Top matrics eye careers in medicine
SOUTH Africa’s medical field will be in for a shake-up if this year’s The Herald Continental Matric of the Year Awards finalists have their way.
Almost half of this year’s finalists aspire to have successful medical careers and are willing to go the distance to make these dreams a reality.
This list includes Dylan Finlay, Yandisa Ngcanga, Anya Schoeman, Luray Essop and Destiny van Rooyen. An aspiring medical doctor, Dylan, is heading off to the University of Free State after matriculating from Grey High School.
The cross-country and athletics captain has many accolades under his belt, including holding the U17 and U19 school records for the 3 000m and being awarded the Strakosch Bursary.
Fellow future doctor Yandisa Ngcanga dreams of studying cardiology.
The Holy Cross Education Centre pupil is a fundraiser for a variety of charities and volunteers as a cleaner at the Bethel Children’s home.
Her need to blaze a path in the medical field is echoed in Destiny van Rooyen from St Thomas Senior Secondary School.
“There is a great need for medical professionals in Africa and I want to alleviate that need as much as I am capable of doing,” Destiny said.
The head girl initiated a peer support programme to assist fellow pupils with mathematics and volunteers at the Port Elizabeth YMCA as a peer support leader.
Kirkwood High School’s Anya Schoeman intends joining the medical fraternity through physiotherapy. The deputy head girl is a keen athlete, racking up awards in squash, hockey, netball and athletics.
She is also a keen filmmaker whose short film was placed second at the Grahamstown Heritage Festival.
Another filmmaker, Lauy Essop, from Nizamiye Al-Alhzar Institute, won a bronze medal for his short film in the Romanian multimedia competition, Informatrix. He dreams of becoming a neurosurgeon. The five medical-minded matrics form part of a group of 20 finalists vying for the title of Matric of the Year with prize money to the value of R50 000 – for each category winner – to be split over three years to subsidise their studies.