A THIRD generation of doctors is in the making in the Manning family, thanks to the brainy and beautiful, Rachel Manning (17), who will keep the ‘Doctor Manning’ name going strong.
The recent matric graduate has been accepted at the UKZN Medical School and will be following in the footsteps of her father, Conrad and her great uncle, Basil Manning.
Both are known in the Bluff and Wentworth areas for being excellent medical practitioners who have served the community over the years.
The teenager graduated from Westville Girls High with an impressive 7 As, excelling in her favourite subject of biology. She can’t wait for the academic year to start. “My dad would tell me stories about his job when I was younger but I only realised I wanted to be a doctor when I was 16-years-old and in hospital having my appendix removed. I was inspired by how the hospital staff operated and it just sparked a passion in me,” said Rachel.
The medical bug first bit the Manning family when Basil, who was a teacher, received a bursary to study medicine, a field he had always been interested in. He left the teaching profession and began his studies at UKZN in 1971. He went on to qualify as a gynaecologist. At the ripe age of 72, he still practises and performs surgeries. “Being a doctor is a lifetime commitment and passion,” he said.
A few years down the line, his nephew Conrad entered the medical field in 1987, also studying at UKZN. “My work has taken me all over. I have worked for the military, mines and was offered a job in Dubai to work for two years. I have gained my best experiences from my job and I’m overjoyed that my daughter has chosen the same path as my uncle and I,” said Conrad.
The proud father wishes his daughter well on her journey. “Every parent desires for his child to be happy and successful with their life and their choices. Medicine is a challenging course and very demanding but I know my daughter has all the qualities to succeed.
Rachel enjoys reading, movies, cooking and practising her new hobby, piano in her free time.
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