Dr. Thakgalo Thibela; the youngest female medical doctor who cannot get a job interview in South Africa simply because ...?

As young as they arrive; South African youngest female doctor Thakgalo Thibela reflects on a ‘rollercoaster’ year ride as she maps out her uncertain future in the complicated and messy world of medicine in Africa.

I start by introducing myself. It is in order.

My name is Dr Thakgalo Thibela, a 24-year-old remarkable Medical Doctor; at age 21 I became the youngest female Medical Doctor in South Africa, after obtaining a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery from Wits University.

I was born and raised in Violet Bank, a village in the small town of Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga Province. I attended Farel Primary School where I was smart enough and skipped Grade 7, enrolled straight to Lehlasedi High School where I also did not do Grade 9.

Due to my academic excellence I was promoted from Grade 6 to 8 and from Grade 8 to 10 and completed my metric with 7 distinctions at the age of 15. At age 16, I received a bursary from Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and enrolled at the University of Witwatersrand, where I successfully graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) in December 2020 at the age of 21.

I completed my Internship at Helen Joseph Hospital and my Community Service at Mapulaneng Hospital and I intend on becoming a Neurosurgeon in the nearest future. While at the university I became a Golden Key International Society Member and in January 2022, I was honoured among 200 Young South Africans by Mail & Guardian.

Sadly, I am currently unemployed, willing and ready to serve anywhere in South Africa. I am also open to opportunities in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. I happen to find myself as part of the 800+ unemployed doctors in South Africa currently. I am willing and ready to serve anywhere in the country but that opportunity is not being afforded to me. I became a doctor because I wanted to help people and not being able to do just that has been mentally taxing.

Please help 😭

My other achievements include a Diploma in Child Health, Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Paediatric Advanced Life Support.

While most people her age are out partying with friends, Thakgalo Thibela is grinding away at one of Johannesburg’s busiest hospitals. After achieving her dream of becoming a doctor at 21, Thibela became the youngest female practicing medical doctor in South Africa - Dhashen Moodley

Dhashen Moodley is a narrative journalist making stories in Africa. He investigates people who are trying to solve overwhelming problems in the face of limited ways and means. Dhashen is a senior podcast producer with The Children's Radio Foundation (CRF), where he's currently leading the production of a podcast series about climate change in Zambia and South Africa. His past series on youth unemployment in Alexandra, a township in Johannesburg, was listed among Spotify's top South African podcasts for 2022. 

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Mpumalanga Province

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