​Final-year MBChB student at Stellenbosch University (SU), Kayla Lourens has been recognised as one of South Africa's top final-year medical students, earning the Young Doctors Merit Award at the National Medical Awards, held during the recent 2025 Smart Health Summit gala evening in Pretoria.

The award, presented by the Alliance of South African Independent Practitioners Associations (ASAIPA), recognises final-year medical students across the country who excel in academics, leadership, and community engagement. Lourens shares the 2025 top honour with Estiaan Mellet from the University of Pretoria.

A standout student at SU's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Lourens is no stranger to accolades. Last year she received the University's prestigious Rector's Award for Leadership and was also awarded honorary colours for leadership, culture, and service at SU, as well as a merit award for her contributions to the Tygerberg Student Union.

With a strong interest in cardiovascular medicine, Lourens has complemented her academic achievements with rich international experiences, including a German Summer School at the University of Tübingen and a clinical elective in acute cardiac care at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. She also represented Friends of Doctors Without Borders at the MSF Southern Africa General Assembly in Harare.

Leadership and community service have remained central to her student journey. Lourens has chaired the Tygerberg Societies Council, the SU Medical Orchestra, and Friends of Doctors Without Borders, while also serving on key governance bodies such as the Tygerberg Student Representative Council and the Academic Affairs Council.

Reflecting on her ambitions, she says she is committed to patient-centred care and hopes to contribute to a more innovative, equitable and compassionate healthcare system.

“I believe that the future of South African healthcare relies on young doctors who are willing to stand up – not just to critique the system, but to be part of its transformation."

Lourens added that the ASAIPA Young Doctors Merit Awards resonate with her because it recognises more than academic achievement. “It celebrates the kind of doctor I strive to become – a doctor who leads with empathy, uplifts communities and uses every opportunity to grow and give back."