S.E.T. for socio-economic growth
National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF)
Menu
Kagiso would like to see healthcare centres become places where people do not fear going when they are sick.
I chose to study medicine, and my choice can be said to be influenced by passion. I didn’t initially love medicine, but I grew to love it. It was the most well-known and reputable career where I grew up. My mother told me that I “must grow to be a doctor,” and that’s what I am working towards. The idea of becoming a doctor was embedded in my head and I saw that I had the qualities and the desire to help those in need while making enough to provide for the life I desire. I decided to be a doctor and work towards what I grew to love and believe I’d be happy to do. I also enjoyed research and studying things, so I wanted to study chemical engineering, but also loved medicine. I thought of choosing medicine at Wits, since it is research based.
My passion, along with my mother’s advice, drove me towards medicine. My mother ended up passing away because of a wrong diagnosis, which delayed treatment. There are many theories about her death. It was labelled as a natural cause, but we don’t really know what actually happened. This actually motivates me towards being a good doctor and I know that I will be satisfied knowing that I’m doing something different. I was also inspired by the medical dramas on television, Grey’s Anatomy and The Good Doctor. These shows portray doctors as people who prioritise their patients, work together as a team, and ultimately cure them. Their failures or mistakes do not break them down, instead they keep on working towards being the best for their patients. They also gave me an idea of what medicine is all about, including the long working hours, which somehow prepared me for the future and taught me that my job should be my priority.
I would like to be a doctor who not only treats patients’ diseases but also treats them holistically. I would like to see healthcare centres become places where people do not fear going when they are sick. I believe patients shouldn’t be treated as a job but as humans. Emotions can have devastating effects on one, more than physical damage. I plan on treating patients with love and patience. I chose the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) because of its research based medicine. I believe that every disease has a cure but it just needs to be found. I will work towards finding cures and pushing the boundaries, but if I can’t, I will leave footprints which might lead others to come after me to our destination.
I completed my schooling at Lesedi Secondary School. I would say that my school was designed for the children who lived in the squatter camps around it. There were some who came from afar to study at our school because of its good reputation. I didn’t feel like I had teachers but instead they were like parents, they did not only teach but also gave ideas on handling academic stress. They were our very own psychiatrists, they didn’t portray any favouritism and they had passion towards their work. Learners would trouble them but they didn’t resort to hating them. The teachers kept the school surroundings professional but not strict, they remained approachable. I would say that I learned passion for one’s career from them.
The fact that they were enjoyable and needed an effort. They needed one to apply critical thinking while they maintained their simplicity. I had great teachers, and I learned to live with those two subjects as I even attended them every weekend at Kutlwanong Centre for Maths, Science and Technology. I also enjoyed physical science and maths because I was a top learner in both subjects. They actually challenged me to find my inner capabilities. I truly enjoyed the peace and victorious feeling I got after finding the answer to that one complicated question.
I think that learners struggle with time management. For that reason, I advise that when they practice questions, they don’t focus solely on finding the right answer but also on finding the correct answers within the assigned time. Maths and science are not hard, they just require time and practice, don’t wait for days after doing a topic but start practicing it the very same day.
The mind needs constant training, once you stop for a while the mind forgets to capture and retain information, hence studying only before an exam doesn’t turn out well. Study all the time and find different practice material. Never resort to cramming until you had tried every other measure, because cramming doesn’t help you to understand and. some questions require true understanding.
The most important thing is to apply for the course and choose the course – not just the university. I believe that if you apply for something solely because of the money, you won’t have the desire to study it. So, relax and don’t rush to apply in the first week applications open. Instead, be sure of what you want and what makes you happy. Compare your traits with the characteristics required for that profession and ask yourself if that is really you.
Hard work makes an achiever and knowing your priorities makes you an achiever. Your background makes you an achiever, in my case pain made me an achiever, studying was my only coping mechanism. I lived alone after my mother’s death, my cousin who was assigned to take care of me was always out and to run away from the pain and the fact that I had no support, I studied to occupy my mind. Situations make an achiever as there is a desire for change. But that is not always the case, knowing what you want can also make you an achiever and healthy competition can keep you intact. Incentives can also make one aspire to be a top achiever.
Your background does not define you and is not an excuse for not doing well, you have what it takes. I come from a community where we would go without electricity for close to three days and I had no resources to print out the material from my phone, but I managed to pass. We’re not any different. I sometimes used a torch to study but I’m marching toward my dream of being a surgeon. You are the change that you need, that your family needs – so explore and make a difference.
Dear teachers, continue being the best, continue motivating and showering love to all your learners. It is very helpful as many of us survive on it. Sometimes all you need is to know you’re supported and someone believes in you. You are very excellent, and you have produced an aspirant surgeon and engineers so you can produce many more who are way better. I will forever cherish you for the part you played in my life, thank you.
I would like to talk to Dr Ncumisa Jilata, a neurosurgeon. Seven years of undergraduate studies is already a lot, I want to know how she kept up with the constant pressure and excessive workload during her time of study including specialisation into neurology, as I stand as an aspiring neurologist.
S.E.T. for socio-economic growth
Subscribe to our eNews
Sign up to receive news on what is happening in science, engineering, technology (SET) and innovation in South Africa
