School of Health Sciences Top Student

BY: .

Bachelor of Pharmacy student, Miss Reeya Singh, completed her degree as the top student at the School of Health Sciences in 2013, scoring five awards out of an available seven in the Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Singh, who will graduate summa cum laude later this year, received awards for the Best Pharmaceutical Sciences Student, Best Pharmaceutics Student, Best Pharmacology Student, Best Pharmacy Practice Student and Best Pharmaceutical Chemistry Student.

She is currently serving her internship at King Edward VIII Hospital where she is applying the clinical and pharmacy practice aspects she learned during her undergraduate degree as well as obtaining hands on experience in the pharmaceutical services and health care field.

Singh was very excited and extremely proud. ‘I entered UKZN with high aspirations, but did not think I would be leaving as the Top Health Sciences Student - it feels amazing!’

Singh, who matriculated at Dr A. D. Lazarus Secondary School in 2009, said her university life had been challenging and pressurised at times. ‘But I am blessed with family and friends who kept motivating and helping me. It certainly has been fulfilling to see my sacrifices turn into success and achievements.

‘I was also fortunate to be tutored by dedicated lecturers at the Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences as well as to share my learning experiences with supportive friends and colleagues.’

Singh said she coped with the amount of studies and practicals by studying strategically: ‘It is important to acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses and focus more on modules that are challenging and get more clarification if needed.’

She says through perseverance and always doing your best, it is possible to achieve anything.

Singh, who will do her community service next year, plans to pursue her Masters in Pharmaceutics or Pharmacoeconomics. ‘I am hoping that my internship and community service will provide me with a clearer vision of which stream will best suit me.’

Her past achievements include:

•           Top 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4^th-year Pharmacy student

•           2012 UKZN Brenda M Gourley Scholarship - a prestige scholarship for the second best undergraduate in the University

•           MK Rosenbach Scholarship (2013)

•           Golden Key International Honours Society New Member Chapter Award (2012).

- Nombuso Dlamini