I BEAT THE ODDS TO BE A DOCTOR
YOU South Africa|9 December 2021
He set his heart on medicine but Izak Johan Haarhoff had to go to hell and back to qualify
MELON RADEBE
I BEAT THE ODDS TO BE A DOCTOR
SECURING a medical degree can be an uphill battle and the years of academic slog, grueling practical training, and intense competition have seen many aspiring doctors fall by the wayside.

If there’s one person who could have been forgiven for dropping out, it’s Izak Johan Haarhoff. The 28-yearold has battled near insurmountable odds that would’ve broken many people: the deaths of loved ones, crippling depression, paralysis and cancer.

But Izak didn’t give up – and he was rewarded for his tenacity and courage when he went on stage recently to be capped at his university graduation.

“It was an amazing experience,” Izak tells YOU. “It was great to have my parents there and to stand on stage and get an ovation was really nice. Knowing that everything had led to this conclusion left me in tears.”

Izak will always be grateful to his alma mater, Water Sisulu University (WSU) in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, for the support he received during his years at the institution. “WSU made me the person and the doctor I am today,” he says.

IZAK grew up in Warrenton near Kimberley in the Northern Cape with his parents, Anne-Marie and Kobus, and brothers, Theo (27) and Kobus Jnr (22). His dad is a GP and inspired Izak to follow in his footsteps.

“In the December holidays after Grade 11, I landed a position job-shadowing in the orthopedics department at the Kimberley Hospital Complex. I spent 150 hours gaining valuable insight into the life of a doctor,” he recalls.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 9 December 2021 من YOU South Africa.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة 9 December 2021 من YOU South Africa.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من YOU SOUTH AFRICA مشاهدة الكل
HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST
YOU South Africa

HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST

With more and more of us struggling with our mental health, here's a common-sense guide to coping with life's ups and downs

time-read
5 mins  |
5 December 2024
SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES
YOU South Africa

SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES

John van de Ruit tells us why he decided to write a sequel - and shares how his first book helped him find enduring love

time-read
5 mins  |
5 December 2024
SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG
YOU South Africa

SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG

A Cape Town couple have been charged with using a young woman as a sex slave-but some say she lost the job she signed up for and now has a grudge against them

time-read
4 mins  |
5 December 2024
LIAM LAID TO REST
YOU South Africa

LIAM LAID TO REST

More than a month after One Direction singer LIAM PAYNE (31) tragically fell to his death from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his loved ones finally got to say their goodbyes.

time-read
1 min  |
5 December 2024
SHILOH HANGS OUT
YOU South Africa

SHILOH HANGS OUT

THE two young women look like any pair of good friends chatting and laughing as they leave their dance class in Los Angeles.

time-read
1 min  |
5 December 2024
LEO IN LOVE
YOU South Africa

LEO IN LOVE

He's just turned 50 and it seems Leonardo DiCaprio may finally be ready to settle down

time-read
3 mins  |
5 December 2024
PACKING A PUNCH
YOU South Africa

PACKING A PUNCH

Irish actor Paul Mescal beefed up for his role in the blockbuster epic Gladiator II - and fans are loving it

time-read
4 mins  |
5 December 2024
I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD
YOU South Africa

I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD

As the illegitimate daughter of the king, she fought to be recognised as part of Belgium's royal family, but Princess Delphine says she still feels unwelcome

time-read
5 mins  |
5 December 2024
'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'
YOU South Africa

'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'

A bite from a spitting cobra 13 years ago nearly killed her but Mikayla survived - and she's made peace with her scars

time-read
4 mins  |
5 December 2024
THE CLAWS ARE OUT!
YOU South Africa

THE CLAWS ARE OUT!

Things have grown frosty between the Beckhams and the Sussexes as Becks comes out in clear support of William

time-read
7 mins  |
5 December 2024