From rural schools to medical dreams
FOR 19-year-old Michelle Moyo, studying Medicine at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) is a dream come true.
But it also means leaving behind her rural home in Mashumba, Matobo, where she spent most of her life.
Moyo is one of the 70 students who have enrolled at NUST’s medical school this year and one of the many who come from rural areas in Matabeleland South and other provinces.
The university welcomes the increased diversity of its student body and the potential impact they can have on their communities.
Moyo attended Kezi Primary School and Minda High School in Matobo District, where she excelled in her studies. She said moving to Bulawayo, the second-largest city in Zimbabwe, was a big adjustment for her.
“I have lived in rural areas for most of my life. From Grade 1 to 7 I learnt at Kezi Primary School in Matobo then proceeded to Minda High School, in Matobo District. I was staying in Mashumba so this will be my first time living in Bulawayo for a long time. I would admit that I’m experiencing a lot of things for the first time being in the city. Even being surrounded by a lot of people is something that I’m trying to adjust to,” she said.
She said she was motivated to study medicine by her passion for mental health, which she believes is often neglected in rural areas. She wants to make a positive impact on the lives of others who may face similar challenges.
Another student, Anesu Sayi from Mataga, Mberengwa, said he was inspired by his family’s history of eye problems, which he hopes to find a solution for.
“Generally, there is an eye problem among members of my family, especially during summer. It is more of allergies and the eyes become very sore and with the fathers, it is the ulcers, so I just want to learn medicine so that I could counter those illnesses,” Sayi said.
The students shared their diverse backgrounds and stories, some of them having lost their parents or suffered from chronic illnesses. They all expressed their desire to study medicine and make a difference in their fields of interest.
The students come from various areas, such as Nkayi, Matabeleland North; Mangwe and Gwanda in Matabeleland South, Mberengwa in Midlands, Masvingo South in Masvingo, Murehwa in Mashonaland East, Chinhoyi in rural Mashonaland West and Manicaland.
The students are enrolled in a new programme that requires them to study Biomedical Science before proceeding to Medicine. This is a change from the previous system, where students would directly enroll for the Bachelor of Medicine Degree.
Dr Wedu Ndebele, the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, explained the new programme to the students at Ekusileni Medical Centre yesterday. He said the Biomedical Science degree would take three or four years, depending on whether the students opt for a general or an honours degree.
He said the degree would provide a solid foundation for students who want to pursue medicine or other related fields, such as Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, and Pharmacy.
“Not all of you are expected to proceed to do a medical degree. We have 60 slots for those who want a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgeries (MBBS degree). As you go through this course you must identify areas that you want to branch into,” he said.
He added that the students who complete the Biomedical Science degree can still apply for the Medicine degree in the future, as graduates of other degree programmes. He said the new programme would result in an extra year of study for those who aspire to be doctors.
He encouraged the students to stay focused and determined in their studies and to make the most of the opportunity they have been given.
“What is tragic in life is not death but people who do not know their purpose. They have no status; they harm others and harm themselves because they have lost focus. Remember the reason why you came here. That is very very important,” said Dr Wedu.
The faculty’s Dean, Professor Elopy Sibanda said the university understood that the students come from diverse backgrounds.
“You have medical issues that you have come to do but you have all been plucked away from your homes, different parts of the country. Every province is represented and you are being put together in this hot pot where you are now being put together. There are certain language differences, cultural differences and preference differences but you are becoming a doctor. This is independent of where you are coming from,” said Prof Sibanda.
He said the enrolment of students particularly from rural areas is in sync with President Mnangagwa’s vision of leaving no one behind.
Nust’s director of communication and marketing Thabani Mpofu said the students are the pioneers of the new programme.
“You are the first students to be enrolled in this new programme, you are the first students to pioneer this new thrust in terms of training in our medical schools. What is exciting is that the medical programme is not just attracting students from the urban areas,” said Mpofu.
“But we are also having students that are coming from all the provinces showing that we are national in nature. I’m excited that we have a good mixture of students from rural schools and urban schools. I think it shows that we are taking our mandate throughout the country. We are allowing everyone.”