UKZN’s 2018 Medical Specialist Graduates Feted

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UKZN’s College of Health Sciences hosted a registrar awards evening at Umhlanga honouring specialists who successfully completed their final clinical examinations with the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (CMSA) and those who graduated with Master in Medicine (MMed) degrees.

The event was aimed at celebrating 65 new specialists, seven new sub-specialists and 95 MMed graduates.

Addressing the gathering, Academic Leader of the Registrar Training Programme Dr Suvira Ramlall said the event recognised the important contribution of the postgraduate medical training platform in the College. ‘Registrars are required to work full-time and overtime while pursuing their postgraduate studies. We are here to salute them for their invaluable contribution to medical specialist service delivery in our province as well as their academic roles. Rarely is the success of these pillars of our specialist health services acknowledged or celebrated,’ said Ramlall.

Special awards went to South Africa’s first African female Cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr Lindiwe Sidali; UKZN’s first African Neurologist, Dr Mahlubonke Dlwati, and UKZN’s first female Gynae-Oncologist, Dr Atisha Maharaj.

Good fellows were nominated by their peers and the top three MMED research projects were also identified for prizes.

Dean and Head of the School of Clinical Medicine at UKZN, Professor Ncoza Dlova congratulated all the graduates and award winners. Dlova encouraged the development of a culture of collaboration, partnerships and giving back to society. Because the opportunity to specialise was restricted to 100 doctors each year across almost 30 specialties; it was important that this investment benefitted the public and academic sectors and that young graduates “paid it forward”.

The guest of honour was Dr Vuyane Mhlomi who studied Medicine at the University of Cape Town and completed his PhD at the University of Oxford.

In 2017, Mhlomi was selected by the University for Poets & Quants – an award for the top 100 most promising MBA graduates in the world. Sharing his humble and inspiring journey of success, he challenged young graduates to keep searching and working hard, and to be relentless and unapologetic in pursuit of excellence. ‘They should not rest until people’s lives have been improved,’ he said.

The awards evening also celebrated the success and benefits of public-private partnerships.

Investec, which hosted the event, committed to growing its investment in medical education at UKZN.

Words: Lihle Sosibo