You Were Born for This: Young Venda Woman Earns Nine Distinctions in Medicine

• A young medical graduate shared her graduation moment after completing her MBChB with nine distinctions
• The video struck a chord across South Africa, highlighting representation, discipline and the long journey behind becoming a doctor
• As the clip spread, it became a symbol of perseverance and hope for students chasing demanding careers
• Briefly News reached out to Dr Mazuba and medical student Sibusiso to gain insight into what it takes to achieve academic excellence in medicine

One walk across the stage turned into a nationwide reminder of what dedication can achieve; years of late nights, quiet sacrifices, and unwavering belief came together in a single, powerful moment that inspired thousands beyond the ceremony itself.

A young South African woman left Mzansi beaming with pride after celebrating a major academic milestone in medicine. The video was posted by @naomi_mulidzwi on 13 December 2025 and showed her walking across the graduation stage during her MBChB ceremony. The Stellenbosch University graduate completed her medical degree with an impressive nine distinctions, marking a rare academic achievement. The clip captured the moment she stepped forward in her graduation regalia, highlighting years of hard work, discipline and sacrifice coming together in one proud walk.

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Beyond the graduation walk, the achievement carried a deeper meaning for many South Africans. As a Venda woman excelling in one of the country’s most demanding fields, her success reflected both personal determination and broader representation in medicine. Completing an MBChB degree already requires intense academic pressure, long hours and emotional resilience, and doing so with nine distinctions placed her among the top-performing graduates.

Young South African doctor inspires Mzansi

Graduating with distinctions on all modules from Stellenbosch University added further weight to the achievement, given the institution’s rigorous standards and competitive medical programme. Many netizens related to user @naomi_mulidzwi's story because it symbolised perseverance, discipline and the payoff of staying committed to a long-term goal. The graduation walk resonated with young people chasing demanding careers, parents supporting children through university, and communities celebrating one of their own reaching the highest levels of education.

Mzansi responded with overwhelming admiration and encouragement. Viewers praised her work ethic, intelligence and humility, while others highlighted how inspiring it was to see young black women thriving in medicine. The moment became more than a graduation clip, turning into a shared celebration of excellence, possibility and national pride.

Reflecting on his own journey, Dr Mazuba highlighted three key factors that contributed to her academic success.

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“Looking back at my medical school journey, three things contributed to attaining academic excellence. The first was constant revision and reading. Because you’re at the hospital most of the time, I took every opportunity to read whenever I was outside of that environment. If I were on the bus en route to the hospital, I would read a chapter. On the bus back to res in the afternoon, I would read again. One thing you can’t afford to do is leave all the reading for the last minute; it never ends well, and you quickly become overwhelmed.”

She also stressed the importance of being actively involved in clinical work rather than remaining a passive observer.

“The second thing that helped me achieve excellence was putting myself out there in the clinical space. You have to get your hands dirty, scrub into the theatre, do procedures, and ask senior doctors to allow you to assist in minor procedures. As important as theory is, you learn so much by being involved. You gain confidence as a future clinician and pick up knowledge you can apply in exams. You’d be shocked at how much information you absorb when you actively practise skills related to a topic.”

According to Dr Mazuba, real learning happens through engagement with patients.

“You can wear a stethoscope and place it on a patient’s chest, but real learning takes place when you interact with patients and are involved in their care. You need to actively learn, you can’t just observe and expect to know things.”

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She concluded by emphasising balance as the most important factor.

“The last and most important thing is striking a healthy balance between your academic and personal life. It’s important to do things for yourself from time to time, go out with friends, have a hobby, go on hikes, or go to the gym. Medicine gets overwhelming very quickly, so you have to make sure you take time out for yourself. Books are important, but you have to take care of yourself, too.”

Medical student Sibusiso on discipline, support, and purpose. Sharing a student’s perspective, Sibusiso explained that excellence in medicine is more about habits than natural ability.

“I believe that academic excellence in medicine is less about raw intelligence and more about consistency and strategy. The volume of work is simply too large to rely on last-minute studying. You need daily engagement with the material, active learning methods, and an understanding that perfection isn’t always realistic. Deeply understanding concepts, rather than memorising superficially, makes a huge difference.”

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He added that discipline and support systems play a critical role in surviving the demands of medical school.

“Discipline is what keeps you going on days when motivation is gone. Support systems like friends, family, and classmates protect your mental health and remind you that you’re not alone. Mentorship, especially from senior students or doctors, is invaluable. They help you avoid common mistakes and give you perspective beyond marks. You gain access to so many resources from upper-year students that make medical school much easier.”

Sibusiso also shared his advice for aspiring medical students.

“Make sure your reason for wanting to study medicine is strong and personal, because that ‘why’ will carry you through difficult seasons. Build good study habits early, learn how you study best, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Excellence in medicine isn’t only about grades; resilience, humility, and consistency matter just as much.”

Here’s what Mzansi had to say

Bandile wrote:

“9 distinctions? You were made for this.”

Romeo Newman wrote:

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“This is the content we signed up for.”

Nyawoezineswekile M wrote:

“Not me getting goose bumps. Congratulations, stranger.”

Sineka wrote:

“Well done, internet stranger.”

Busi wrote:

“Congrats, Ephesians 3:20.”

Ontshi wrote:

“OMG, congratulations.”

Thi wrote:

“Congratulations! We love this for you.”

Okhi08 wrote:

“Damn! I love an educated girlie, congratulations vho-Dokotela.”

Check out the TikTok video below:

3 Other Briefly News stories about doctors

• A video showed future doctors receiving their official badges, marking the moment they step into the medical field after years of hard work and study.
• Three South African medical students had social media laughing after their attempt at an amapiano dance routine went viral online.
• A UKZN medical student shared a detailed breakdown of the textbooks, study guides, and online resources she used to achieve seven distinctions in her matric exams.

Source: Briefly News