Al-Qalam 
By Al-Qalam Reporter
KwaZulu-Natal’s top matriculant, Abdullah Abisola, is poised to embark on a promising journey at university with a passion for medicine and a history that has deeply shaped his aspirations.
Abisola, who was a pupil at Al Falaah College, achieved remarkable success in his matric year, ranking third in the province with an impressive 94% aggregate. His dedication to academics and his future in the medical field is rooted in both personal experience and the influence of his parents, who are both medical doctors.
“I was always drawn to medicine, even from a young age. It has been one of my earliest passions, and my parents had a lot to do with that. Both of them are medical doctors, and I saw how they contributed to medicine and how they would sacrifice their time to help people,” said Abisola.
He recalled an incident that deeply impacted him: “A close friend of mine came to them for treatment. He was crying when he walked in, but when he left, he was smiling. That really touched my heart. I began to see medicine as a magical career where a patient walks in with problems, and as a doctor, you have the power to solve those problems.”
Abdullah’s curiosity grew as he delved into understanding the complexities of the human body.
“It was always something that amazed me. I love learning how the human body works and how medicine can address its challenges. It is fascinating,” said Abisola.
But his journey to becoming a medical student took a personal turn when Abisola was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, Alopecia Areata, at the age of 14.
Alopecia Areata is a condition that causes hair loss due to the body’s immune system mistakenly attacking hair follicles.
For Abdullah, it was more than just a medical condition; it became a catalyst that fuelled his passion for medicine even more.
“At first, I was trying to hide my diagnosis. I couldn’t accept it, and I was trying to run away from it. However, over time, I came to terms with the condition and began seeking treatment,” said Abisola. He said he started out on medication and steroid creams, but it wasn’t giving him the results that doctors said it would.
“Then a dermatologist suggested I get injections in my head, which was a very painful experience,” said Abisola.
Through this process, Abisola learned that stress was a major trigger for the condition.
“The root cause was actually that a lot of it was related to stress. I had to identify what in my life was stressing me and condition myself to destress. Fast forward to a few years later, and, Alhamdulilah, it started to cure itself,” said Abisola.
This personal battle with Alopecia Areata not only changed his life but also strengthened his resolve to pursue medicine.
“It was one of the other incidents in my life that continued to peak my interest in medicine. It was an opportunity for me to understand the human body better, and I thought, if I had to spend the rest of my life doing anything, it would be a career where I could truly make a difference and help a lot of people,” said Abisola.
Abisola says his journey to success during his matric year, wasn’t without challenges.
He said achieving top academic results requires a balance of dedication and strategy, and he discovered that the key to success is consistency.
He attributes much of his success to a combination of discipline and self-awareness. “I chose to study every day, but not more than four hours, so that I could have a balance in my life. There wasn’t much studying involved toward finals because I was consistent throughout the year and didn’t leave things to the last minute,” said Abisola.
This approach paid off when Abisola received his NSC results, which included seven distinctions in regular subjects and one distinction in an IEB subject (AP Mathematics).
“I was fortunate to get this result. I would have never in my wildest imagination think that I could get this result. And I owe it to Allah for assisting me. I always turned to him,” said Abisola.
As he begins his orientation week at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s medical school, Abisola says he is very excited about what the future holds.
“Medicine is a career that allows you to help people in ways that go beyond physical treatment. It’s about being there for someone when they need it most, and I want to be the kind of doctor who does that. I am looking forward to this journey,” said Abisola.
