Dear Colleagues and Students

Pursuing excellence in hostile circumstances is never easy but everyone still owes it to themselves to at least try. We have now passed the third quarter of 2020 and everyone has had to welcome change and learn to embrace discomfort. It is encouraging to see how members of the Faculty continue to make a difference in their respective environments and how many of you have fostered a culture of collaboration which is evident in the transdisciplinary research and community initiatives.

The Faculty also hosted the first of its kind virtual Merit Awards ceremony to honour undergraduate students for their 2019 Academic achievements. Honouring the achievements of students will continue to be a priority for the Faculty as it serves as motivation for students to work harder and to also aspire to do great things. The fact that the average module pass rate in the Faculty increased from about 94% to 97% during these challenging times serves as proof to me that our students will also be able to lead us into the “new normal” future and take Health Care in SA to a whole new level.

We started 2020 with the theme “Action is key” and this quarter was a reminder of the importance of taking the first step towards achieving what you have set out and to do with the intention to succeed.  Chinese philosopher Confucius once said “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence”. Please continue to pursue excellence in everything that you do and be kind to yourself in the process.

The world is still battling the COVID-19 pandemic so please remember to stay safe! As you read through this edition of our quarterly newsletter I hope you will do some self-introspection and challenge yourself to do a few things that you set out to do excellently.

Kind Regards,

Prof Tiaan de Jager