ExED executive representative visits the operating room

ExED Private School learner, Chad Pienaar, is upholding the school’s name in every way, excelling in academics by getting over 90% for all his tests and assignments at the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) level so far.

The British Education System uses the IGCSE, and it is part of the Cambridge International curriculum that ExED teaches.

Most notably, he recently shadowed neurosurgeon Dr Lauren Ford in the operating room. He spent the day during his midterm break in the theatre, watching Ford perform surgery.

Chad is the school’s executive representative of the student council, the highest rank a learner can achieve. IGCSE level is the British equivalent for the Caps grades 10 and 11, and known for being incredibly difficult.

Because Chad wants to achieve the highest possible marks, he decided to pace himself in the IGCSE phase and not write exams after doing this in one year but in two years. His school principal, Rene Partington, who is proud of his ability to know his limits, applauded this move.

He has also taken up the most difficult subjects: English home language, Afrikaans home language, physics, chemistry, biology and maths advance (equivalent to Caps alpha maths).

“I didn’t feel ready and knew I would burn out if I did it earlier, so I held back and studied more,” he explained.

In between studies, Chad was excited to witness surgery in person.

“I want to be a neurosurgeon, and also a paediatric ophthalmologist, and this experience was amazing. It reaffirmed to me that this is what I want to do,” he said.

Chad always knew he wanted to be a doctor, except for a brief period in Grade Four where he wanted to be an astronaut (a dream he still has) before he decided again in Grade Six or Seven to become a doctor.

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He has since decided he would prefer paediatric medicine, especially ophthalmology, because of his love of children and ability to work with and understand them.

Chad experienced vision loss himself and would like to help prevent it in children early on. He recalls seeing a specialist when a little girl arrived in the office who needed immediate surgery.

The specialist called every specialist in the hospital, with no one willing to take up a paediatric case. After his appointment with Chad, the specialist scrubbed in to do the operation himself.

It was at this time that Chad also realised that paediatric specialists are rare in South Africa and decided he would help fulfil that need.  When Chad finished his studies, his parents said he would be the first doctor in the family, which is a point of pride for him.

He wants to work on the brain, spinal cord, cancer and eyes. With his IGCSE, Chad can study anywhere in the world. He would like to study at the University of Pretoria, but if any institution offers him a bursary, he would take it.

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If an international university offers a scholarship, he would also jump at the chance to gain international knowledge he can bring back to South Africa.

Research in neurology is also an interest of Chad, and he would like to publish his own research one day. His parents are his biggest inspiration; they have straightforward personalities, but the softest hearts, according to Chad.

“They give me the strength to push through when things get tough, and we can tell each other anything,” he said.

Of Chad, Partington has the following to say: “He is the most consequential, well-mannered, self-disciplined child I have ever seen. He knows his limits and has an excellent support system.”

Chad attributes everything he has and has achieved to God.

“When I face a difficult hurdle, I decide to stand back. I do my part, but the rest I leave in God’s hands,” he explained.