As she achieved the goals she had set for herself, Dr Shezree Tiel, one of the latest graduates from the University of the Free State (UFS) Faculty of Health Sciences (FoHS), developed the courage to not only define her goals, but aim for even more. This is the reason she graduated not only summa cum laude, but as the top student in her year group.

Dr Tiel was one of 459 students who graduated on Friday (8 December 2023) during the FoHS’s December graduation ceremony. She graduated with a MBChB degree and is one of eight students to do so summa cum laude. During her five years of studies to become a medical doctor, she was the top student in each of her year groups.  

“I feel very excited and still in disbelief, because it has been my dream since first year to graduate cum laude, but there were moments I felt I may have to accept that it may not be possible. So, I am very delighted that despite all the challenges I faced, my dream was realised,” she said.

According to her, she decided to study at UFS as it is the only university in South Africa that offered a five-year medical degree.

Building healthier and happier communities

Talking about how she achieved this, Dr Tiel, who will be doing her community service year in her home province of Mpumalanga, said what was consistent throughout her years of study, was the need to avoid a uniform approach to studying. Instead, she continued, she embraced different ways to learn.

Said Dr Tiel: “I embraced different ways to acquire knowledge and used these to identify a method of study that would be best suited for each module, chapter and sometimes each day. Everyday courage, resilience, patience, and perseverance played a vital role in accomplishing all my achievements. In spite of all of this, I will always attribute my achievements to my trust in Christ.”

Her desire to make the best possible use of every opportunity she gets to gain knowledge and the hope to use that knowledge to be useful to people and communities, motivated her on her journey to become a doctor. She decided to study medicine because she aspired to work with people in the pursuit of building healthier and happier communities. She believed that medicine would provide a great foundation and platform to accomplish this.

Though she is yet to decide in which field she would like to specialise one day, she believes it would be in internal medicine because it has always been one of her favourite rotations. “I do hope whichever one I go into will provide me with an opportunity to teach because that is one of the things I delight in.”