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Dr Mario Vieira is the top achiever in the MBChB class of 2021

13 December 2021 Photo Supplied

Besides being the top medical student at UFS in 2021, Dr Mario Vieira is passionate about food, music and sport, and plays the piano and guitar for leisure.

Dr Mario Vieira, one of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) newest graduates in the MBChB programme, says he is fortunate and blessed to graduate from the Faculty of Health Sciences as the top achiever in the class of 2021. Dr Vieira will graduate at the year-end ceremonies.

Says Dr Vieira: “Privileged is the first word that comes to mind. Yet, there are so many other emotions and feelings involved. One is relieved that the hard work is over for now, but in the same breath, quite sad that this chapter of one’s life has come to an end. Excitement also comes through, knowing that a new challenge lies ahead.”

Dr Vieira says being the top achiever is undeniably an unbelievable achievement, but there were many other factors and people who made it possible. His family, especially his parents, were his greatest motivation. Their unconditional love and support have made his success possible.

Multiple factors led to medicine

According to Dr Vieira, who wanted to be a pilot when he was growing up, there were multiple factors that led to him eventually study medicine. He says: “My first experience with medicine was at a young age when I lost a good friend of mine to cancer. I believe the seed that was planted began to grow when my brother started studying medicine.

“In high school I made the decision once I realised I was passionate about people and would love to make a difference in the life of others. I think it was the idea that if one could pass this degree, one would be equipped and capable to change lives on a daily basis. My friends in medicine and the support system in Bloemfontein were also incredibly valuable. When times were tough, we would carry each other through,” says Dr Vieira on graduating in one of the university’s toughest fields.

He is starting his internship on 1 January 2022 at Addington Hospital in Durban.

Besides medicine, this Bothaville, Free State native is also passionate about food, music and sport. He loves cooking and hopes to retire one day with a small restaurant by the sea – cooking food and putting smiles on people’s faces. He also loves playing piano and the guitar.

His message to other students who might be considering studying medicine is: “Be courageous. You are capable of more than you think. Believe in yourself. Hard work, determination and time management can get you where you want to be.”

Your courage

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.

“I saw your courage, the way you squared your shoulders and looked personal, academic and financial problems in the eye, and endured. You were brave and strong when it mattered most. and stayed true to yourself despite overwhelming odds. You made good choices although they were hard, you found a way to put one foot in front of the other when you were too tired to even think.”

“In the words of the poet Amanda Gorman, “There is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it. May you always carry your light into a dark world.”

News Archive

Another boost for sport at the UFS

2005-10-13

A contract formalizing the appointment of Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd was signed by Prof Verschoor and Mr Morne du Plessis in the historic Main Building of the UFS Bloemfontein campus.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has officially appointed Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd, which has former Springbok rugby captain Morné du Plessis as managing director, to manage its Centre for Exercise and Sport Science Services (CESSS) on the Bloemfontein campus.

According to Prof Teuns Verschoor, Vice-Rector: Academic Operations, the appointment of Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd is another step in the implementation of the UFS’s wide-ranging sport strategy to improve sport facilities and elevate formerly marginalized sports such as soccer, hockey, netball, tennis etc.

Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd is the manager of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa and coordinates and manages the national basketball high-performance programme of SA Basketball, as well as the Boxing Academy on behalf of Boxing South Africa.

“It is also actively involved with the sports plans of several tertiary institutions like that of the University of Johannesburg and the University of Stellenbosch,” said Prof Verschoor.

“Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd was also appointed by the Ministry of Sport and Recreation to manage the allocation of sports codes to high-performance centres and to oversee the allocation of monies received from the National Lottery to these centres – this includes the CESSS at the UFS,” Prof Verschoor added.

In unfolding its national sports plan, the Ministry of Sport and Recreation has already identified the UFS-based CESSS as the high-performance testing centre for the national basketball teams whilst the national boxing teams are also earmarked to be trained at the UFS.

“We are glad to be associated with a company of this stature and look forward to work with them in the further development of sports at the UFS,” said Prof Verschoor.

According to Prof Verschoor, the CESSS will act as a centralised body that is responsible for the coordination and management of joint initiatives between professional service providers, research projects and KovsieSport.

“The centre will also coordinate and manage joint initiatives between various academic programmes in different academic subject fields such as sports medicine, bio kinetics, physiotherapy, dietetics, etc. ,” said Prof Verschoor.

These initiatives will help the UFS to become a centre and catalyst of sports development, to become internationally recognised in the field of exercise and sports science research and to become a centre for high quality sports performance enhancement.

Some of the objectives of the CESSS are:

To provide sports science services like to athletes, students, the general public and other stakeholders including certain national sport teams.
To provide the necessary teaching and training facilities and internship opportunities for UFS students in sports related fields of study will also be provided by the centre like human movement science.
To present skills-transfer programmes directed at the broader community like development of skills in various sporting codes.
To continue and extend the current chronic risk reversal programmes presented by the Department of Human Movement Science such as obesity management, cardiac rehabilitation and other lifestyle related conditions.

The centre was founded in 2003 and was until now managed by Dr Louis Holtzhausen, from Kovsie Health and a consultant, Dr Gary Vorster.

A contract formalizing the appointment of Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd was signed today by Prof Verschoor and Mr Morne du Plessis in the historic Main Building of the UFS Bloemfontein campus.

The manager of the centre appointed by Sports Plan (Pty) Ltd is Mr Charles Store, an alumnus of the UFS, previously employed at the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town and by the SANDF at 3 Military Hospital, Bloemfontein.

Media release
Issued by: Anton Fisher
Director: Strategic Communication
072-207-8334
12 October 2005

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