Thakgalo Thibela: South Africa's youngest female doctor who set new milestones at 21
Attaining outstanding professional feats at a very young age is a universal aspiration; a dream Dr. Thakgalo Thibela turned into reality by emerging as one of the youngest female physicians in South Africa at the age of 21.
The now 23-year-old was a frontline worker during COVID-19 at one of Johannesburg’s busiest hospitals, providing healthcare in the face of a global crisis.
She had a remarkable educational life despite her rather humble beginnings, hailing from a village in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga in eastern South Africa.
Thibela received the best education from some of South Africa’s public schools with the support of her mother who was a primary school teacher and her father, a manager at a local municipality.
The young academic’s drive and thirst for excellence characterized every stage of her education, from Farel Primary School through to medical school.
Her exceptional performance saw her skip a few grades; 7 and 9.
“I was very fortunate that the schools I went to (public schools by the way) promoted students they felt were doing well academically, so as a result, I didn’t do Grad 7 and 9 and I also started school a year early which enabled me to complete matric at 15,” she said in an interview with The Saturday Star.
By age 16, Thibela was ready to pursue her dreams of becoming a medical doctor but this ambition did not come without obstacles.
After several rejections from various medical schools, she got accepted into Wits University to pursue a six-year degree in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.
Medical school also did not come without challenges; the young Thibela got bullied by colleagues particularly because of her accent and background.
Defying all odds, she persevered and finally graduated, attaining international recognition as the youngest female doctor in South Africa at age 21.
Thakgalo Thibela secured a spot on the 2023 200 Young South Africans list by the Mail Guardian, a testament to her accomplishments.
Dr. Thibela worked at Mapulaneng Hospital in Bushbuckridge where she was born and currently works at Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg as a physician.
She hopes to pursue other dreams of specializing in neurosurgery.
“The brain and nervous system have always fascinated me. If the brain stops working, whether your heart is still beating or not, you are considered dead.
“For me, the brain is the most important organ in the human body, and I would like to know more about it and help people who have brain and nervous system lesions get better,” she told The Saturday Star.
