“I Would Cry”: Dr Joy Saville Credits God for Her Path to Medicine After an E for Maths
- Dr Joy Saville received a C for physical science and an E for maths in matric before setting her sights on becoming a doctor
- She applied to study medicine at Wits in 2016, two years after having a child, while juggling adult expenses and a part-time job
- Dr Joy shared her story on Instagram, and it struck a nerve with South Africans who felt seen by her journey
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Source: Instagram
Dr Joy Saville is a medical doctor, a mother, and proof that a poor matric result does not have to be the final word on your future.
In a video shared to her Instagram on 13 November 2026, the South African doctor opened up about how she made it into medicine despite earning a C for physical science and an E for maths. The clip quickly resonated with people who saw their own doubts reflected in her story.
Her path to medicine was anything but straight. After matric, she completed a BSc over five years, changing her major once and failing a year along the way. Despite those setbacks, the pull towards medicine never went away.
From matric fails to Wits medicine
In 2016, two years after giving birth, Dr Joy decided to apply to study medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand. She was invited to write the entrance exam and, to her own surprise, passed it. She was accepted.
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What followed was years of studying while raising a child, working part-time and carrying the financial pressures of adult life. After every exam, she said, she would cry, convinced she could not keep up. But her results told a different story. She finished her first year on 75%, then 78%, then 79%, and completed her degree on 81%, landing in the top 10% of her class and on the dean's list.
Filming the video, she spoke directly to anyone carrying the weight of past failures:
"Is there anything that is too big for our God? If God is for us, who can stand against us?"
Watch Dr Joy share her full story below:
South Africans share their own stories
The video clearly struck a chord. Viewers flooded the comments section on her Instagram page with their own testimonies and words of encouragement:
@kutlwano_1 wrote:
"Thank you for sharing this. So encouraging ❤️ Changed my career after 17+ years and currently studying medicine at 43."
@laurenjonker43 said:
"Amen 🙌🥹 I am a mom of three, worked as a full-time theatre nurse, and at the beginning of the year started my BCom studies. Waiting on my results, walked out of my nursing career as I was offered a job in my field of studies. Starting my new job on Monday, and all I can say is all glory and honour to God 😭😭🙌🏽🙌🏽🥹🥹 answered prayers!!"
@yumnahay shared:
"Yes, and it's also never too late! Started nursing school in the USA at 27 years old. Just a girl from the flats in Westbury, Johannesburg who thought girls who come from a community like that could never do it who is now doing it. Nothing is too big for God ❤️"
@masegogao wrote:
"I just got this massive rush of fear because this is confirmation that I should go ahead and start what I have been putting off for years due to fear. Thank you! God bless you immensely!"
@drzeenhle said:
"You lived my life... I'm now planning to specialise in psych... Hahahaha. Got into medicine at 26 after a master's degree, 8 months postpartum... God is amazing."
@tulipsandgrace_ added:
"Amen!!! Oooh die is so mooi en encouraging boodskap! Die Here is Groot en getrou! ❤️" [That is such a beautiful and encouraging message! The Lord is great and faithful!]
@bee_mabunda reflected:
"Congrats, Dr! I've always wanted to be a Dr, but my biology and maths were laughing at me, so I've made peace with the fact that I might not be a medical Dr. And now in my adult life, a lot of people tell me that I can make a good lawyer. I'm 37, and I know I can completely change my career 😌 💯"
More on South African students and graduates
- Briefly News recently reported on a Wits master’s student who was moved to tears by something from their father.
- An Afrikaner refugee in the US has given an update on how her children are settling in at school.
- A young graduate has shared the gap between her degree and her current reality in a TikTok clip.
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Source: Briefly News
