For those health sciences qualifiers who were unable to stand alongside their classmates and take their oaths last year, the Faculty ensured that their moment of recognition was given the weight it deserved. Through an asynchronous ceremony on 1 April 2026, these qualifiers were granted the opportunity to affirm their professional pledge in a hybrid format.  

The 17 qualifiers (16 MBChBs and one BSc in Physiotherapy) took the oath in English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans — the three official languages of the Western Cape. This was modelled on their peers’ inaugural multilingual oath recital in November 2025. 

Led by the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Professor Lionel Green-Thompson, the oath was read collectively by qualifiers and other health professionals present, including Dr Kerrin Begg, FHS Deputy Dean: Undergraduate Education; and Associate Professor Tracey Naledi, FHS Deputy Dean: Social Accountability and Health Systems. In the room filled with relatives, the oath was read solemnly and with conviction.  

This flexible approach not only honoured these qualifiers’ achievement of completing their degrees but reaffirmed that the oath is more than a ritual; it is a life-long commitment to serve, be compassionate, be just and be humble.