The Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) awarded three Dean’s Medals to students for achieving the best results in their respective year of study at the recent April graduation ceremony. Two of the medals were awarded to students who graduated last year.
Salome Kellerman, who graduated with a Bachelor of Occupational Therapy degree last year, received the medal for the student with the best results in respect of a four-year bachelor’s degree, while Dr Christiaan Vosloo, who also graduated last year with a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery, received the Dean’s Medal for the student with the best results in respect of a five-year degree. Kirsten Lange received the medal for the best results in respect of a master’s student. She graduated on Thursday (20 April 2023) with a Master of Medical Science with specialisation in Human Molecular Biology.
Both Kellerman and Dr Vosloo said being awarded the Dean’s Medal came as a surprise, as they never set out to win the medal. “It caught me by surprise. I did not know what it was awarded for until now. I am very grateful to be awarded and give all the glory to God whose grace carried me and enabled me to achieve this,” said Kellerman, who unfortunately could not attend the graduation ceremony.
She is currently working as a community service occupational therapist at Phekolong District Hospital in Bethlehem, and also makes clinic visits to the clinics in and around Bethlehem.
“My four years of study has been quite a roller-coaster ride; I have had loads of fun and enjoyed spending time with my classmates, I have learned to study remotely, and got to know my laptop on a new level during COVID-19. Clinical fieldwork made for many long nights and back-and-forth reasoning over cases, but also so many rewarding breakthroughs and beautiful moments of connecting with my patients.
“As a high school learner, I prayed about what I should study and what the Lord wants to use me for, and He opened the door for me to study occupational therapy. This assurance and His constant presence and guidance is what has got me to where I am.”
Never set out to be the best
For Dr Vosloo, winning the Dean’s Medal also came as a surprise: “It was a really big surprise to me, and when I first heard about it, it was quite overwhelming. I am struggling to describe exactly how it feels, but honoured, grateful, and unreal describes it somewhat.”
According to him, he never set out to be the best in his class, let alone the Faculty of Health Sciences. His approach to working and studying has always been from a perspective of doing his personal best and then being satisfied with it, not comparing his performance to that of his friends.
“It was definitely a mindset of being indebted to God and my parents, especially since my mother always used to encourage us by saying, ‘Simply do your honest best, and that's good enough for me,’ and also, ‘Do everything to the glory of God.’ So, I was never brought up to want to compete against other people, but against myself.”
“When I started university in 2017, I was among the most brilliant minds I've ever met, and going up against them was too daunting. I have consciously decided to do as well as I felt I could, but not to put undue pressure on myself. I never aimed to win any prizes,” said Dr Vosloo.
Dr Vosloo, who initially did not choose medicine as his field of study and was adamant to study veterinary sciences, said he developed an appreciation for medicine early on during his studies, something that he had not imagined at all before starting. He is currently doing his internship at Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Memorial Hospital in Durban and will very probably go to Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in the near future.