​More than 200 students from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), Stellenbosch University, will be capped at the March graduation ceremony in Stellenbosch this week.

"We warmly congratulate you on the qualification that you will be receiving," the Rector and Vice Chancellor of Stellenbosch University, Prof Wim de Villiers said. "You exemplify the excellence that Stellenbosch University (SU) strives for. Well done, we are proud of you!"

A total of 209 students from the faculty will receive degrees and diplomas ranging from medical degrees (MB,ChB), diplomas in Pharmacology and  Health Research Ethics and Nursing to BSc degrees, as well as honours, masters, and doctorates in an array of fields.

Among this group are Dr Emma Krzesinski, one of the first students from the university to complete a MMed degree in Medical Genetics, and Dr Sajith Sebastian, the first Matie to receive an MPhil (Nephrology) degree – which he achieved cum laude.

Of the 209 graduates, 12 will receive their doctorate (PhD) degrees today, including four staff members of the FMHS. They are:

• Dr Bonga Chiliza from the Department of Psychiatry, whose research tested the feasibility of depot antipsychotic treatment in schizophrenia patients.
• Dr Jacques Janson from the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, who developed and tested a bio-prosthetic mitral valve in a sheep model.
• Dr Eduard Langenegger from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, who compiled and implemented a detailed design blueprint for an Obstetric Critical Care Unit and conducted pre- and post-establishment audits of the service.
• Dr Taryn Young from the Division of Community Health, who developed a best practice model for teaching and learning of Evidence-based Health Care.

Three PhDs were also awarded to FMHS staff members in December last year. They were:

• Dr Lisanne Du Plessis with the Division of Human Nutrition, who explored stakeholder commitment and capacity to address infant and young child nutrition in South Africa's Breede Valley.
• Dr David Rosenstein with the Department of Psychiatry, whose research project examined the effects of early developmental trauma on social anxiety disorders.
• Dr Regan Solomons with the Department of Paediatrics, whose project aimed at improving the early diagnosis of childhood tuberculosis meningitis.

"It has been a privilege to have you here as a student. You have gained far more than just a degree, having developed in many ways and also having contributed to the growth of others – in the unique Matie way," said De Villiers.

"We trust that you will apply what you have learnt and experienced here to the benefit of the community."