Strong Willed Doctor Honored as Distinguished Student

BY: .

Dr Lisha Jeena, an alumnus in the School of Clinical Medicine in the College of Health Sciences, is a proud recipient of the UKZN 2018 Distinguished Student Award. 

The Distinguished Student Award recognises and rewards students with outstanding academic achievement who have also shown excellence in community engagement or exceptional University service. 

Two awards are made each year to the most talented, caring and exceptional graduates and young leaders from final-year undergraduate or honours level who have distinguished themselves and have been judged as being most exemplary in embodying the ideals and attributes that the University seeks to create in every graduate. 

Having completed her MBChB (class of 2017), Jeena has maintained academic excellence throughout her six years of study; having achieved a Deans Commendation in every semester at Medical school. Additionally, she has achieved Certificates of Merit in five of six final-year subjects. She is graduating cum laude and has been awarded several subjects prizes. 

As a Research Placement at CAPRISA, Jeena has published two papers during her studies. She is a first author of a paper entitled Tuberculosis treatment outcomes among peri-urban children receiving doorstep tuberculosis care published in the International Journal of TB and Lung Disease. She also co-authored a paper entitled Cytomegalovirus retinitis and HIV: Case reviews from KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa which was published in the South African Medical Journal. 

While it may be easy to become disheartened in a world filled with gross inequality and poverty, Jeena replaced her frustration with action, founding the UKZN branch of Friends of Medecins Sans Frontieres (FoMSF or Doctors Without Borders). Through this, she pioneered various awareness campaigns, fundraising events and community-conscious projects. Of note is the health day events at which community members are screened for hypertension, diabetes, tuberculosis, HIV and general hygiene. It all started with the simple idea of using the skills being obtained in Medical school to help people. This has now grown into a series of health screening events throughout the year at which hundreds of people across KwaZulu-Natal are assisted.

The 24-year-old doctor has excelled in numerous leadership positions. She was Chairperson of the UKZN FoMSF and subsequently elected onto the National FoMSF Executive Committee. She was President of the UKZN debating union and led the largest ever delegation of debaters to the national debating tournament that year. Furthermore, she was on the sixth Year Class Events Committee, a Peer Wellness Mentor, and Vice-Chairperson of the Hindu Students Association on campus.

‘I am grateful to receive this prestigious award and feel excited by the opportunity it has opened up to me. My entire family is proud of my hard work and perseverance,’ said Jeena.

Jeena is currently working as a medical intern at Dora Nginza Hospital, in Port Elizabeth. She says this award acknowledges her commitment to education and she is planning to continue challenging herself in both research and clinical medical practice. ‘Ngiyabonga kakhulu (thank you very much) to the funders,’ she said, adding, ‘Let your work ethic and product precede you. It is never too late to learn something new. Never give up.’

Words: Lihle Sosibo

Photograph: Rajesh Jantilal