First-years can expect a holistic Faculty experience
- Faculty Communications
The Dean welcomes first-year and new students to the Faculty of Health Sciences in a virtual Welcome Day ceremony.
The University of the Witwatersrand’s Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) has this week, welcomed its 2021 first-year intake to their respective programmes of choice. In a welcome address by the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Shabir Madhi, he congratulates new students and acknowledges the different journeys that led them to their choice of study.
“For you to have achieved this milestone, is one of significance. More so, achieving this milestone under the immense pressure that you experienced during 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic makes it even more of an achievement,” said Professor Madhi.
Highlighting the new students’ deserving opportunity and accomplishment by gaining entry into one of the top two Faculties in Africa and top 100 universities globally; Professor Madhi notes that the Faculty received over 14 000 applications for medicine alone from which only 230 posts were available.
"I don’t think many of us could appreciate the amount of pressure that you’ve been under; the amount of work that you needed to do and the way you needed to adjust to being able to ensure that you were successful with your matric results. So congratulations on having gained entry to this faculty.”
The FHS is widely recognised as a leading institution and contributor to COVID-19 research and innovation. In preparing students for the prospects ahead in the careers, Professor Madhi notes that “the COVID-19 pandemic indicated and expresses the magnitude, expertise and skill that exists within the Faculty in South Africa, certainly, and globally”. He tells the students to expect a “holistic experience” during their time of study which will not only be brought about by the teaching and learning material but also through social engagements.
Although the 2021 academic year already poses the same circumstances as that of 2020 due to the pandemic, the responsibility remains to commit academically. He stressed that the Faculty of Health Sciences and the University would be there to support students and their endeavours.
In reminding them of the rewards ahead, Professor Madhi wished the students success during the course of this year and for the rest of their studies, hoping that in a few years he would be able to address them again as graduates.