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Third-year Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) students gathered in Mthatha on 19 November 2025 to present their research and project findings as part of the Community-Based Education and Service (COBES) learning module. The event brought together students, faculty members and evaluators. It represented a key milestone in their academic year and their engagement with surrounding communities.
What Happened
As part of the COBES programme, students are placed at various health centres in and around Mthatha. The placement allows them to learn directly from real community conditions and interact with everyday health-system challenges.
Throughout the day, students presented their research outcomes to a panel of evaluators and facilitators responsible for assessing the quality and relevance of their findings.
Official Response
The Associate Dean for Strategic Affairs, Professor Sikhumbuzo Mabunda, officially opened the event. He emphasised the academic and social value of the programme, noting that it strengthens students’ understanding of the communities they serve.
“This is not just a pedagogical tool, it is a philosophy,” said Mabunda. “It affirms that health education must be rooted in context, in service and in deep knowledge of the very communities you aim to serve. Through this model, we not only train physicians, but we also nurture public servants, researchers and advocates.”
Community Impact
Through their fieldwork, students applied scientific methods to real health challenges. Their projects produced insights that contribute to medical education and help inform the work of local health facilities.
Faculty members noted that the programme allows students to bridge academic learning with community needs, creating clinicians who understand the realities of rural and urban healthcare.
