Thus far, our programme has produced 571 graduates
Over the past 22 years we have produced 571 graduates, 216 of which are Doctors. Further, 51% of our Doctors are female, whilst 54% of all our graduates are female!
This year we are supporting 187 students studying the following health science disciplines:
Audiology, Biomedical Technology, Dentistry, Dietetics, Emergency Medical Rescue Services, Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Speech Therapy.
Some of our graduates are involved in the day-to-day running of the Umthombo programme at hospital level, while other graduates remain active in the mentorship and support of students, often participating in school outreach programmes.
The success of our programme is due to the provision of academic and social mentoring support, in addition to comprehensive financial support. The impact of our mentoring support can be seen in the amazing university pass rates our students are achieving - 92% over the past 12 years!
UYDF has been cited as one of the few sustainable solutions for improving shortages of qualified healthcare staff at rural hospitals in South Africa. The number of graduates has had a positive impact on the delivery of healthcare services at participating hospitals. In many cases, new services have been established at these hospitals by our graduates.
The graph below shows the student and graduate numbers over the period 1999 to 2020, annual pass rates and number of Doctors:
