{"id":44866,"date":"2025-12-13T09:53:03","date_gmt":"2025-12-13T09:53:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=44866"},"modified":"2025-12-13T09:53:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-13T09:53:03","slug":"2025-12-13-21-year-old-stellenbosch-graduate-becomes-one-of-sas-youngest-doctors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2025\/12\/13\/2025-12-13-21-year-old-stellenbosch-graduate-becomes-one-of-sas-youngest-doctors\/","title":{"rendered":"21-year-old Stellenbosch graduate becomes one of SA\u2019s youngest doctors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Stellenbosch University (SU) has capped 21-year-old David Obagbuwa with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree, making him one of the youngest medical doctors in South Africa.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">From Lagos, Nigeria, Obagbuwa began his tertiary studies at the age of 15, entering SU\u2019s medical student intake in 2020. He graduated on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s a dream that has come true, but it feels surreal,\u201d he said. \u201cThis achievement is a testament to the mentorship, support and world-class education I\u2019ve received from the Stellenbosch community. I\u2019m incredibly grateful, and it feels truly special to now reach the end of this journey with the same institution that believed in my potential from the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Obagbuwa moved to South Africa with his family when he was 11. He attended Kharwastan Secondary School in Durban, where, due to a misunderstanding, he was placed in grade 9. He adapted and excelled so quickly that the school allowed him to continue, and studying alongside people much older than him soon became second nature.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">The journey through medical school was not without its challenges. Obagbuwa had to contend with being the youngest in his class, navigating academic intensity and dealing with the added layer of isolation brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">\u201cAt first, it was exciting to get into medical school, but walking into lecture halls and libraries and being the youngest person in every room was also intimidating,\u201d he recalled. However, through perseverance, everything eventually \u201cfell into place\u201d, leading to his early graduation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Obagbuwa has been placed at Pholosong Hospital on Gauteng\u2019s East Rand for his internship, where he is eager to contribute to the nation\u2019s healthcare system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">\u201cI\u2019ve grown to appreciate every aspect of medicine, and I\u2019m also interested in research. I\u2019m keen to implement everything I\u2019ve learnt so that I can contribute to South Africa\u2019s healthcare system. I want to be the best doctor I can be for every patient who crosses my path.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">He thanked the university for imparting a wealth of knowledge and shaping his personal development. <\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s not just about finishing at this age but also about how much I\u2019ve grown. The people I\u2019ve met and my experiences here have shaped me. I\u2019ve learnt to be empathetic and disciplined. This degree has a way of humbling you and deepening your passion for the field.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">The faculty of medicine and health sciences congratulated the entire MBChB Class of 2025 as they marked their transition from students to health professionals.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">Graduands, alongside their families and staff, gathered for the traditional pledge ceremony where they committed to upholding the standards of the faculty and the medical profession.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\">\u201cWe congratulate the MBChB Class of 2025 and look forward to the contribution they will make to the health of communities they will serve,\u201d the faculty said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"c-paragraph\"><b>TimesLIVE<\/b><\/p>\n<hr class=\"c-divider\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#21yearold #Stellenbosch #graduate #SAs #youngest #doctors<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Stellenbosch University (SU) has capped 21-year-old David Obagbuwa with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree, making&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":44867,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44866"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44868,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44866\/revisions\/44868"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44867"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}