. Rural medicine (and family medicine) to me is not just about treating a health challenge, it is about building relationships and understanding the different and unique needs of each individual within the context of their set community. It’s about providing holistic care that addresses more than just the physical, but also the emotional and social aspects of their health. I would like to be a part of those making a tangible difference in the lives of individuals living in those underserved areas- being a catalyst for positive change.
For me, medicine is not just a profession, it is a calling. A calling to serve with compassion and empathy. It is a privilege to know that I have been given the opportunity to walk alongside patients on their journey to healing, to be able offer them comfort and to see them overcome their health challenges.

I am Anél van Staden, a final year medical student born and raised in Melkbosstrand, on the West Coast of the Western Cape. I was raised by my parents for the first few years of my life but unfortunately lost my mother in a battle with cancer at age 10, and subsequently my father at age 12. My grandmother, who had been a pensioner already by that time, became my guardian, and had to take on the role of mother, grandmother, and father all at once. She raised me well, and I could not have asked for a better person to have grown up with. Unfortunately, throughout my time studying medicine, my grandmother’s health declined significantly, and she passed away in 2022 during my 4th year of medicine. As such, I am currently independent, which comes with it own set of challenges, both financially and otherwise.

Medicine had been my dream career since as young as 3 years old, and I know for a fact that there are photos in my childhood albums of me with a toy stethoscope, trying to doctor any and everyone around me. I never saw myself pursuing or being happy in any other field and was therefore dead set on this dream becoming a reality. Medicine had always been fascinating and interesting to me as well, and I was always curious to learn more about the human body, how it works, and how to ‘fix it’. Apart from that, the loss of my parents led to even more motivation and drive to pursue this as a career. While I know that it is not possible to ‘save’ everyone, simply being able to make a difference in someone’s life with regards to their health, something that everyone deserves, brings fulfilment and means the world.

I recently discovered my love for rural clinical medicine, during the 4 months in the past year where I did both my middle and late clinical family medicine rotations in the rural setting. It was some of the best time I have ever had on the clinical platform, with the special focus on holistic approaches to patients. The care for the patients and the community was unmatched and provided me with an entirely different perspective on patient care compared to the tertiary level. When I had finished those rotations, I had not wanted to leave, and even now I would love to go back to work on the rural platform. I am absolutely willing, and excited, to spend time working in the under-served areas of South-Africa after my community service, and hope that I can give back to the patients and the community as much as possible.

Briefly, my name is Matthew Blows, I am from the southern suburbs of Cape Town. I have a younger sister pursing a degree in teaching, and my mother heads up admissions at a non-government rehabilitation clinic. My mother is amazingly good with people! My late father passed away last year, and he worked in maritime search and rescue. He was dedicated and hardworking!

I enjoy learning, the outdoors and spending time with my friends.

I am very much a people-orientated-person; I enjoy engaging with others. Funny enough, the first hint at being a doctor came when a parent brought their son to the Open Day at my high school, and I was their tour guide. The father, who had been asking me questions about the high school, noticed something in me and said I should consider job shadowing him because I would be a good doctor. I also have always enjoyed engaging with communities through volunteering and if my parents allowed me to take a gap year, I would have joined a volunteer programme in an under-served community.

Couple all this with my curiosity for learning and a hard-working approach, given to me by my parents, I applied for medical school. It has been an adventure ever since.

Where I see myself in 10 year’s time is a good question. I have a passion for patient-education and empowerment. I have grown to really enjoy rural health care after spending time in rural Eastern Cape, at Zithulele, and rural Kwazulu-Natal, Pomoroy. I have also taken an interest in family and community health care. Once again, pair this up with a positive outlook on teamwork and a love for the outdoors of South Africa, you may easily find me working as a married family physician working in a rural setting in the Western Cape or relatively near an airport, because I do want to be able to visit my family often.

Since I was younger, and got to see different parts of the Western Cape and South Africa through sports mostly, I always felt attracted to the disadvantaged communities. Their humility was greater, their priorities less superficial and their willingness to make the most out of the little they have was inspirational. Sadly, also they tended to be associated with more crime, and greater need for better service delivery.

It is something I reflect on fondly that even despite the circumstances, when I played soccer as a junior, we were a bunch of boys from across the Cape Flats with different home environments and schooling, but none of that mattered on the soccer field. I do not dream of being rich because I got to see through sports, outreach and my medical elective, that it is more fulfilling to be able to connect and share with others, than I imagine it would be to have lots of money, live in a city and worry about trivial things.

And lastly, regarding completing my final of medical school at Ukwanda: I did not appreciate the value of training in a regional or district hospital context until I completed a medical elective at Zithulele Hospital. Key themes like community health, work-based learning, multi-disciplinary team, longevity and follow up, community-orientated primary health care – these themes are what I became excited about it. I absolutely enjoyed my middle clinical Primary Health Care rotation in the middle of nowhere (small town called Murraysburg). Essentially, I am more than willing and hoping that my RCS application is successful. I am currently in the process of applying to do my final year in RCS at Worcester with my second option being Malmesbury.

I am Motheo Ngoanankgudi Mmotong, I was born and raised in Glen Cowie located in Ga-Moloi village. We are lead by the chief, Kwena Madihlaba, at Sekhukhune District Municipality in the Limpopo province of South Africa. I am the first born in my family, my mother has four children in total, myself (Motheo), my younger sisters (Mothekgi and Motheetši) and my little brother (Mothushi). I am 12 years older than the second born, hence I naturally play the deputy parent role in my sibling’s lives.

My father is estranged from our family, as I got older my mother would open up about this estrangement however I still struggle to understand why he chose the path that he did. Luckily my mother is an educator at the neighbouring village of Pokwane at a rural school named Phatametsane Secondary School. She has been teaching there for the past 22 years and I am beyond grateful for how resilient and hardworking she is. This is how she is able to put food on the table for us. My sister  Mothekgi goes to Glen Cowie Secondary School, which is the same high school I went to. Motheetši and Mothushi go to Hlabje Primary School which is also located in our small community at Glen Cowie.

My mother told me that she had a traumatic experience when she gave birth to me, resulting in her fear of having children hence, the 12 year gap between my little sister and I. This was at St Rita’s Public Hospital at our village. She bravely went on to give birth to my little sister years after at a private hospital (using her Gems medical aid) and spoke of how much better the experience was, which was less daunting and traumatic. Subsequently, she had two more children because that fear was alleviated by great health care provision.

This story ignited a fire within me to ensure that I be trained by the best university to be able to give the best health care to the community that raised me. This motivated me to study at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, specifically at Stellenbosch University.

I see myself working at St Rita’s hospital or Jane Furse hospital for at least 4 years of my life before I take up a Registrar post at an academic hospital because I want to give back to my community.

I understand how significant a rural hospital and clinic is in contributing to the overall well-being of the

community, I understand that these institutions educate communities, validates their experiences while providing the human right of good health care and I want to play that role in the lives of my fellow South Africans.

The disadvantaged and under-served areas in South Africa tend to be the last to be served when it comes to service delivery. I am more than willing to be an advocate for these regions because those are the same places I live in and that I was raised in, so I understand.

I am definitely applying for the Ukwanda Rural Clinical School in Upington, and I know that I will thrive in such an environment in my final year.

My name is Musiiwa Salane, I am the 6th child (last born) in my family, I was born and raised by single mother, who unfortunately passed away 25 February 2024. My father passed away when my mother was pregnant. Now I am an orphan. My mother was the bread winner and financial supporter with social grant money of R2100 per month. My home is in Mukula Satane, Limpopo province, Vhembe district, 25 km from the nearest town Thohoyandou.

I am writing to express my sincere and heartfelt request for your consideration to support my pursuit of a degree in MB CHB. My aspiration to become a doctor is not only a personal dream but a commitment to serve the underserved communities, particularly those in impoverished rural areas, where access to healthcare is severely limited.

I was born and raised in the former Venda homeland in Limpopo province, an area characterized by extreme poverty and unhealthy living conditions. Growing up in such circumstances has fuelled my determination to contribute to the improvement of healthcare services in communities like my own. Witnessing the struggles and challenges faced by my community has inspired me to pursue a career in medicine with the ultimate goal of making a meaningful impact on the lives of those who lack adequate medical care.

Regrettably, my situation has recently taken a turn for the worse. My mother, who had been the sole provider supporting my education using her government social grant, tragically passed away (25 February 2024). Losing her has not only left an indelible void in my life but has also created an unexpected financial burden. As her death coincided with my pursuit of a Medicine degree, I now find myself in a situation where the dream I am fervently pursuing is at risk due to financial constraints. I am writing to humbly request the Hollard Stellenbosch medical fund as a lifeline to continue my education and fulfil my dream of becoming a doctor. This bursary will not only ease the financial strain on my education but will also enable me to focus entirely on my studies without the constant worry about tuition fees and living expenses. I am acutely aware that there is a severe shortage of medical professionals in rural areas, perpetuating a cycle of inadequate healthcare. My dream is to break this cycle by becoming a doctor and returning to communities like my own to provide accessible and quality healthcare services.

I am committed to excelling academically, but without financial assistance, the path to achieving my dream appears insurmountable. I am confident that, with your support, I can overcome these obstacles and make a significant impact on healthcare in underserved regions.

Thank you for considering my application.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”. Mahatma Gandhi

My name is Nozibusiso Esethu Mcobothi, I am a 4th year medical student at Stellenbosch University. I was born in Umtata and raised in a small town in Eastern Cape Bizana, but I later moved to a small rural town in KwaZulu Natal, Harding where I lived with my grandmother and parents. I am the first born amongst five children. I would describe myself as a courageous, consistent, and determined individual. I am career driven and I believe I have the potential to be an agent of change in society.

In July last year both my parents and younger sister were involved in a tragic car accident. Luckily, they all made it out alive, but their lives were changed as they are currently living with disabilities. This has led to my father losing his job as a taxi driver. This has resulted in my family being financially stretched due to the needs of so many of us.

Growing up in a rural area I witnessed people in my community struggle to obtain proper healthcare as the nearest clinic was too far or short staffed. Sick people were being transported in wheelbarrows and mothers were giving birth in their homes. This experience made me realize that healthcare services and education were essential in rural communities. I am very passionate about rural healthcare accessibility and provision, and this is why I have an interest in working in a rural area upon completion of my degree and enrolling in rural clinical school in my final year of study.

My main objective is to help those in rural areas who are in desperate need of medical care but find it difficult to access it. I also want to empower young people to pursue their chosen careers.

By enrolling at the University of Stellenbosch I challenged my financial limits, knowing that I was limited financially I did not let that prevent me from taking the first step to fulfilling my dreams of being a medical doctor. I believe in my vision of receiving a quality education to make me have a significant impact in society in the future.

My name is Omhle Sonwabise Bissett and I am a fifth year medical student.  I am from the Eastern Cape. I am originally from KwaMagxaki in Port Elizabeth, moved and spent most of my life living in the small town in Despatch. I currently reside in Gqebhera. I lived with both my parents but during my first year of university, my parents went through a nasty divorce. As a result, I currently only stay with my mother and younger sister. My mother has been working as a teacher for the Department of Education for 30 years. She is a first grade teacher at Melisiziwe Primary School in the township of Motherwell, Gqebhera. I also have a younger sister who is currently studying a BSc in Environmental and Water Sciences at the University of Western Cape.

The choice of studying medicine isn’t one that I made. I would like to think it was a choice made for me. I wanted to work in a career that would enable me to help people, especially people who look like me. Women, specifically black women, have always been placed in disadvantaged positions in the past in this country but also worldwide. I ended up choosing medicine as a field to allow me to do that. Being from the Eastern Cape, I wanted to change and help individuals access better health care. This has led me wanting to specialize in public health. I want to and need to work in disadvantaged areas in the townships and rural areas to truly help people who most need it and get an appreciation for medicine. This will one day help me with my goal to work in Public Health and overall help improve the quality of health care across all rural areas and disadvantaged areas across the Eastern Cape and South Africa.

My name is Sabelo Silangu, and my journey has been marked by transitions and experiences that have shaped my growth and aspirations. Born in Durban, I spent my formative years in Richmond, a small township near Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, living with my grandparents and cousins. Despite modest means, our bustling household was filled with love and camaraderie.

Growing up, I considered myself average within my community, comparing myself to peers from similar backgrounds. However, upon starting my university journey five years ago, I realized that my perception of “average” was relative to my modest upbringing.

In Richmond, life revolved around communal support and the importance of education instilled by my grandparents. Attending the only fee-paying school in the area, despite financial constraints, underscored the value placed on education in our community.

At 15, I moved to Durban to access a high school offering physical sciences, representing sacrifices and financial investments by my family. My parents, with limited formal education, prioritized my academic pursuits, recognizing the transformative power of education. Their unwavering support and sacrifices fueled my aspirations, leading to a profound desire to serve communities like my own.

Initially drawn to engineering, my interests evolved to encompass environmental conservation and social justice. However, a health scare prompted a shift towards medicine, igniting a passion rooted in advocacy for those navigating the complexities of illness and access to care.

Throughout my journey, I’ve embraced roles as a mentor and community leader, guiding others towards their academic aspirations. Looking ahead, I envision myself as more than just a doctor but as a compassionate advocate championing health equity and social justice.

Completing my final year at the Ukwanda Rural Clinical School aligns seamlessly with my aspirations. Coming from a community with limited resources, this opportunity allows me to consolidate my knowledge while contributing to underserved communities.

My decision to study in the Western Cape stemmed from a desire for greater resources and infrastructure. Throughout my journey at Stellenbosch University, I’ve sought opportunities to grow as a leader, gaining insights into different healthcare systems.

The prospect of spending a year at the Rural Clinical School represents a chance to refine my skills under dedicated guidance, perfectly aligning with my long-term goal of serving and empowering underserved communities. Ultimately, my journey towards medicine is driven by a deep-seated desire to make a positive impact on the lives of others, and completing my final year at the Ukwanda Rural Clinical School is a crucial step towards realizing that vision.

My name is Singita Mabasa and I am currently in my 5th year of studying medicine. I was born and raised in a small town called Giyani, in the north of Limpopo. I am the youngest of 4 children. My mother was a pharmacist assistant when she was working but has since retired. My father had an administrative job in the health care sector. I never was able to find out what his job title actually was as he never told me and we became estranged as I got older. By the time I was a preteen, I had no relationship with him and only my mother was financially supporting the family. My parents divorced when I was in high school. The divorce did not have a great impact on me. It did however lead to me worrying more about my future and who would pay my tuition when I go to university/how I would pay my tuition when I go to university. This led to me being under a large amount of stress in the last two years of high school. I did however receive a recruitment bursary from Stellenbosch which felt like a miracle to me. I also received funding from NSFAS as well but I have since lost both bursaries. My father passed away in 2022. I matriculated from Khanyisa Education Centre where I studied from when I was in Grade R.

Medicine or ‘being a doctor’ is one of those popular careers that are associated with a high income which means that children are constantly encouraged to pursue such a career. My dream, since I was a child, has always been to be a doctor. I cannot recall how this dream of mine came to be but I have had it since I was five. As I grew older, and school became more difficult, I still wanted to be a doctor. I pursued/ am pursuing a career in medicine not because I passed well enough to enter med school but because being a doctor helps people which is what I want to do in life. I want to be a doctor to have a positive impact in people’s lives and to help the population at large.

Last year I did an elective in the hospital in my town. My elective was in the maternity ward of Nkhensani Hospital, which is the regional hospital in my small town. During my elective, I faced the sad reality of service delivery in our country. Seeing how there were few health care professionals for a very large patient base made me realise that there is a great need for doctors in the rural areas of this country. I also recognised that the inequality that plagues this country is also very prevalent in the health care sector. I believe that every person is entitled to quality health care regardless of their status in society. However, the shortage of doctors/health professionals in rural areas is leading to the people receiving poor health care. Before the elective, I never wanted to work back home. I thought about either staying in the Western Cape or working in urban areas such as Johannesburg. The elective opened my eyes and showed me that my services are actually needed back home and in similar rural areas. I even promised the clinical manager of the hospital that I would return to do my community service year there and I will keep that promise.

‘The practice of medicine is an art, not a trade; a calling, not a business; a calling in which your heart will be exercised equally with your head. Often the best part of your work will have nothing to do with potions and powders, but with the exercise of an influence of the strong upon the weak, of the righteous upon the wicked, of the wise upon the foolish.’ William Osler.

My name is Vuyolwethu Mkati, and I am currently a 4th year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB, ChB) student. I was born and bred in a small town called Bizana in the Eastern Cape. I spent my preliminary life in Bizana and my formative years between Umtata, Queenstown and Port Elizabeth. I was raised by both unemployed parents, and I am the first born of four children.

I am a determined, focused, hardworking, respecting, self-disciplined and well-motivated individual. I work well alone and in a team, I am able to take lead when the need ascends. I consider myself as an assertive individual who takes a stand and a responsibility regarding things that may have an effect on my life. I have learnt to accept things that I cannot change and I always practice gratitude.

I started to attend school at the age of six years and since then, I was motivated and driven to excel academically and to make a name for myself. I attended a rural high school called Bizana Village Senior Secondary School between 2006-2008. During my high school years, I displayed firm leadership qualities and as a result I secured the class representative position three consecutive years and I was the school football captain.

The shortage of doctors in our country especially in rural areas continues to be a public concern. Evidence from local and international studies has shown that only three out of 10 doctors on the professional register work in public hospitals and initiatives to retain medical doctors in rural areas might help to ease this burden. However, there are well-documented barriers to expanding the rural health workforce supply which include lack of management capacity, job-dissatisfaction, lack of equipment and poor working conditions.

After having observed this crisis in our country, this compelled me to further my studies in MB, ChB) so as to increase my knowledge and skills in the field as highly as possible. I wish to play an active role in the service delivery in my community and the country as a whole. Medicine is an intellectually stimulating career and so by being a doctor, I would be able to return and work in the rural areas in order to apply my knowledge and skills so as to serve the human needs.

As the medical practitioner graduated from Stellenbosch University, I would be needed by the department of health to deliver personalized, evidence-based, cost effective care by combining pathophysiology, social science and the best clinical studies to construct evidence based recommendations for evaluation, management and patient education at the point of care. The national department of health in particular has a significant need for comprehensive, patient-centred health care services which encompasses value of volume and the increasing engagement of the patient as a partner in care.

My Name is Vuyolwetu Funani, I come from Tsomo Village in the Eastern Cape. I was born and raised in Tsomo and Cofimvaba where I subsequently attended junior and high school there. I am now currently doing my 4^th year in MBCHB here in Stellenbosch University.

Growing up I was always attended to by my paternal grandparents until my grandad passed away in 2010, then my grandmother and my uncle including some of my extended family stepped in to help raise me and my cousin who I grew up with. This was due to being estranged to my mother since my early years and I have not seen nor spoken to my father ever since I was in about grade 6 since he and my grandparents had a dispute with regards to his alcohol and drug problems. I was told that he left for Johannesburg, and we just never had a relationship post him leaving our homestead.

My interest in medicine started quiet when I was young since before losing my grandfather to cancer and prior my aunt to cancer as well. I somehow still believe that there is a contribution I can make to the work/research that has been done to help find a cure for cancer as all families do not deserve to go through the ordeal of watching a loved one day knowing nothing can be done completely.

My passion, however, started when I got exposed to how bad the health system was in our community as compared to other places I would visit due to sport. I then joined first aid and started shadowing and volunteering at the local clinic at home and this is when I knew I had my calling and that is what motivated me to apply and study at the Faculty of Medicine instead of others.

My wish is that I do go back and assist disadvantaged and underserved communities like the one I come from as I strongly believe that everyone in our South African deserves medical attention regardless of them being able to afford. I also would one day in future like to have an NGO that would help address issues that face such communities face and help elevate the health burden most of them endure by equipping them with education, knowledge and basic skills that would prevent illness that could have been avoided. Therefore, I would absolutely appreciate being placed in rural areas and have the opportunity to share the skillset I have acquired throughout the years with those disadvantaged.

I would love and appreciate being placed at the rural clinical school as this would give me the experience of working in the environment that I would love to go and serve at when I graduate.

My name is Vanessa Annan, I am Ghanaian South African, and I am currently a 5^th year medical student. I was born in a small town called Bechem in Ghana and for the first few years of my life my care was split between my parents and my grandmother until her sudden passing in 2006. My parents immigrated to South Africa when I was 6 and I therefore grew up in East London but before then they both taught in schools in the rural parts of the Ahafo region in Ghana. Some of my fondest childhood memories include going out to the farm during the holidays when I was with my parents and picking corn.

Over the years I have been exposed to the reality that one’s social economic status truly has on their health and wellbeing. Looking at my grandmother as an example, whenever I think about what we lost as a family when we lost her, I am faced with the reality that her death was preventable and occurred due to a lack of resources and education. Many South Africans are unfortunately in the same position due to being in underserved areas of the country where there is a lack of resources, lack of skilled professionals as well as a lack of emphasis on public health initiatives and patient education. I hope to contribute to changing this narrative by serving in an underprivileged area.

When choosing my career path I was torn between going into the field of engineering, which I believed I could contribute to with innovation that would solve the everyday problems of people, and medicine, however I was thoroughly convinced that I could make more of an impact by becoming a doctor and contributing to the lives of patients and the healthcare system at large. Becoming a doctor for me was best aligned with my vision to live a life in service of humanity which is still my aspiration to this day. I look forward to completing my MBCHB, completing internship and community service in an underserved area and furthermore serving in an underserved area for years following. I am also very passionate about public health and believe that not enough emphasis is placed on setting up initiatives to the benefit of under resourced communities. It is my goal to one day combine my work in the clinical space with involvement in other initiatives aimed at community upliftment because ultimately health is biopsychosocial and not adequately addressing all aspects of health and wellbeing will leave us in the cycle that we are currently in as a country where patients do not have the resources to maintain health and wellbeing.

My name is Tracy Chavalala from Magoro Village in Limpopo, I am currently doing my 4th year in MBChB. I started my 1st year back in 2016 in the Extended Degree Program and like any student I hoped and was set out to complete my degree in record time. Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen personal and family circumstances my studies were disturbed in the previous years. I have a fighting spirit and resilience in the face of adversity, I pride myself with this every day. I come from a family of 4 children, being the eldest. One of the goals that has never changed through all the changes in my life is the need to be a good example and an inspiration to my younger siblings. My parents are both unemployed, and so far we survive on my mother selling snacks at my old primary school and Tupperware containers to our community. This money is barely enough for basic necessities back home, let alone cover me at school or my study fees. To be able to feed myself without further adding to the financial burden back home, I work part time afterhours at Pathcare labs.

My main motivation for choosing medicine was the Job security and the above average starting salary. When I started my degree, I met people who all say they have a deep passion for medicine and go on about how they cannot imagine doing anything else, I myself have on occasion claimed the same thing, but if I am being honest, discovering people who do what they do out of passion and not logic was a bit of a culture shock to me. Where I come from people are led by the need to survive rather than passion, we are passionate about staying fed and about reaching further than the previous generation did, you do what is best for everyone else and not what will make you happy. I am no different. Growing up the way I did, always on the verge of poverty, I was never going to study a degree or pursue a career that carries the risk of unemployment. I know it is more acceptable and inspiring to say I have always loved medicine with all of my heart. However, in my case, I grew to love medicine when I was already in the degree. I am interested in people and their life stories. I find fulfilment in helping and serving my patients. I have witnessed the joy and relief my patients express when they find out that I relate to them and their backgrounds. Medicine, as with Stellenbosch University, has been a journey of self-discovery for me, and what I discovered is that I am fascinated by the human body, I find the diverse circumstances of my patients quite compelling. So, although I did not initially choose medicine for this reason, my work makes me happy and I have the desire to continue working in this field. I will most likely venture into specialisation in future to satisfy my curiosity and need for knowledge. For now, what I know for sure is that medicine is a gold mine if you want to directly work with people, and this fits perfectly with where I see myself, probably for the rest of my working years.

I have always been a little unsettled and uncomfortable with how unflattering words are used to describe homes and communities such as mine. Words like disadvantaged and under-served, as accurate as they are, they personally make me uncomfortable. This is why I want to work there; I want to work for my community, and in doing so I hope we will be seen as a little less disadvantaged. I want to give back to young girls and boys who are growing up like I did, because I know I wish someone had given back to me when I needed it. My village produces smart and accomplished individuals who unfortunately always move on to “greener pastures”, which then mean there is no progression and development back home. If I can, I would like to break this circle. Another reason I want to work back home is that I am incredibly homesick, all the time. I am thankful for the Western Cape and Stellenbosch for the many lessons and growth, but I cannot wait to move back home.

My name is Olwethu Dyasi, I am a 26-year-old medical student, who has come much further than she at times thought possible. I am from a single parent household. My father having passed on when I was all but a year and six months old. I was raised by a domestic worker turned security guard mother. We spent the first half of my life in crime ridden informal settlements. This year’s winter has reminded of the many winters when I had to sleep with a bucket on top of my bed, so the rainwater does not drip into my bed as the roof of our shack failed to keep us safe and dry in winter. I remember the days I would come home from school and scoop out water from our kitchen before I could do anything as our kitchen was always flooded in winter.

But the poverty, the unfortunate living circumstances are not who I am, they are simply a part of my journey. My favourite story is how I was not allowed to start school until I was 6. So, my mother and I had to wait until after my birthday in March before I went to a local school and applied at almost the end of the term. I caught up quick with the learners and was up to date and competitive in no time. What I did not mention was that I probably only got accepted because the school had no infrastructure that year, we literally studied and had lessons under a tree in Samora Machel. The school is still informally known as “Emithini” translated to “under the trees”. My favourite part of that year looking back was when a bird decided to drop its bird droppings on top of my books as I was scribbling away. My six your old self reported the incident to my teacher with teary eyes, I cried again when I told my mom the story when I got home. We went to buy a new book and treats immediately to make it all better. Our neighbour had a homeless man working in her shebeen, Tyhopho. We got along well, I told him the story and he kindly told me that it was only good luck, and that meant I would pass grade 1. And of course, I did. But I have held on to that memory throughout my life. Valuing sound advice of people from all walks of life.

I am a girl who has loved her journey thus far. A woman who has had less than what was needed at one point but never lacked anything in love, support and attention from her mother. My mother has been my biggest supporter all my life. What keeps me going is understanding and believing that I have a huge role to play in the world. God has given me many passions, things that se my soul on fire. I am passionate about healthcare and have a stronger conviction for making it accessible to remote areas. Youth development also has a big chunk of my heart. I have been part of Student Outreaches where I have led youth development programmes. I have kept contact with some of the students from my time there. I met a group when they were in grade 10 and helped tutor them and brought the university application forms when they were in grade 12. Four of them were accepted and are currently studying to become teachers and healthcare workers. My motivation is rooted in believing that I am called to make a difference in the world. To work in places others are not comfortable working in, being part of the changes in improving accessing to quality healthcare in our country and inspiring the youth to do the same. To find their passions, and to use the to be change that they want to see in the world.

I love rural life; I have never really stayed in rural areas for more than a month. But I am passionate about rural healthcare. I look forward to working in rural areas starting next year. I truly believe that it is my calling to become a rural doctor. There are many opportunities to learn, to make change that you can see and to be part of a community. More than anything to also in a way improve the lives and health of the people within the community.

My name is Khanyisa Makatu and I was born and raised in a small town called Giyani, in Limpopo. I am currently completing my final year in Medicine at Stellenbosch University. I come from a very big family where I am the first of 3 kids to my mother and the second of 6 children to my father. Unlike other family structures, mine differs in the sense that I didn’t grow up with both my parents under the same roof. My mom is married and so is my biological dad. My mother, who is an admin clerk at our regional hospital back at home, has been in charge of my up keeping from birth to date although she is married and that is where the difference comes in.

Apart from studying medicine , I take interest in singing. I also provide extra classes back at home during my school holidays and enjoy baking, although I’m not the best at it if I may admit.

My reason for choosing medicine is due to my intrinsic and fierce desire to help people and save the lives of others. The desire to help came naturally to me but was also inspired by my surroundings. It was like a force from within that was beyond my control, and still is to this day. I want to be someone’s hero, not with supernatural powers but through my knowledge , skill and stethoscope.

It is such a profound feeling that it is quite hard to explain what it is like. I believe it is not something that can be learned; you cannot be taught to want to be a doctor. That intense thirst for medicine, healing , it just is , and there is truly no other way to put it.

With a profession where knowledge and heart come together , I wish to be a part of the solution to our less fortunate communities one day . It is my greatest desire to invest my knowledge and skill into helping those who are not privileged enough , to give them the opportunity for a healthy tomorrow.

It would grant me soo much peace knowing that in my days, I managed to grant another strength, hope and a second chance to life . That I served the vulnerable within the community in a tangible way.

My name is Nyeleti Natasha Mkhabela, I am a 24-year-old final year medical student at Stellenbosch University. I was raised in Phalaborwa, a small town on the outskirts of Limpopo, where I lived with my mother and two siblings. I grew up in a very diverse community with people from all walks of life, which has shaped the person I am today. I would describe myself as someone who is inquisitive, adventurous, and always up for a challenge.

Growing up, I never really knew what exactly I wanted to pursue in life but what I did know was that I wanted to help people. And what better way to do that than through medicine?

I have always been one who has loved working with people and even more so, loved seeing people happy & healthy.

Medicine is an exciting field where no day will be the same as the previous one. In medicine you are given the honour and pleasure of working with people and positively affecting their lives.

I have experienced the life-changing effects of medicine first-hand as a child. I had surgery at the age of six, and to say it did not positively impact my life would be a lie; To be able to walk around without stares or whispered comments is something I will always be grateful for. I wanted to be that person! The one who changes someone’s day-to-day or ,even the rest of their lives, for the better. I want to look back at my career & life and know that it meant something, even if it may be just to a handful of people.

I believe that the goal for healthcare in any country should firstly be provision of healthcare for all. I grew up in a rural area and have seen how people have continually struggled to access quality healthcare. Majority of the community relies on public healthcare services provided at the local clinics and hospital which are barely capable of meeting their needs. This is the reality for the majority of South Africa’s population. Having more doctors working in rural medicine will hopefully help shine a light on the struggles that are faced in rural areas ,and in time, find solutions to these.

I am Bonisile Ndebele, a fifth-year medical student that grew up in the small town of Meyerton. I received my primary education in Meyerton and completed my Secondary education in Potchefstroom – a town in North West Province. I am the last of three children who were raised by a single mother following the untimely death of my father when I was four years old. My mother is a professional nurse who mainly worked in the labour ward of Natalspruit Hospital during my childhood. The hours of the labour ward were long and my mother often worked nightshifts – on most of these shifts my mother took me to work with her and that was when I was introduced to the world of Medicine. Walking around the hospital with my

mother and being her little assistant fuelled the love of Medicine that I still have to date. As far as I was concerned, my destiny was sealed as soon as my tiny feet walked into that hospital.

I chose to study the MBChB at Stellenbosch University due to my need to find workable solutions to presented problems, the love for the untapped, developing medical world as well as the love for conducting further practical work in this medical field in order to bring about further advancements in the current solutions. The actual experience of being a medical student and applying skills that I have already learned in these five years have already exceeded all expectations. Granted, studying medicine has been eventful, joyous, stressful, fulfilling, frustrating at times and even more. The experiences brought forth various emotions and like one of my lecturers said in first year “Will be an experience that will test your love for medicine”. Fortunately for me, this experience only reinforced my love for medicine.

I am passionate about doing my part in making sure that the underserved areas of South Africa have a medical practitioner as various rural places do not have that luxury. I will be completing my studies in rural clinical school, which is an opportunity I am honoured to have received. I am also willing to work as a healthcare practitioner in these underserved areas following my graduation as stipulated in the terms of agreement.

Jessica Wolf – this is me. A German girl, born and raised in Pretoria by my mother, who is an interpreter and my father, who is a photographer.

I received my education at the German International School Pretoria and then at Stellenbosch University. I have always enjoyed biology and am very fond of people. Linked with my ambition and desire for a challenge, this fuelled my decision to become a doctor. I want to serve my fellow South Africans by offering good quality health care where there is a need for it.

I am grateful for the experience I’ve had at Stellenbosch University thus far. There is a very active community on

Tygerberg campus, which I enjoy being involved in. It teaches me a lot about the richness of the diverse society we live in and provides a platform to serve the people around me. It also equips me with skills I want to use in my career as a doctor soon.

Some fun facts about myself: I enjoy being outdoors in the beautiful Cape mountains and love playing the flute to create orchestral music.

I want to extend my sincere gratitude to HSMF for supporting me on my journey of becoming a doctor and making this dream possible.

I come from a small town along the West Coast of the Western Cape, called Atlantis. Not quite the lost city, but still a small community still in its growing phase. I went to school in a town nearby, called Malmesbury, where I completed my NSC at Swartland High school. My other options entering tertiary education were degrees in science, specifically Chemical engineering. Although my dream had always been to become a doctor, this had only turned into an achievable goal when the University of Stellenbosch contacted me during high school. I was fortunate enough to be a part of the HOPE@MATIES school holiday program, to improve my marks in Physical Sciences and Mathematics. Ms Farah Fredericks and other individuals from the university also guided us in our applications and search for tuition funding opportunities during the program. This help, plus the constant support from my family made me determined to reach my goal.

I would like to include here my real reason for wanting to be within this profession is that I know, as humans we can all get to understanding man-made machines and wonders, but I have always wanted to understand God’s wonderful machine and be able to help His people with that knowledge. This along with all the great input and help from those in my communities are what motivates me to become a good physician within smaller, “unseen” communities in our country.

I am a 21-year-old Christian of Xhosa descent, born and bred in Lusikisiki, a small town in the Eastern Cape. I am one of five children. Recently, I’ve completed my third year of medicine, going onto my fourth, at Stellenbosch University. I have found the degree widely interesting, rewarding and both challenging and thought-provoking, and I have been doing well so far. My third academic year has been riddled with multiple adventures and challenges alike, academically, mentally and socially.

Living in the rural parts of the Eastern Cape have exposed me to the primary healthcare system and the inner workings of it from the other side of the aisle, as a person receiving it. Growing up in this environment has been the driving force of my passion for medicine. This has made me realise how much work still needs to be done and the lack of good doctors in the less medically-privileged areas of South Africa. This experience has caused a shift in the purpose of the doctor that I want to become. I’ve become a strong advocate of good and efficient primary healthcare in the rural parts of our country and having personally experienced the level of healthcare in many rural clinics and hospitals of the Eastern Cape, I believe that much reform, improvement, empathetic healthcare workers and equitable healthcare are needed and I can be the hands and feet of that vision to come alive.

Overall, this year has been one eye-opening experience that has facilitated my growth in all five spheres of my life and has given me perspective when considering the different factors, roles played and decisions that must be made in an attempt to answer the grand question of: “What kind of doctor do I want to be?”.

I am willing to work as a health care practitioner in disadvantaged and under-served areas in South Africa. I acknowledge that this will take place in addition to, and immediately after my compulsory Community Service year for a total number of funded years. I am willing to complete my final year of study at the Ukwanda Rural Clinical School in Worcester or Upington, depending on my being selected by the Ukwanda Centre for Rural Health and the availability of a place.

 “The servant leader is servant first, it begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead…”

My whole medical school career has been shaped by the wise words of Robert K. Greenleaf.

Studying to become a medical doctor and later becoming a Doctor is in its core a conscious choice to serve one’s country. South Africa, like other Southern African countries still has an under resourced health system. As a future Dr mine is to serve my country and do the best I can to use my expertise to advance the medical fraternity especially the underserved communities through research and collaboration with other African countries and countries abroad.

I am a dedicated medical student who strives to always do her best. I come from the rural Transkei in the Eastern Cape Province. I was raised in a single parent household with my sister and cousins. Our community was one of the most underserved communities in this country; with a local clinic being 20km away from where we lived. I grew up helping my grandmother take her Hypertension and Arthritis medication. I would also accompany her to clinic for her follow-up visits. These frequent visits sparked something in me. I wanted to be, for the people in communities like mine, what the Drs were to my grandmother. To be a custodian of the health of the people coming from underserved communities.

After completing my matric I was accepted into the Scimathus Programme offered by the university and then into the Extended Degree Programme of the Faculty of Health Sciences. Both these programmes are offered to students emanating from low or no fees paying schools and would otherwise not have an opportunity to realise an educational dream. I have demonstrated my academic abilities by passing all years in the shortest period to reach MBCHB V and will undoubtedly complete my programme in 2022.

Once I finish my medical studies I wish to remain in Worcester, as I am currently doing my final year at Ukwanda Rural Clinical School. As a Dr who has a strong rural background I believe, and I have seen it in my experience in the clinical setting, the importance of serving people whose life situation you have intimately experienced yourself.

My personality and clinical expertise will allow me to play a very meaningful role in the health infrastructure of our country. This dream can only be realised with the necessary financial assistance to students like myself who come from financially disempowered homes.

I am 23 years old. I come from a small town in Northern KwaZulu-Natal called Utrecht and I’ve been in love with medicine since the age of 6 years old. My dad even has a video of me at my grade R graduation shouting at the audience about how I was going to heal people as a doctor. Medicine was the only choice for me, it was the only occupation that made sense. I went to all sorts of job expos during high school but nothing but medicine really enticed me. I love working with people and I like being of service and I knew that being a doctor would do that. I have a passion for surgery, I love the focus that happens as soon as a patient is on the table. I love how intricate yet straightforward it is. I am working towards becoming a surgeon.

I grew up in a rural area as have my parents and siblings and to me, being in a rural area made sense. I have seen children being transported to the local clinic in a wheelbarrow, I’ve seen people not go to the hospital for the fear of getting there too late. I have an interest in rural health accessibility and expansion. I do believe that more facilities and health workers can help advance rural health even more. I do have a desire to go back and work in the rural areas of KZN. My mother is a nurse and she has never worked in the city, she has always chosen rural work and that has inspired me. I will be applying to rural school and I hope that it will also help expand my thought process on rural upliftment.

I am a 5th year medical student at the University of Stellenbosch. I am originally from Ballito, a town in northern Kwa-Zulu Natal.  Throughout my life I have straddled living in opposing realities. I was educated in private schools which provided me with opportunities that the majority of South Africans can’t afford, while also spending all my time outside of the academic year in communities that were the exact opposite of what I was exposed to at school.

As with many black South Africans of my generation, I would spend my holidays in farmlands where there was no running water and the only way to get warm bath water was to boil it over a stove. During the school year however, I lived in the city with hot water available at the turn of a tap. The impact of this contrast on all sections of society is something that took me very little time to notice, but the conclusion that I could make a significant contribution to lessening the consequences didn’t occur until I had already started my degree.  Medicine has been my primary career choice for as long as I remember, however the idea of rural medicine is something that I only learned once I started at Stellenbosch, when in our first year we did a module that exposed us to the differences in the provision and access to healthcare in rural areas. What inspired me the most however, was the ideas and solutions that many healthcare workers before us created in order to provide healthcare to populations that are otherwise left out of the system. It was the realization that the recognition of the differences in society didn’t end with identifying the problems, but rather created opportunities to make the necessary changes and improve the realities of the people who are at a disadvantage.

When looking at the state of rural health in our country, we often see the lack of resources that are available, and this often leaves a lot of healthcare workers with little desire to practice in these areas. We are trained in specialized institutions and the move from having every resource on hand, to having to treat patients that are already disadvantaged with little to no resources is often demotivating.   However, instead of focusing on the disparity between the health care provided in urban and rural areas, I am planning on learning from rural communities and integrating local practices with the knowledge that I am gaining during my studies. Local environmentally sustainable practices are a concept that I learned in high school geography. In healthcare I believe that we can one day create a system that can be provided and sustained in rural areas and therefore reducing the gap in population health that exists between rural and urban areas.

Of course, I know that this can’t happen overnight, so I’ve decided to use my time, starting now during my undergraduate training, to gain as much knowledge, skill, and familiarity with healthcare systems in rural areas starting with my application to complete my final year of undergraduate training with our university’s Ukwanda Rural Clinical School program.

I am a fifth-year medical student from Pretoria. I am from a family of five and have two younger brothers aged 13 and 16 years old. We live with both our parents, of which only one is currently unemployed. I received the recruitment bursary/loan for the first four years of the degree and this alleviated some of the financial strain on my parents. My parents’ financial resources are constrained and are currently experiencing challenges to meet my study and living obligations. I am seldom able to go home during short breaks to visit my family for social support I strongly need given the pressures of this course.

During high school, I enjoyed the subject life sciences in the topics where they would address the body and how it works. I was fascinated by how intricate it is and have always wanted to know more and learn more about it. When I was in grade 10, my mother developed a heart problem and was fortunate enough to be treated by doctors who were some of the best in their field, at the Medi Clinic heart hospital in Pretoria. Their excellence motivated me and made me consider medicine as a possible career. I was touched by how vulnerable compromised health affects not only the patient, but the family as well.

Being someone with good people skills, I noticed that there was a profession where I would be able to enjoy the nature of my work, be able to interact with people and help them in their times of need where their health may not be at its best. I was accepted for other degrees as well but felt that medicine was where I would feel the most fulfilment, have relative job security and a comfortable standard of living.
Mainly, I chose medicine because it is my calling. In the future I see myself as a specialist in my discipline and working for the UN or another international NGO. I have a passion for women’s health and would like to see that bettered across the continent.

I have a willingness, desire and ambition to work as a health care practitioner in disadvantaged and under-served areas in South Africa. I would also like to attend the Ukwanda Rural Clinical School in my final year. I see it as a remarkable opportunity to work in a setting that reflects the majority of the South African experience as a patient, as well as to prepare me for internship and community service. Last year in December I did my elective at Louis Pasteur Hospital, a private medical institution in Pretoria. Before the elective, I had assumed that I would someday work in the private sector. The resources are readily available and working hours being at the discretion of the practitioner were a few of the reasons I found appealing. After that elective, I am more motivated to work in public hospitals and provide my service there. All people, regardless of how much money they make and the level of healthcare they can afford, are entitled to good healthcare by good doctors who care and I want to be one of them.

 I am currently in my final year of medicine at Stellenbosch University. I was always attracted to Stellenbosch University and had my hopes of becoming a graduate of this university for Medicine since I realized I wanted to pursue this degree. This was mainly after I was informed that Stellenbosch Interns had the reputation of being the best of this country. I wanted to be the best, I wanted to see myself in that light. And with the rigorous course this degree turned out to be, I am glad I strapped my boots and put myself through it. Because regardless of the unrelenting feeling of Imposter Syndrome, every time I get better and tackle another obstacle, I know it is making me a greater doctor, professional and student than before. I am from a small town in North West, called Brits and attended a Christian school all my life. My whole life was considerably small and intimate, and I loved it. I did, however, want to leave such an environment to be able to experience things outside of my bubble and this was another reason that pushed me to apply to Maties. I was raised by my mother after my father passed away in 2004. She is a Neonatal ICU Nurse and she and my father were a critical reason I fell in love with Medicine. I always knew I would end up studying this, doing this. Nothing else made as much sense to me. My brother on the other hand was attracted to anything else and he was busy studying Law when he was unfortunately mugged and killed in 2019. This obviously shattered my family once again and I am very thankful to my family as a whole. Without them and the support structures surrounding me, I don’t think I would have made it through the last few years academically. I applied for this and many other bursaries because my mother had to take on the debt my brother’s school was owed after his passing, and she cannot afford paying for both our educations at the same time. Because we are considered ‘Middle Missing’, not many organisations were eager to assist with funding and I ended up deciding to take out a student loan with Standard Bank. This bursary will help ease the financial strain of the loan and I am grateful for that. Because of my experiences, I know I can go through anything and make it out. I consider myself to be an understanding human being and I place this trait very high in my priorities as a healthcare provider. I believe that above all else, people want to feel comforted, really cared for and heard by their doctor and I try to bring that energy into every interaction I have with a patient. I strive to be the doctor my family can be comfortable having by their sides when they receive bad news, when they need someone to explain things to them, that they feel they can trust fully. I want to be that for any patient I am privileged to have.

I understand the need to get doctors out to work in rural areas as those are the people that are most detached from services. I am eager to lend a hand in making this experience so much better for people. I was placed in Springbok, Northern Cape for my family medicine rotation in 4th year and I loved it so much, I found myself returning to the town for my fifth-year elective. The experience was so profound that months later in 2021, a patient I took care of in my family medicine rotation had returned to the hospital and asked the doctor in charge to contact me because she wanted to see how I was doing. That phone call stays with me even today because it made me feel seen and appreciated. As if I made a good impression and left such a mark on this lady that she needed to hear from me again. Such an experience is one I would relive over and over again, and you can only really get such in rural areas.

I am an MBChB student at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University. This is my 6th year. I am now in the final phase of my studies called Student Internship (SI). I am from a small town called Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape. Both my parents, and my younger brother are still currently there.

I don’t have the typical story one hears from other medical students. I don’t come from a family with doctors in it. I didn’t grow up knowing that medicine was the career I wanted to pursue. In fact, I only knew it was something I wanted to do in Grade 11 when I had to apply to study. Before that, all I knew was that people and being of help to them was my passion. I think how I got to the point of knowing that becoming a Dr was something I wanted, was in fact a culmination of various experiences in my life.

The first experience I had that made me consider this career was the death of my grandmother. I was in Grade 10 and she had just come back from spending some time with our other family in Cape Town. She stayed with us. She was at home for a day and started to feel ill and within 3 days needed to be taken to the hospital. She died two days later. I remember being very confused as to how all of this happened and seeing her on the different supportive machines was scary. Despite experiencing such a tragic loss, it made me question a lot. What happened? What was the cause? Why was she on those machines? Why didn’t they pick it up? I think that my interest peaked during this time, and in addition to the interest in the field I realized that I wanted to be there in these moments where patients are most vulnerable to assure them that we are trying everything and that they aren’t alone. I hoped that when my grandmother was placed on the machines, that there was someone there to comfort here during that time.

I was never surrounded by doctors in my family, but I did have family members that worked in healthcare. My one aunt was a sister and then worked at the Department of Health. She was a vivacious woman whose passion was community health care. She was a part of many projects designed to improve the lives of patients, and I was blessed to be able to witness how she worked. When she heard that I was joining healthcare, it was a proud moment for her too as she saw what we could do together once I qualified. She always supported me and offered me guidance where she could. However, our journey was cut short as she developed cancer which spread to her brain, and she passed away during my 3rd year.

I am not only doing this for myself but for my family members who have been incredibly supportive of my journey. I am not sure what I would like to specialize in just yet, but I know it will be either oncology, paediatrics, or palliative care, as these are specialties that deal with the most vulnerable and are specialties I have personal experience with. The endgame is to hopefully be able to start a program or get involved with policies to improve healthcare for all especially affordable healthcare.

One of my biggest passions is affordable healthcare. However, in this current setting it is not possible for everyone to receive the same level of healthcare. There are many areas where they do not receive adequate healthcare, and in some cases receive no health treatment at all. I am therefore willing to work in underserved areas to provide the community with other services which would not always be readily available if there was no GP. I believe that providing communities with adequate healthcare will result in an overall improvement in their lives.

I am a 30-year-old gentleman born and bred in a small village of Delareyville in the North West Province. I was raised by my grandparents and aunt – my dad was a miner and he had tuberculosis when I was 2 years old and unfortunately died because it was a struggle for him to get treatment back then, my mom worked as a domestic worker in Klerksdorp and used to come home once a month on a weekend to see us and bring us some food, I used to also visit her during school holidays and I used to be amazed at how easy life seemed to be in the suburbs and I really wanted that for myself so my mom used to say the only way I would get that would be to study hard and stay in school and that really pushed as I was considered to be a gifted learner and did well in school so knew I had the potential to do well for myself but did not know how I was going to go about reaching my dreams. My grandparents died in 2001 and 2002 it was quite a difficult period for my family, so I continued staying with my aunt while my mom was working at Klerksdorp. My mom also unfortunately died in November 2007 I still remember that period quite vividly in my head because it was during my grade 10 final year exams, as everything was happening, I felt so helpless because at 16 I had lost so much and my future also did not look promising at all but I took my mom’s final words to me with me everywhere I went, she told me she will always be in my heart and she knew that I was going to be a doctor and a great one at that so I studied even harder and managed to pass my matric with 4 distinctions with an average of 77% being the first person in our school’s history to achieve such results. My aunt is still back at home retired now but her daughter works at Parkmed Hospital as a cleaner and helps us financially.

I have always wanted to become a doctor; I grew up in a village access to health care was a nightmare and it still is today. At our local clinic, the doctor only comes once a week, and the nearest hospital is 20KM away. I have always wanted to help others and I would read about doctors not wanting to work in the rural areas and I do not blame them because the state of our health system is bad, but I knew that if we were to bring change to our disadvantaged communities we the people from the rural areas would need to take up space and bring about that change. Admission to medica schools is very competitive so when I could not get into medicine after Grade 12 I went to the University of the Free State and enrolled for a Bachelor of Science in Human Molecular Biology, after completing I then did a BSc honours degree in Genetics then I finally got accepted for medicine at Stellenbosch University and the University of Pretoria when I had to pick between the two Universities the rural clinical school of Stellenbosch University was one of the factors that swayed me into picking to studies at Stellenbosch University hence I am currently completing my final year of medical school at one of Ukwanda’s level 1 hospitals in Caledon.

In future I would like work at home for a few years after completing my internship then specialising in paediatrics then going back to serving in disadvantaged areas – throughout my medical school career I have seen that a lot of infants presents to hospital with severe acute malnutrition and when you investigate the causes what comes up the most is social issues so I do not only want to treat the diseases but I am also passionate about teaching and doing a lot of health promotion and being a health care advocate especially for our vulnerable communities. So, I am very committed and willing to work in level 1 hospitals I feel like that is where we are really needed.

I am 22 years old, turning 23 on 12 April 2022. I live in Wellington, a small town in the Cape Winelands, about 45 minutes’ drive from Cape Town. I’ve lived in this beautiful small town all my life, and grew up with its scorching summer heat, cold rainy winters, and breath-taking sunsets.

I live with my two parents, grandmother, and brother. I am the youngest of two sons in my family – my mother’s last born and first worry. My mother works as a laboratory manager at Paarl Valley Bottling Company in Wellington, where she has been working for a very long time. My dad is a production manager at Continental Cobbles in Kraaifontein. He used to have his own business hiring out building equipment. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out well and he had to look for work and was eventually employed at Continental Cobbles as the production manager in 2017. My older brother is 2 years older than me – a year and 8 months to be precise. He is currently studying to get his Mechanical Engineering degree at Stellenbosch University. Before this, he studied at CPUT where he graduated and got his Mechanical Engineering (Mechatronics) diploma. He was planning to get his B. Tech degree, but the course was phased out just before he could join. As such, he chose to study at Stellenbosch University to get a certificate in engineering. My grandmother also lives with us and is a pensioner.

I spent my high school career at Paarl Boys’ High Primary School and Paarl Boys’ High School. I enjoyed my school career and appreciate the lessons and experiences I had during this time. I enjoyed playing rugby in primary school, but not high school because my dad thought I was too small. I also sang in the choir in primary school and high school until grade ten (when it was stopped). In high school, I also played hockey in grade 8, played in our school’s drumline, played table tennis. Looking back, I regret not taking advantage of the opportunities the school had to offer. However, travelling was always an issue as I had to drive to school every day.

I never really knew what exactly I wanted to do after school. At first, I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my brother and become an engineer. This was more out of a reverence for my brother and a desire to be like him rather than a personal keen interest to be an engineer. Thereafter, I wanted to become a food scientist to follow in the footsteps of my mother. Thereafter, a lawyer. Thereafter, a forensic scientist. Eventually, I decided to become a doctor. Looking back, I’ve always had great appreciation for science and an interest to do something that involves working with science (whilst having a wife who’d manage our finances). I enjoyed biology and looking at the way the body works. I also liked the idea of being able to diagnose and treat someone with an illness. Along with this, I learnt that doctors do well financially. To be frank, I found this appealing, and it contributed to my desire to become a health professional one day. However, my whole mindset of being a doctor, regarding what it means to me, what it offers and what I gain from being a doctor, has changed tremendously over the years. I’ve come to the realisation that being a healthcare practitioner opens doors to truly unique and valuable experiences; you’re granted a great opportunity to serve other people in need (who aren’t always easy to help), people trust you with truly personal experiences and information, it also creates an opportunity to learn about a wide range of interesting things that are important to know as a healthcare practitioner (e.g. guns, the law, insects and animals, etc.), and it also exposes one to some of the harsh realities of being a fallible human being which I think is important and grows one in humility.

This change in perception of the medical doctor, I’m extremely thankful for and attribute this to good influences from relationships I’ve built and the personal growth I’ve undergone over the years. It would therefore be my pleasure to serve and plough back into disadvantaged and underserved area and try uplift its people through what I’ve learnt over the years.
My desire to work in a disadvantaged and under-served area has been on my heart for quite a while. However, I was never sure whether I truly wanted to work in this type of setting because I didn’t know if my expectations would line up with the realities of rural medicine – This was until recently. At the end of last year, we (the MB, ChB 4 students) had the opportunity to do a clinical or research elective in any medical field anywhere in the world. I decided to do a clinical elective at Zithulele Hospital, which is a rural hospital situated in the Zithulele Village in the Eastern Cape, about 90 km from Mthatha. This was a very good experience as it cleared up quite a lot of things for me regarding my future. I could definitely say that after I graduate, I would like to practice in a rural area for at least a few years in my life. Seeing the hardworking doctors face the unique experiences that rural medicine has to offer on a daily, whilst being eager to teach us as students, was something that I found appealing and strengthened my desire to work in a disadvantaged and underserved area in South Africa.

This rural experience together with my exposure to the Mbekweni Be Part Yoluntu Centre during our early clinical rotations last year, helped me to focus on the holistic patient-centred approach to patients, which goes further than the walls of the hospital – looking at patients with their illnesses in their unique circumstances (Contexts and perspectives on health), and finding the most appropriate management plan for them in those unique circumstances, and ensuring that they understand the importance of healthy living and adopt it through the continuing process of health promotion. This I enjoy doing and see myself doing as a healthcare practitioner.

My name is Zayyaan Dalvie, and I will be turning 23 years old this year in April. I am a Muslim woman of Coloured / Indian descendent. I was born in South Africa and have been living in Cape Town my entire life. I attended Surrey Primary School, which is an underprivileged school that my father was employed by as a teacher. I then went on to attend Livingstone High School, which was also a public school, until I was lucky enough to be accepted by Stellenbosch University for Medicine. I am currently in my final year of studies; thus, it is imperative that I receive financial assistance in order to complete my degree.

I grew up in a lower/middle class family that worked hard to get to where we are today. My parents have always instilled in me the importance of knowledge and giving back what we have learnt. My father would always say, ‘Knowledge is the key to success’, which was the motto of the school he taught at. My mom is a housewife, and my father was a teacher, being the sole provider of our family. He initially began teaching Technology and then went on to teach more subjects like Natural Sciences and Economics. My father was a brilliant teacher that impacted many students lives and I was lucky enough to be his student. My heart is deeply saddened describing him as he passed away last year November. It came as a sudden and terrible shock to my mother, sister, and myself.

My sister and I are still finding it particularly hard to resume back to normal life. She moved to Johannesburg as she graduated last year and was meant to work there but being alone after suffering a loss has taken its toll and she has decided to come back home. My father was truly my best friend and pillar of strength. He mentored me to be my best self and I am where I am today because of the sacrifices he made for me to prosper. I was so blessed to have a father who always made sure that I was okay in every aspect, packing lunches for hospital calls and even fetching me after calls. It has been very challenging starting this final year and hospital rotation block without him here. I know that there is no option but to be strong as I have so much to be thankful for.

Ever since I was a young child, I had always told my mother that I wanted to become a doctor. As I grew older, medicine was still on top of my list, but I had always wanted to pursue a career in the Medical Health Sciences, with Pharmacy, Psychology and Forensics Science being next in line. Although I found Biology and Science to be the most interesting subjects, I think my choice stemmed from helping others. My chosen profession reflects my passion to help others, be it medically or just a helping hand. The ability to help others and make such a big difference in their lives is truly the most fulfilling part. In all honesty I had no idea just how challenging and taxing this degree would be, but I would not be able to picture myself in any other profession. I am yet to see which field I am truly passionate about in order to decide which field I would like to specialize in the near future.

I am very passionate about giving back to those less fortunate because that less fortunate person may very well be myself or a member of my family. This has always been the way I see things, but I think particularly a lot more given the circumstances. I was very set on my decision to do my internship in a place other than Cape Town, be it rural or not but I wanted to gain a different experience. However, that has changed for me as I personally believe that family always comes first as it renders the character of who you are as a person and it plays a big impact on your psychosocial well-being in order to provide patients with the best possible care.

I am Sonia Muthoni Muchiri, a black, Kenyan-South African woman. Unfortunately, this comes with many challenges but I do believe these challenges have shaped me, as I’ve learned to accept every inch, colour and curve that I see in the mirror. I am empowered by people around me and challenge myself to empower those I can with the privileges I have been afforded. This is why I chose to study medicine. In South Africa there is a hug disparity among social classes which means the access to good quality medical care depends on the privileges that life has afforded you. I believe the resources to improve health care services in the public sector are available, however, they are mismanaged. It is up to us, the future health professionals of South Africa to change the system. Equity is different from equality in a system that is damaged by historical injustices.

I am a middle child. I have a sister who is 4 years older than me and younger brother that came when I was 8 years old. My father manages a farm and my mom helps him with it but mostly stayed at home to raise us. She taught me the value of helping others from a young age. When we first arrived in South Africa, she helped start an HIV&AIDS NGO that unfortunately is now closed due to a lack of funding. Not only that, but during the first few month of level 5 lockdown a group of Kenyans lead by my parents and their friends got together and started a relief fund for the foreign people who could not get grants from the government and were left jobless. How could I not want to help others when my parents are so willing to, even when times are tough for themselves.

My father and his brother came to South Africa in 2002 and bought a farm together. They were the youngest out of 9 and grew up on a tea and coffee farm in Kirinyaga County, the former Central Province of Kenya. When I was 5 years old, my mom, my sister and I moved to SA to join him. However, as I’m you sure you know, family and business isn’t always the best mix and that did not work out.

My family is really close and I couldn’t imagine going through this life without them. They are my rock and main support system. In my first year of university, we experienced a farm attack where my father was shot in his leg. Going through that really brought us closer as a family.

My name is Brandon Mbongeni Sibanda. I am 21 years old and currently a 5th year MBChB student at Stellenbosch university. I was born in Zimbabwe but due to the economic status my family had to migrate for a better living. Unfortunately, not all my family members could get permits so as a result my father and I moved to South Africa when I was 13 so he could work and I could continue my studies. Tragically my father died from a stroke when I was 16 which was heart-breaking and left us in a vulnerable state financially.

Thankfully, a few thoughtful friends and family helped fund my education till this point. Whether it was by helping me apply for financial assistance or subsidising the fees themselves. They helped push me to work hard and stay focused at school. At the end of high school I chose to study medicine for a number of reasons. Firstly, studying medicine meant I would have a career with a stable income so I could have a good standard of living for myself and my family. Secondly because having a career in medicine could mean I get the chance to help many people. Thirdly because of the level of respect I will receive when I am competent in my career. Lastly because of my father, he believed I could do anything I pour my heart into and when he had the stroke, he had to be driven a long distance to a hospital and waited a long time before a doctor could see him. I cannot help but think that all the time wasted was what could have saved him.

A detailed snapshot of my life and what motivated me to pursue medicine:

Coming from humble beginnings, that being a low-income household within a relatively impoverished community, I have always thought far beyond my circumstances as they were at the time and I was determined from early childhood to pursue these vast ambitions.

As a black queer man from the Eastern Cape being in university for the past 3 years of MBChB at Stellenbosch University, I have learnt and grown a lot. Daily, I learn to find my voice and step out of my shell to become a possible agent of change to the current health system and beyond. I realise I do still have a lot of years to fully realise my potential. Despite the challenges that come with this degree, I have managed to perform well academically without any failures thus far and my clinical expertise improves the more I engage.

Coming from a family of 6 in a medium-sized household situated in Ezibeleni, a township in Queenstown, it has not always been easy making ends meet. A lot of sacrifices have been made by my parents, both of whom I live with. My mother works as a sales consultant at Sanlam Sky, meanwhile my father is unemployed. I also live with my younger sister who is a second-year student in Psychology at Nelson Mandela University, my older sister who is employed as a secretary at a local hospital on a basic salary, as well as my niece who is in Grade 4 this year. Considering the above-mentioned, the family expenses, limited as they are, must be allocated according to each person’s need monthly. Above and beyond this, financial support tends to be extended to relatives outside the household due to family-related obligations.

As a medical student currently, I am fortunate enough to be funded by NSFAS, however I live far from home and not all expenses are covered. Additional expenses include internet, printing, laundry, society fees, medical attire such as scrubs, vaccinations, transportation and medical instruments such as stethoscopes and a dissection kit. These are not covered unfortunately and are payable by me to my student account. The amount allocated by NSFAS for groceries and stationery is also not enough to cover the actual cost of items purchased especially taking into consideration the increase in prices. Therefore, as it stands, my only sources of income are from NSFAS and a small monthly contribution from home. Issues have, however, risen whereby NSFAS has not honoured the part of the agreement whereby they should pay so I am currently not registered and have not been receiving allowances thus far, which has made this past month incredibly difficult as it has always been in the past.

It has always been a dream of mine to study medicine since I was little. Most of the choices I made, although some were quite difficult, I managed to land up in my dream career path and it has been an incredibly overwhelming but, overall, a rewarding journey thus far. Over the years I have learnt to challenge my positionality and took several risks to grow and get out of my comfort zone. I love learning and I believe everything I have went through and being in the system for so long, there have been numerous opportunities to learn and not just academically. I want to be a well-rounded, holistic individual who can contribute to society with the skills I have and then acquiring even more skills the further I continue. I would not trade these experiences for anything in the world although some I would not relive because it gets tough. However, I like challenges and thinking critically, and the clinical environment offers that for me. Also, the financial incentive is just the cherry on top which will allow me to escape my current financial circumstances.

In support of my appeal, I am a driven person. Optimism and ambition are qualities that I embody. I believe I can make a meaningful contribution to the profession and further on into society. In order to achieve this, I believe that it begins on campus. I am actively involved in various campus societies. I was an executive committee member of SPRECTRUM! Society (LGBTQIAP+) overseeing media and branding. I was a door monitor in 2019 and last year I was a MenTut, a first year tutor-mentor, employed by the university with a tiny incentive. I was also part of the critical engagement society as a facilitator, I also participated in social impact initiatives including reading to children in the hospital and the like. In addition, I took time to be an Accounting tutor to matrics and I was involved socially in sport. It is still my objective to continue being active on campus and seek opportunities for growth and a financial boost. My ability to be flexible enough to engage in various aspects of life beyond academics shows drive to be a holistic human being.

Expression of willingness, desire and ambition to pursue rural medicine:

My first introduction to rural medicine occurred in 2017 for me, when I was invited for ‘Visit@Tygerberg’ following my acceptance into MBChB at Stellenbosch University. Following that day’s presentation at the Worcester campus, I have had something to ruminate on over the years as it appealed to me then. It opened my eyes to a whole other sphere of medicine that I had not previously thought about and the unique opportunities for rich learning that I could get from that as well as the immense skill I must possess to be competent thereof. In addition to this, we got introduced to how the health system operates in our country and, coming from a background with a district hospital that is quite under-resourced, I could already point out some discrepancies between how the health system could be ideal and the harsh realities that we face in this country that pose a significant challenge in tackling the issues that influence such discrepancies. The more I am in the system and the more clinical exposure I get, my role in terms of effecting change becomes more evident although, at the moment, I cannot say so for its entirety seeing that I have only had very little clinical exposure thus far.

Recently, we just had a module called ‘Dr As A Change Agent in Communities’ which challenged me to strive to be a change agent in my own community by means of attempting to bridge the gap between striving to achieve the best possible holistic patient health outcomes and where we currently are in terms of our progress. After personally assuming the role as a patient in our public health sector and I have taken note of the realities that we face and I believe that more can be done to improve things. Therefore, how better would it be to do this for those living in rural communities where amenities are scarce. The issues faced there are unique and prominent since they are such a vulnerable population and very susceptible to serious illness. It would be my role as a doctor in those communities to serve as a leader and an example. In addition, I should always strive for patient-centred care and acquire great skill in order to be an active member in providing the expected advanced outcome. Hence, I strive to live with integrity as far as possible and I follow through with my ambitions until I manifest them. Thus, I would also like to see the possible changes through that I could implement during my years of service in these underserved communities as I resonate with the difficulties that are often encountered which are often overlooked in general practice.

My name is Nicole Celeste Petersen, and I am currently in my fifth year of studies at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. I am 21 years old, soon to be 22, and I am from Paarl. I have lived in Paarl for all my life, and I attended William Lloyd Primary School and New Orleans Secondary School. During the academic year (which for a medical student is 47 weeks of the 52), I live in Meerhoff residence on Tygerberg Campus. My interests include fitness, holistic health and well-being, and I enjoy reading, journaling, and drawing in my free time.  Three words that I would use to describe who I am include compassionate, diligent, and trustworthy.

I am the eldest of two children- I have a 17-year-old brother named Matthew who recently finished his final year in school. My parents are Maxwell and Melitta Petersen. My father is an electrical technician and is employed by JHA Electronics, while my mother is a retail assistant at Woolworths Paarl Mall. We are a simple family, blessed with just enough. My parents have always worked very hard to support me in everything that I have taken on and continue to help me where they are able to.

At school, I have always enjoyed the sciences the best and I knew that I would pursue a career in one of its many fields. When I was Grade 4, I was sure that I would be a paediatrician. As time went on, I also considered a career in psychology in Grade 8, but that did not last very long. By the time I was in Grade 9, when we had to select our subjects, I officially committed to Medicine. Growing up, my life has not been one of abundance, but I had enough. I was, however, aware of greater hardships in the lives of those around me- it became more evident at high school, where the diversity of the student body was greater, and I was more mature and able to discern what needs surrounded me. I realized that I was passionate about improving the lives of others. At that point in time, becoming a doctor seemed like the best way to incorporate my fascination with science and my desire to help people. Hence, I worked very hard to get into medical school and to receive bursaries as I knew my parents would not be able to fund my studies. If you are wondering why I did not opt for becoming a social worker (as they are more focused on actively changing the lives of others like I imagine I would do), my nature as a person would not survive being immersed in the suffering that fellow South Africans face. In any case, I am satisfied to have found that medicine is moving away from the disease-focused approach towards the bio-psychosocial-spiritual way of dealing with patients.

While I cannot exactly say what I plan for my future after I have qualified as a doctor, I know that I will be staying in South Africa. I grew up in a family dependent on the public health sector for all their medical needs. One of my family members lost their sight because of uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus at the young age of 47 and lost his livelihood as a result- he was the breadwinner. In a case such as this, prevention of end organ damage is the responsibility of Primary Health Care facilities and it is often these centers- the first contact point of patients with the health care system- that are most under-resourced and understaffed. Our clinical rotations are mainly, if not only, in state facilities, and the need of the patients is overwhelmingly obvious and therefore it is not something that I could just easily turn my back on. So, while I do not know exactly where I will be able to find work, I know that I am decided to strive to work in my community where I can serve those whose health is affected and influenced by factors other than just pure the pathophysiology of diseases.

Who I am?

My name is Siyamthanda Mndebele.

Very briefly, Siyamthanda is a young, dynamic, and God-fearing young man whose philosophy is ‘changing the world, a life at a time’. This philosophy reinforces the values surrounding this career path as it reminds you that with almost every life you encounter, you are bound to influence their life choices. Be of good influence, therefore. That way, a better and healthier world can be fostered. Much of who I am and what I do stems from this philosophy. I am an advocate of progress and change; and love, peace and tolerance are my virtues.

Where do I come from?

Born and bred in the small town of Newcastle in KwaZulu Natal, myself and my two older siblings Kwandubuhle (sister) and Minenhle (brother) were raised by a single mother, Tshwe Mavuso, who meant everything to us. I say meant as our mother has since left us in the world in January of 2019 while I was starting my second year of medical school. This was a hard knock in my life, which trickles into the reasons why I do what I do, which I will soon elaborate on.

I grew up in a cis-gender, homophobic and religious community where a young homosexual lad such as me could not flourish nor was enabled the autonomy to lead a “normal life” as other teenagers. I have grown to understand that normalcy is a subjective definition for each person, and they need to be afforded the opportunity to define that for themselves with no confounding factors. Since I was deprived this ‘autonomy’, most of my childhood revolved around me suppressing myself. A lot of these feelings of inadequacy were quelled by having a mother who chose to protect me and love me regardless. This became my saving grace and I wanted to give her the best life possible, which is why losing her was the heaviest thing as I lost a mother; a friend; a confidant and a protector. I was introduced to a myriad of mental health issues due to this and a lot of growth and healing had to happen. I had to learn that things fall apart to make way for something new to emerge. Pain is a test that sets one up for a promotion and all things realign for those who have faith that things will get better. I have also grown rich in compassion which I feel is a cornerstone quality every health care professional needs to possess. In a nutshell that is who I am, and I believe that the aforementioned qualities will equip me with the grit needed to execute this job with class, dignity and excellence.

My Family Situation

As previously mentioned, I have a family of three which consists of my sister, brother and I. Our mother, who passed away in 2019, was an educator. Our home is situated in Newcastle and the three of us live alone. Each of us pretty much live a life where one needs to fend for oneself. This is unfortunate but under the circumstances there isn’t anything we can do as none of us are employed as yet, so we can’t help each other extensively. My sister is a Musical Theatre student at Tshwane University of Technology and my brother is the one who remains at home for majority of the year while my sister and I are at school. He is however unemployed but does piece jobs to fend for himself. Much of the change we need in my family situation, therefore, hinges on me obtaining this degree.

What Motivated me to study at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences:

Human life is precious and sacred. Being in a fraternity whose mandate is to preserve it and improve its quality was one of my biggest desires growing up. Now having seen the real circumstances surrounding the health system in South Africa and having lost my mother due to the system not being readily accessible to those who are economically deprived, I want to do my bit in serving those people.

Being black, I have experienced marginalization first-hand, which is why being in this career is also about representation for me. I want to show children from disenfranchised backgrounds that they too are just as powerful and as competent as their counterparts. Anyone can attain excellence but what they need is opportunity and nurturing. I want to be the result image of “seizing an opportunity with both hands; thus, changing your life story”.

Also, I chose Stellenbosch University specifically because this degree is structured in such a way that promotes the actual practice of medicine already from the first year. Although such rigor could be deemed too much for undergraduates, the ultimate training we receive prepares us for the real, complex issues we will face as practitioners, even in our early years post-graduation.

How I see myself working as a health Practitioner in the future:

I plan on dipping my foot into both the public and private sectors. My main goal is to serve in underserved areas (public). Over and above that, the ultimate desire is to one day establish a health care centre that will aim to alleviate the dire circumstances surrounding health care in those areas. The route I will take in the private sector is that which aligns with another interest of mine, which is Aesthetic Medicine. With this I hope to one day incept an aesthetics centre and a skincare range with the goal of building generational wealth for my family.

“We are all smart, that’s how we all got here, to study at one of the most prestigious universities in South Africa. In that regard we are all the same, but what’s going to set you apart from the rest is your service.” – Dr Almero Oosthuizen.

You can call me Maphutuma, Palesa Maphutuma (or Dr Maphutuma in less than 24 months time). I am a 23 year old God-fearing, proudly South African female. I was born and raised in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa, spending the earlier years of my life in a township called Soshanguve. When I turned 7, my parents decided to move from Soshanguve into the suburb of Montana. I mean one can imagine what a drastic change in scenery that must have been. Later on in my life, after high school, I decided to enroll at the University of Stellenbosch, to study medicine, moving almost 2000 km from my family and what I knew to be home, and that’s how we find ourselves here. I’m the last of 3 of my parent’s children, and the only girl among boys. I am fortunate to say my parents are still happily married. My family is my lifeline, I look to them for comfort and support in the most trying times of my life.

My father is recently retired, and my mother is still currently working.

I’m currently studying medicine at the University of Stellenbosch, and often times when people ask me why I chose to study medicine, I tell them that I didn’t choose medicine but instead medicine chose me. Growing up I’ve never envisioned myself as anything other than a doctor. From a very tender age I would ask my parents to buy me toy stethoscopes, and medical equipment so that I can make my sick dolls feel better. Medicine is my passion. As I grew up I found myself constantly drawn to rural settlement health and wellbeing, and I’ve always said I honestly despise how the rural sector in our country suffers from below par health services because of limited resources and service availability. I know it’s not possible to change the status-quo by myself but I hope that at least I can make a little difference to the few 100 people, who’s community I will be serving once I am a doctor.

My philosophy to medicine is delivering first world quality health-care and resource to the third world country to uplift it’s communities, and youth.

btf

I’m Lontie Malesele Mathibe, born and raised in Patantshwane Village, Sekhukhune in Limpopo. I come from a big family of 20 children. My father has married three wives and out of them it’s him and my mother who provide for the family financially. My dad is looking after the other 2 household and my mom looks after hers, and currently there are three of us in tertiary institutions thus my mother can’t afford to pay for our studies.

Why medicine?

In the bill of rights, it said that everyone has the right to access health care but how do you access health care if there aren’t enough health care providers? This was reason I wanted to study medicine. The lack of human resources continues to be predicament in our country especially in rural areas. Studies have shown that the ratio of physicians to patients in Limpopo is <1 physician to 1000 of patients. Some healthcare providers can’t take the pressure and end up leaving to work in less constrained environments, sadly patients suffer.

Our people deserve a dignified access to healthcare services if not equal. What is available to urbans should also be available to our people because we face similar health challenges. I’m grateful that there are programs that encourages medical students or physicians to work in underserved communities however it is still not enough as some don’t stay long. This leaves us who reside in such communities to bring the change and improve health care access.

Working as health care practitioner in the future

I see myself as someone who will bring change by means of health education. Community health education establishes awareness and it allows communities the opportunity to know how to take care of themselves. This is evident with the pandemic we are facing. I would love to directly interact with communities because as much as radios and televisions are the platform used some people do not have access to them. Through knowledge we can stop misinformation and clarify uncertainties.

I would love to be more involved in prevention of non-communicable disease through community fitness programs. Our lifestyle has changed drastically, we no longer need to walk a distance to fetch water or fetch wood to make fire, everything is closer to us thus an increase in number of people with lifestyle disease. I have this crazy idea of having outdoor gyms or each year have marathons were prizes will be won to encourage people to start exercising. Through these programs, we can reduce the cost that individuals and government spend on medical treatments.

My name is Anees Esau and I am a 23 year old Muslim male of Cape Malay descent. I was born and raised in Salt River, Cape Town where I lived with my parents and two siblings. My siblings and I were enrolled at the local school, Cecil road primary, a small but well-maintained establishment. I attended the school for the entirety of my primary school years (grade R to grade 7). Whilst providing the minimal primary school educational requirements, the school did not offer any extracurricular activities and gave little room for personal growth and development. As a student at Cecil Road, I found myself feeling stunted and despite having other interests and dreams, I was unable to pursue them due to limited opportunities.

At the age of 9, I became fascinated with the “Horrible Science” comic book collection written by Nick Arnold. The series’ main theme was science, however it also featured a lot of medical terms and research, which sparked my interest in the medical profession. Initially it was a fleeting thought, however by the time I reached grade 7, I still desperately longed to be a doctor. Each time I had to go to the local doctor, Doctor Jakoet, I would inquisitively inquire about my illnesses and the medications etc. Doctor Jakoet (R.I.P) has played a huge role in encouraging me to pursue my dream and helped answer all of my questions on each visit.

My parents always wanted the best for me and did not want me to be limited by our financial circumstances. This drove my mother to research schools outside of our community that would hopefully equip me with proficient knowledge to pursue a University degree. In 2010, I applied and was awarded the Kids Foundation (now Spirit Foundation) scholarship. The scholarship agreement stated that my fees would be paid for each academic year provided that I maintained a 60% average. I thought that in order to achieve greatness and follow my dreams I would need to be enrolled at a great school. Wynberg Boys’ High school, one of the oldest and most prestigious boys’ schools was my school of choice and I was fortunate enough to be accepted as a student – the school rarely accepted students from communities such as Salt River. Coming from a small community with minimal exposure to growth, I initially found the school to be daunting. However, over the years I was exposed to many different opportunities which excited yet challenged me and helped mould the person I am today. Wynberg Boys’ equipped me with both life and academic skills and provided me with a good, strong work ethic which I could adapt to all areas of my life.

Wynberg Boys’ motto is the Latin phrase “Supera moras” which may be translated to “never giving up” – it is a phrase which resonated with me greatly for it seemed to describe my ongoing journey and struggle to success.

In grade 10, at the career’s evening, I watched a thought-provoking lecture on medicine and what the requirements were to study it. This lecture solidified my choice to follow a career path in the medical field. Since I have been driven by this dream for many years, I had little to no interest in any other field. At the time my marks were nowhere near up to par with what it should be, in order to realistically consider a career in medicine. Even though I worked to the best of my abilities in grade 8 and grade 9, I realized that I still needed to get used to Wynberg Boys’ Standard of education, as it was a big change from the standard at Cecil. Despite the initial set back, I was determined to improve my marks during my last three years of high school and underwent extra tutoring (provided by my scholarship) and sought help where possible from peer tutors and teachers. Thankfully my marks improved considerably over the years and I was able to be accepted into medicine for the EDP (Extended Degree Programme) course.

Since I have been enrolled as a student at Tygerberg medical campus I have relied on loans from the University to cover my fees. Additionally, my loans also covered my rental for the student house that I lived in in Parow Valley. The reason I had to live in a student house rather than my home in Salt River was due to the fact that my parents were unable to take me to campus every day and also there were no lift clubs around the area. It has recently been announced (at the beginning of 2020) that the University will no longer be providing students with these loans and therefore this has encouraged me to apply for bursaries for my 5th and final year.

The accumulation of the loans since my first year in 2016 has caused me tremendous anxiety and uncertainty due to not knowing whether I would receive a loan each year in order to continue and complete my degree. This constant stress has had both positive and negative impacts on my studying and as a result I have always been driven by the fear of failure and the need to succeed. At the beginning of the 2020 academic year, I was fortunate enough to be awarded the Ithemba bursary fund. Although the bursary was only temporary, covering me for the remainder of the year, it really helped ease the burden of stress and brought me comfort in knowing that my fees for 2020 would not be added to my loan debt.

My parents have a rich history of being in debt and as a result we are currently blacklisted. My father has no degree or qualifications and that is why he’s working as a driver. My mother was employed as a business banker at FNB, however, due to a change in policy, their staff was required to pay for medical aid which my mother could not afford. As a result, she was forced to resign in 2017. She is still unemployed leaving my father as the sole bread winner. My parents sold our house in Salt River in 2017 in an attempt to pay off their debts. We are currently renting an affordable house in Plattekloof but even so, most of my family’s expenses is being allocated to the rent and groceries leaving no money for mine or my sisters’ university expenses (stationary, books etc.).

I am a hard working student with a passion for gaining knowledge and have always tried my best to overcome all of the obstacles in my path. Whenever I place my focus on a particular task, whatever it may be, I would do everything in my power to see it through to the end. This can be applied to working as a doctor one day. Striving to achieve my goals is what I am best at.

Jou Inhoud Komt Hier

“Ik zit momenteel in het laatste jaar van mijn opleiding tot arts aan de universiteit van Stellenbosch. Ik ben geboren in Durban in KwaZoeloe-Natal.

Ik ben nu 28 jaar. Mijn vader stierf toen ik 10 jaar was. In 2009 werd mijn moeder ziek, zij was verpleegster. Omdat mijn moeder kostwinner was en ook de opvoeding van de twee kinderen van mijn overleden oudere zus op zich nam, was er geen geld voor mijn studie.

Dankzij een beurs van de Holland Stellenbosch Medical Foundation kan ik nu mijn droom om dokter te worden waarmaken. Ik ben van plan om in de provincie waar ik vandaan kom een baan als arts te vinden”.

  “Even een update. Ik zit nog steeds in Hermanus, ik geniet elke dag weer van mijn verblijf in deze prachtige stad. Het werk gaat goed, ik heb in de afgelopen periode veel geleerd. Onderstaand een korte opsomming van mijn activiteiten.

Ik werk als ergotherapeut in Overstrand een gemeente in het sub district Overberg van de West Kaap provincie. In het ziekenhuis van Hermanus behandel ik patiënten die voor opname komen en patiënten die na een medische ingreep het ziekenhuis weer mogen verlaten. Daarnaast werk ik ook in een aantal andere kleinere klinieken in dorpen in de West Kaap provincie zoals Kleinmond, Hawston, Stanford en Gansbaai. Als ergotherapeut behandel ik ook patiënten in het Hawston Care Centre. Tussendoor doe ik rolstoel clinics voor mensen met een fysieke beperking, ik doe dat in nauwe samenwerking met een orthopedisch instrumentmaker.

Van tijds tot organiseren wij informatie bijeenkomsten waar we instructieve voordrachten houden en aandacht voor specifieke onderwerpen vragen. We werken ook samen met lokale organisaties zoals de vereniging voor mensen met een fysieke beperking.

Zoals je ziet is er veel werk voor een ergotherapeut, het is dankbaar werk en zeer afwisselend, het verveeld nooit. Ik leer veel van de verscheidenheid aan patiënten en aandoeningen. Het is zo mooi om voor het individu en voor de gemeenschap iets te kunnen betekenen. Het werken in
verschillende klinieken maakt mijn werk nog interessanter plus het feit dat ik onderweg van de meest fantastische en mooie uitzichten geniet.

Voor dit moment ben ik erg blij en tevreden met wat ik doe, vooral omdat ik voor de vaak armlastige patiënten het leven dragelijker kan maken. Ik blijf hier zeker nog een tijdje. Ik wil graag nog eens zeggen hoe dankbaar ik ben voor de beurs die ik van de HSMF heb gekregen. De beurs maakte een groot verschil voor mij. Zonder de beurs zou ik niet in staat geweest zijn naar UKWANDA te gaan omdat ik en mijn familie de extra kosten voor het verblijf daar niet konden betalen. En het was zo’n fantastisch jaar! Deze ervaring heeft mij veel over mijn beroep maar ook over het leven in het algemeen geleerd. Ik ben de HSMF zeer erkentelijk.”

“Naar aanleiding van ons laatste contact kan ik de HSMF informeren dat het heel goed met mij gaat, ik ben gelukkig en gezond. Ik hoop dat, dat ook voor iedereen van de HSMF geldt. Ik wens jullie het allerbeste voor 2017.

Ik werk niet langer in het provinciaal ziekenhuis in Cradock (Eastern Cape provincie), ik heb daar tot mei 2016 gewerkt. Ik ben terug verhuisd naar mijn geboortestad Port Elizabeth en ben daar in juni 2016 weer aan de slag gegaan. Ik had veel geluk en kreeg de kans in een kliniek te werken waar teenagers, slachtoffers van drugsmisbruik, behandeld worden. Het eerste centrum op dit gebied in de Eastern Cape. De naam van het opvangcentrum is Ernest Malgas Treatment Centre, het ligt in Brighton een buitenwijk van Port Elizabeth, een stad met veel aids problematiek en overlast als gevolg van (drugs-)criminaliteit. Het behandelcentrum werd in april 2016 door het departement van Social Development geopend. Het centrum behandelt kinderen in de leeftijd van 13-18 jaar, zowel meisjes als jongens.

De kinderen volgen een 9 weken durend woon- en multi disciplinair behandelprogramma, het centrum kan tot maximaal 38 kinderen opvangen. Tot op heden ben ik de eerste en enige ergotherapeut in dit centrum, het is tot nu toe een geweldige leerervaring, in het bijzonder omdat ik mijn eigen ergotherapie afdeling run. Ik ben een gezegend mens.

Ik werk samen met verpleegsters, sociaal werkers, jeugdzorg medewerkers, psychologen en psychiaters. Het is een groot verschil met het werk in een ziekenhuisomgeving, maar de verandering van werk heeft mij goed gedaan. Ik heb het gevoel dat ik nu nog meer kan bijdragen aan een beter leven voor kinderen met een achtergrond van drugsmisbruik. Kinderen die na een verblijf bij ons en behandeling weer zicht krijgen op perspectief in het leven.

Graag wil ik de HSMF nog eens bedanken voor de studiebeurs die zij mij gegeven hebben, zonder die beurs zou mijn leven er heel anders uitgezien hebben.”

I want to give my patients the best treatment and health care that they need to be able to function in their daily life.

I am Marinique Wakens and I am from a small place called Grabouw in the Western Cape. I wanted to be part of the heath profession to help other people to live a better life, but I didn’t wanted to be a doctor. My mother suggested that I should try physiotherapy and I went to shadow a few physiotherapist at our day clinic and then I realised I want to be a physiotherapist.

I want to be a physiotherapist, because I want to help people and also make a contribution in the community. I want to give my patients the best treatment and health care that they need to be able to function in their daily life. I see myself working in the disadvantaged and under-served areas and changing people’s lives by putting a smile on their faces when I am a successful physiotherapist.”

“Ek is al sedert vroe jare daarvan bewus dat ek n mediese dokter wou wees. Ek kon nooit myself in n ander rigting sien nie; ek geniet menslike interaksie en die onmiddellike werksatisfaksie wat deur medisyne gebied kan word te veel.

Ek is n doelgerigte en gemotiveerde student wat my kant bring, sedert skooldae, en die afgelope vier jaar op Universiteit, soos my punte getuig. Ek is trots op my akademiese rekord en die harde werk en tyd wat dt van my vereis. Medisyne is n veeleisende kursus, maar ek probeer steeds om n gebalanseerde lewenstyl te handhaaf in terme van sport, gemeenskapsdiens en kultuur.

Gemeenskapsdiens is die hoeksteun van my kursus, maar ek is ook n lid van die Gemeenskapsboukomitee wat voortdurend daarna streef om minder bevoorregte mense in die samelewing se lot te probeer verbeter deur onderrig van nuwe bruikbare vaardighede, n onlangse projek was om n tuin te verbou in Kayamandi. Tydens MAD 2 het ons groot hoeveelhede geld ingesamel vir MGD om welsyn-projekte te help befonds. Verder is my akademiese opleiding is gesentreerd rondom die genesing van siek mense. As my akademiese skedule dt toelaat woon ek ook graag uitreike (MGD-klinieke) by wat daarop fokus om gesondheidsorg aan afgele (landelike), arm en benadeelde mense te bring wat nie reiskostes na mediese sentrums kan bybring nie.

Dit is een van my begeertes om ander te help en vertroos, so dit was tot n mate natuurlik dat ek aangetrokke sou voel tot di beroep. Die versorging van siekes bly tog die standaard waaraan die samelewing gemeet behoort te word.”