THE University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Nelson Mandela Medical School (UKZN) is one of the most prestigious in the country and produces some of the best doctors in the world who will soon be joined by Dr Tayuri Naicker, who recently graduated in the top three of her class in her final year at the institution.

The 2024 Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery [MBChB] graduate said she was filled with a mix of emotions when she learnt of her award. The former Durban Girls’ High School (DGHS) matriculant and school Dux awardee, was placed third out of 240 final year medical students. She said, “We were invited to the awards ceremony and at that point I did not know I was going to be in the top three. It was surprising and honestly shocking because it was a difficult year, I did not expect to achieve this award at all.”

After six years of study towards her degree, Naicker and her fellow graduates will soon be walking the hallways of hospitals and treating patients, which is something that has long been her dream. “I have always wanted to be a doctor. I did have other interests but I thoroughly enjoyed biology in school and had the best time shadowing doctors for work experience during high school. If I did not follow the path of medicine, I would have loved to have been a teacher. I find teachers to be so inspiring and many of my own teachers, from high school through university were instrumental in my successes thus far,” said Naicker.

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She said her success and achievements would not have been possible without the support of her proud and loving family who threw Naicker a “small party” upon receiving her award. “Initially, I did not tell my parents about the awards ceremony because I was still in disbelief. I only told them as I was driving home from the ceremony and they were also shocked but excited. However, they were incredibly happy and proud of me. My whole family was proud of me. They threw me a small party the next day,” said Naicker.

The journey to success was challenging for Naicker who overcame a lot to achieve her goal of becoming a doctor. “It was a difficult and mentally taxing degree,” said Naicker. “I would like to thank my parents, my sisters, my grandparents and my entire extended family. They were my biggest supporters from the time I entered medical school. I would also like to thank my friends, they were my lifeline throughout this degree. Lastly, I would like to thank my partner, who is now also a medical doctor. We started and finished this degree together and supported each other throughout.”

She encouraged those looking to pursue a career in medicine to not give up on their dreams and remain strong while taking care of their mental health and well-being.

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