Refilwe Thubakgale
The daughter of a trade unionist, Refilwe and her siblings (a sister who is now a nurse and a brother, currently studying civil engineering) were always strongly socially conscious, which influenced her attitude to education and the success she achieved as a student.
“I grew up in a deprived neighbourhood and realised at a young age that I could achieve through hard work. I consistently did well at school and have performed well at university because I am consistentand focused.”
She says SMU was the only university she applied to after matriculating and she was fortunate to receive a merit bursary from the university.
“I chose this career path because seeing others suffer from pain ignites something inside of me. We all have a purpose and a certain role to play and I strongly feel mine is to help people,” says Refilwe.
Studying medicine was a seven-day-a-week commitment and she found little time for socialising or recreation. Although she experienced financial constraints before gaining the scholarship, she was never deterred by it, mainly because of the support she received at SMU from her lecturers.
“They have good hands-on practicals, they are for the students, to a point where they offer support for their students. SMU has the best teachers!” Refilwe says.
Not only did the staff instil the value of hard work in her but she has decided to follow her role model, Professor Koto, and specialise in either general surgery or paediatric surgery.
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Refilwe is completing her internship at OR Tambo Memorial Hospital after obtaining her MBChB degree. She says her greatest reward comes from seeing patients become better and hearing patients say how satisfied they are with her services.
“Thanks to the scholarship, I am able to give back to my country and be of service to society,” says Refilwe. “I hope to give back to the Fund as a mentor and through financial support where I can.”