“The Dream Came To Pass”: South African Doctor Shares Breakdown of Medical Journey Abroad
- A local woman, Dr Thandiwe Shakoane, shared with social media users her journey to the medical field
- From her first experience of snow in Russia to wearing her graduation outfit before the big day, Dr Thandiwe shared it all
- The TikTok video ended on a sad note, as the woman revealed that when she returned home, negativity followed
Source: TikTok
Dr Thandiwe Shakoane, a South African doctor who obtained her degree in Russia, detailed her eight-year journey in medicine. Sadly, she shared that her hard work abroad ended in misfortune when she returned home.
The medical professional shared that she had left home on 9 October, 2016. Flying for the first time, the doctor took three flights to reach her destination: an eight-hour flight from OR Tambo International Airport to Dubai, United Arab Emirates; a four-hour flight from Dubai to Moscow; and a domestic two-hour flight from Moscow to Astrakhan, where she attended Astrakhan State Medical University.
Dr Thandiwe shared with the online community her first experience of snow, a church she called her home away from home, and detailed one of the most difficult situations she faced in the country when she contracted chickenpox in 2018.
"I had to go into isolation at a state hospital for seven days. I only survived on fruits, and I couldn't eat the food offered at the hospital."
Source: TikTok
She noted that on some days, her housemates would bring fruits and snacks through a window to her and another isolated housemate, as they weren't allowed to see them in person. In 2020, COVID-19 struck. Dr Thandiwe attended online classes, sharing:
"We would be given a timeframe to submit exercises daily. If you missed that timeframe or couldn't finish the exercise in time, you would fail and have to redo it later in the semester."
In 2022, three months before finishing medical school, Dr Thandiwe tragically lost her grandmother. She travelled back home, where she stayed for a month before moving back to Russia for another month to finish her medical school exams. The young woman had to play catch-up and saw energy drinks as her study partner. She noted that it was that period of her life that caused her to dislike energy drinks.
Dr Thandiwe added that, while studying, she would wear her stethoscope and name tag to remind herself of her goal. She also wore her graduation gown and cap with her roommate so that they could hype each other up.
Source: TikTok
2022 came, and she wrote:
"The dream came to pass. All the sacrifices, the struggle, tears, and hard work finally paid off. Six years later, I had made it. I was proud of myself. I became the first university graduate in my family; the first medical doctor! Oh, what a long journey this has been."
Unfortunately, when Dr Thandiwe returned to South Africa, she said that she suffered two years of pain and darkness, which she explained in a separate video. Fortunately, things eventually improved, and she could proudly call herself a doctor.
Watch the TikTok video posted on Dr Thandiwe's account below:
3 Other stories about South African doctors
- In another article, Briefly News reported that future doctors received their medical badges, marking the moment they stepped into the medical field after years of hard work.
- A young doctor shared a heartwarming video shortly after celebrating a significant milestone in her life. The clip touched the hearts of many social media users.
- Last year, South Africans laughed at a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation between a doctor and a confused patient, who wondered about the squiggles written on the prescription.
Source: Briefly News
