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14 December 2021 Photo Supplied
For Dr Katleho Tsilo, one of the latest graduates from the University of the Free State (UFS) Faculty of Health Sciences says graduating from medical school is a dream come true for her and her family.

For Dr Katleho Tsilo, one of the newest graduates from the University of the Free State (UFS) Faculty of Health Sciences, graduating from medical school does not only represent the answered prayers, persistence and sheer grace, it is also a dream come true for her and her family.

Dr Tsilo graduated on Monday 13 December 2021 during the UFS’ year-end graduating ceremonies. 

“It still feels unreal that I was able to overcome the greatest challenge that I was presented with. In my entire medical school career, I have faced many great challenges, from not having any kind of funding at all, to initially not being accepted into medicine to really having to fight for my position each and every semester while also fighting with and for my fellow students in the various leadership positions aforementioned. 

“There were moments of weakness where I wished to just quit it all, but with support from the faculty and my family, I managed to hold on. My dream was and still is bigger that any challenge that I have ever encountered,” says Dr Tsilo. 

Had various leadership positions

During her student years, this Botshabelo native engaged in various leadership positions. She also had to overcome numerous obstacles including the imposter syndrome. According to her, coming from a poor background, with very little resources, she sometimes felt insecure about what she could offer and what she is capable of. Being a health worker during the COVID-19 pandemic was also very challenging because of the uncertainty of everything and how dangerous the work environment in the hospital was proving to be.

“I was privileged enough to be elected as part of the MSA (Medical Students Association) in the Academics portfolio, this is where I then came up with the idea of collecting textbook donations and gifting the less privileged students. I was also elected to be part of the Residence Committee of the new Health Sciences Residence, in the Finance Portfolio.”

Can’t imagine doing anything else

Though she did not always want to study medicine, she ultimately decided on this field as she could not imagine doing anything else. She believes it is a calling, as she always wanted to live a life full of purpose and helping other people. Helping put a smile on someone’s face when they are going through illness is enough to change one’s life, explains Dr Tsilo about her decision to study medicine. She will be doing her internship at the Leratong Hospital in Krugersdorp, Gauteng.

Dr Tsilo, who is hoping to go into Health Science Education or Public Health, says her motivation comes from her family background. “Having been surrounded by poverty for the greater part of my life pushed me to become the difference. I was and still am determined to not be another statistic. Another thing that really motivates me is being of some help to someone. I cannot change the whole world at one time but I can surely start with one person at a time. I believe so much in the power of giving, whether knowledge, time or resources So much that I started my own foundation: the Open Hands Foundation.”

According to Dr Tsilo, her journey to graduating was intimidating – having to adjust to being a student was already tough, however adjusting to being a medical student proved to be a whole new level of challenging. It came with a lot of late nights and very early mornings, months without seeing her family and having almost no luxurious pastimes. 

But she persevered because she always had a goal and was determined to reach it. She had a vision to complete this degree and do it in record time and that’s exactly what she did. “Your vision should always fuel your mission,” says Dr Tsilo. 

Besides medicine, her other passions include charity work – something she has been doing right through her student years. 

Passion for charity work 

“I love charity work and if you did not find me studying, that’s what you would find me, doing. Open Hands is where I exercise this passion. I collect clothes, shoes and food items for the less privileged in our communities.
To students struggling and also facing difficulties, I have this simple message: Don’t stop. Don’t stop working hard, don’t stop hoping and dreaming and if you need help of any kind, it is always available. Know that you are not struggling alone, struggle is part of the journey – it always seems impossible but as long as you don’t stop you will eventually reach your destination.”

Prof Lynette van der Merwe, who took up her new position as Academic Head in the Division Health Sciences Education, Faculty of Health Sciences on 1 December 2021, congratulated the new cohort of UFS doctors and reminded them of the three Cs in the MBChB programme in 2021 – courage, conviction and compassion. She also proposed a new “C” for the year ahead: Character.  

“Character is seen in how you treat those who can do nothing for you. It takes time to develop, and only grows through suffering and failing; no shortcuts, no life hacks here. Character makes you seek to be worth knowing, rather than well known. Adam Grant says: ‘Meaning is about making a difference, not having an audience. Your legacy is not how many footprints you leave.  It’s how long they last.’ Wherever life takes you from here, whatever happens to you or through you, do what is right, not easy. Be a person of value, not success.”

News Archive

Mushrooms, from gourmet food for humans to fodder for animals
2016-12-19

Description: Mushroom research photo 2 Tags: Mushroom research photo 2 

From the UFS Department of Microbial Biochemical and
Food Biotechnology are, from left: Prof Bennie Viljoen,
researcher,
MSc student Christie van der Berg,
and PhD student Christopher Rothman
Photo: Anja Aucamp

Mushrooms have so many medicinal applications that humans have a substance in hand to promote long healthy lives. And it is not only humans who benefit from these macrofungi growing mostly in dark spaces.

“The substrate applied for growing the mushrooms can be used as animal fodder. Keeping all the medicinal values intact, these are transferred to feed goats as a supplement to their daily diet,” said Prof Bennie Viljoen, researcher in the Department of Microbial, Biochemical and Food Biotechnology at the UFS.

Curiosity and a humble start
“The entire mushroom project started two years ago as a sideline of curiosity to grow edible gourmet mushrooms for my own consumption. I was also intrigued by a friend who ate these mushrooms in their dried form to support his immune system, claiming he never gets sick. The sideline quickly changed when we discovered the interesting world of mushrooms and postgraduate students became involved.

“Since these humble beginnings we have rapidly expanded with the financial help of the Technology Transfer Office to a small enterprise with zero waste,” said Prof Viljoen. The research group also has many collaborators in the industry with full support from a nutraceutical company, an animal feed company and a mushroom growers’ association.

Prof Viljoen and his team’s mushroom research has various aspects.

Growing the tastiest edible mushrooms possible
“We are growing gourmet mushrooms on agricultural waste under controlled environmental conditions to achieve the tastiest edible mushrooms possible. This group of mushrooms is comprised of the King, Pink, Golden, Grey, Blue and Brown Oysters. Other than the research results we have obtained, this part is mainly governed by the postgraduate students running it as a business with the intention to share in the profit from excess mushrooms because they lack research bursaries. The mushrooms are sold to restaurants and food markets at weekends,” said Prof Viljoen.

Description: Mushroom research photo 1 Tags: Mushroom research photo 1 

Photo: Anja Aucamp

Natural alternative for the treatment of various ailments
“The second entity of research encompasses the growth and application of medicinal mushrooms. Throughout history, mushrooms have been used as a natural alternative for the treatment of various ailments. Nowadays, macrofungi are known to be a source of bioactive compounds of medicinal value. These include prevention or alleviation of heart disease, inhibition of platelet aggregation, reduction of blood glucose levels, reduction of blood cholesterol and the prevention or alleviation of infections caused by bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic pathogens. All of these properties can be enjoyed by capsulation of liquid concentrates or dried powdered mushrooms, as we recently confirmed by trial efforts which are defined as mushroom nutriceuticals,” he said.

Their research focuses on six different medicinal genera, each with specific medicinal attributes:
1.    Maitake: the most dominant property exhibited by this specific mushroom is the reduction of blood pressure as well as cholesterol. Other medicinal properties include anticancer, antidiabetic and immunomodulating while it may also improve the health of HIV patients.
2.    The Turkey Tail mushroom is known for its activity against various tumours and viruses as well as its antioxidant properties.
3.    Shiitake mushrooms have antioxidant properties and are capable of lowering blood serum cholesterol (BSC). The mushroom produces a water-soluble polysaccharide, lentinan, considered to be responsible for anticancer, antimicrobial and antitumour properties.
4.    The Grey Oyster mushroom has medicinal properties such as anticholesterol, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumour and immunomodulatory properties.
5.    Recently there has been an increased interest in the Lion’s Mane mushroom which contains nerve growth factors (NGF) and may be applied as a possible treatment of Alzheimer’s disease as this compound seems to have the ability to re-grow and rebuild myelin by stimulating neurons.
6.    Reishi mushrooms are considered to be the mushrooms with the most medicinal properties due to their enhancing health effects such as treatment of cancer, as well as increasing longevity, resistance and recovery from diseases.


Description: Mushroom research photo 3 Tags: Mushroom research photo 3


Valuable entity for the agricultural sector
Another research focus is the bio-mushroom application phenome, to break down trees growing as encroaching plants. This research is potentially very valuable for the agricultural sector in the areas where Acacia is an encroaching problem. With this process, waste products are upgraded to a usable state. “It is therefore, possible to convert woody biomass with a low digestibility and limited availability of nutrients into high-quality animal fodder. By carefully selecting the right combination of fungus species to ferment agro-wastes, a whole host of advantages could become inherently part of the substrate. Mushrooms could become a biotechnological tool used to ‘inject’ the substrate that will be fed to animals with nutrition and/or medicine as the need and situation dictates,” said Prof Viljoen.

 

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