“UP has given me the tools that I need to excel as a doctor,” says recent graduate Dr Tshepiso Maila.

“I decided to become a medical doctor after my mother was diagnosed with chronic conditions,” says newly qualified medical doctor Dr Tshepiso Maila, who recently obtained her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees from the University of Pretoria (UP) during the autumn graduation season. “I wanted to be able to help her and other elderly people who suffer from these conditions.”

After completing a nursing degree at the University of Limpopo, the 31-year-old doctor, who hails from Mmakgatle village in Limpopo, wanted to pursue medicine at UP. She recalls being told that not everyone gets accepted to study at UP.

“I took it as an opportunity to prove to people that you can get anything you want, as long as you believe in yourself and put your mind to it. Today I am a proud UP alumnus.”

Of her 10 siblings, Dr Maila is the only one who has furthered her studies at a university, and she is set to be the first female doctor from her village.

“What kept me going is that I knew everyone in my family was looking out for me ­– they always believed that I would be a doctor one day, and that I’d be able to help them to achieve their dreams as well,” says Dr Maila. “My big brother paid for my registration fee for my first degree and I will forever be grateful for that.”

She believes her nursing degree was a great foundation for what lay ahead because it grounded her and shaped her into the person she is today.

“I was able to cope and do most of the things required of me during my medical practicals,” she explains. “I was aware of what would be required of me as a doctor, and I was prepared because I knew what to expect.”

Dr Maila admits that transitioning from nursing to medicine was not smooth sailing.

“The first year of medicine was extremely challenging, especially the first semester. I had not done chemistry for some time, and had to find a tutor. I got it right eventually. I found my feet during my second semester.”

On 5 December 2022, she took the Hippocratic oath – that was when she realised that her dream of becoming a doctor was a reality. The cherry on top was that her parents were there to celebrate the moment with her.

Dr Maila says she is ready for the world beyond UP because the University has exposed her to different working environments that she may encounter along her professional journey.

“UP has given me the tools for what I have signed up for as a doctor and how to excel in the workplace. Every single thing that we did was and is worth knowing, as it will assist me to be on my toes and fully engaged in helping my patients.”

The newly qualified doctor says this is not her last graduation at UP – she is set on returning to further her studies to become a specialist physician.