Off to medical school: Maris Stella graduate in top 1% of Independent Examinations Board (IEB)

STAYING on top of her schedule helped aspiring medical student Jasmine Wylie graduate at the top of her class at Maris Stella School for Girls. Not only this but Wylie graduated in the top 1% of Independent Examinations Board (IEB) matriculants.

She was waiting up for her results when an SMS came through at 23:45 on Tuesday, January 17.

“I was very happy with my results – I had been a bit nervous as you never know what you will get. My mom and I stayed up to see the results,” said Wylie.

Wylie achieved 98% for core mathematics, 96% for further studies mathematics and 94% for both physical science and life science.

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With results like these, it’s no wonder Wylie has set her sights on a career in medicine – she heads off to Wits University this year. Wylie said her interest in the medical field was sparked at a young age.

“My mom is a nutritionist which is within that career path – she started getting me interested in health from a young age. I’ve been raised being educated more toward functional medicine rather than pharmaceutical medicine – I think it’s very interesting to approach medicine from that perspective,” said Wylie.

A tight schedule helped Wylie graduate at the top of her class.

“I have always worked hard. Generally, my technique is to work far in advance and make sure I’m on top of things. I would start planning as soon as I found out about an exam and start studying about a month in advance,” she said.

Covid-19 challenges

For the Class of 2022, the road to matric was a bumpy one – the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in 2020, turning the school year on its head. Online classes were implemented as lockdown restrictions kept learners out of the classroom.

“I think academically I was fine because I’ve always been quite self-motivated, and our teachers were very good at helping us to stay on track, but it was definitely an adjustment in the way our school systems functioned,” recalled Wylie.

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As a ballet dancer, Wylie’s extramural activities and social life were also impacted.

“I am a dancer, specifically a ballet dancer – our teachers managed to host online classes, but it’s very different dancing in your bedroom – you can’t move around as much. It was a very different way of living during the pandemic,” remarked Wylie.

Her advice to the class of 2023 is centred around balance and respect.

“I would recommend you respect your teachers because they always know best. Consistently work hard, but don’t just focus on work because it’s easy to get burnt out. Matric is a long process, and it’s easy to get burnt out before the end,” said Wylie. “It’s useful to keep life balanced so you are not just staring at a computer screen all the time.”

Maris Stella School for Girls saw a 100% IEB pass rate and 98% Bachelor’s Degree Entry Pass. There were 13 candidates at the school who placed in the top 1% per subject and 133 distinctions obtained overall.

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