Grade 11 learners converge at UCT for health sciences open day

The University of Cape Town’s (UCT) Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) was abuzz on Monday, 26 August. More than 200 learners, most of whom are aspiring doctors attending high schools across the Mother City, got a tiny taste of campus life, and gained insight into some interesting branches of medicine they could pursue as careers in the future.

The 13th annual UCT Learners’ Open Day was organised by the Division of Human Genetics based in the Department of Pathology, in partnership with the Divisions of Haematology and Cell Biology at the FHS. The packed programme kicked off with individual presentations that explored the meaning of genetics and touched on what individuals inherit from their parents; haematology, the branch of medicine that treats blood disorders like leukemia and lymphoma; and cell biology, which explores the functionality of the body’s cells. The event attracted a long list of schools, including Oaklands High School, Manenberg Secondary School, Camps Bay High School and Herschel Girls School.

Delivering the opening remarks, Professor Komala Pillay, the head of the Department of Pathology, said she was thrilled to see the massive turn out. Professor Pillay said the initiative resonates with her personally because she was first introduced to medicine during a similar event. Back in 1990, the head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the then University of Natal (current University of KwaZulu-Natal), visited her high school and addressed and inspired her and many other pupils to pursue careers in medicine.  

“That’s what we hope for today, that you will be inspired to join us here in the Faculty of Health Sciences [in the future],” she said.

And you could hear a pin drop as the learners and their teachers listened as presenters took to the podium. This session included a talk by Professor Digby Warner, the director of UCT’s Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM). His talk touched on the institute’s work, as well as research spearheaded by some talented scientists. Professor Warner was followed by Dr Shareefa Dalvie from the Division of Human Genetics, who offered an introduction into this branch of medicine. Dr Dalvie’s talk included an interactive game of trait bingo where she asked the audience to answer set questions, which included the colour of their hair and whether they suffer from seasonal allergies like hay fever. The first few learners to shout “bingo” received a prize.

Inspired, motivated

Manenberg Secondary School learner Zahtarah Samodien said the first few hours of the event, which she spent listening to academics’ presentations, inspired her.

Samodien said studying medicine has always been on top of her careers list, to help her community and to ultimately improve her socio-economic circumstances and that of her family. And the haematology presentation sealed the deal. It motivated her to give the remainder of her Grade 11 and matric year her all, to gain entry into university and work towards building a career as a clinical haematologist one day.

“I found it interesting how haematologists treat disease like leukemia. That one stuck with me.”

“I loved the haematology presentation. I found it interesting how haematologists treat diseases like leukemia. That one stuck with me,” she said.

For Nkululeko Zikhali, a biology teacher at Camps Bay High School, initiatives of this kind are important to expose learners to university life, those uncommon branches of medicine that few are aware of and provide insight into the opportunities that the faculty offers. Zikhali said the open day is a highlight on the school’s annual calendar and his learners were as excited to be part of it and to learn something new.

“Most of these kids leave things like cell biology and genetics at school when they matriculate. So, events like this are so important because it shows them that it’s possible to build successful careers in these areas too,” he said.