It’s not often you come across an entire family of doctors. Not to mention one where everyone studied (or is studying) at the same institution. Meet Umhlanga’s ambitious, compassionate and altruistic Maharaj family.
“There are no greater heroes than those who help the sick,” says 18-year-old Smita Maharaj. The youngest in a family of four, Smita this year joined her two older sisters as a medical student at UKZN medical school – the same place where their older brother and both parents qualified as doctors as well.
While living with this bunch might sound a bit intimidating, the Maharaj family are down-to-earth and fun-loving, and enjoy nothing more than spending time together. “Like any other family, we laugh together, pray together, play together and we cry together. We have normal sibling bickering, usually about something silly like who ate the last McDonald’s nugget in the fridge or who stole the favourite pair of jeans,” laughs Smita, who matriculated from Westville Girls High School last year.
Mentors and role models
It seems almost inevitable that Smita ended up studying medicine, with her mom, Jenita, an optometrist and dad, Dr NB Maharaj, a GP. As a child Smita spent much of her childhood running between her parents Umlazi-based practice. “I have fond memories of playing with the nurses and receptionists at their medical centre who helped raise me. They all made a lasting impression on my life and I will be forever grateful for the role they played in grooming me into the person I am today.”
It was from her parents, though, Smita says, that she learned about true humanity. “There was never any glory, fame or extravagance at my parent’s practice. It was always just about healing the sick. It was about medicine and everyone was treated with the utmost respect and dignity.”
As she watched her parents heal the ill and saw their patients’ gratitude, Smita says she realised that this was what she wanted to do with her life as well.
“We are all on a journey and the path we choose decides our fate. I believe I have the ability to influence humanity positively and I don’t want to waste my life chasing material dreams or status.”
As role models, Smita says her parents have instilled a strong sense of altruism in all four of their children. “Our parents never sit us down and dictate how we should live our lives. Instead, everything we have learned has been from watching their actions and wanting to emulate them.”
Meet the siblings
Smita also gets a lot of support from her older siblings. She tells us a bit about each one of them:
Sahil: “My brother Sahil is the eldest. He matriculated in 2015 and was placed fifth in the province. He qualified Cum Laude from UKZN medical school and is in his second year of his internship at King Edward/Wentworth Hospital. He is well-balanced, calm and level-headed and a very protective big brother.”
Sandhya: “Sandhya is the eldest of the sisters and in her final year of medicine at UKZN. She is the ‘drama queen’ of the family and a ball of energy, firing on all cylinders all the time! She is passionate about anything she gets involved in and is a perfectionist. She is the person I go to when I need a pep talk or am feeling down.”
Suhana: “The closest in age to me, Suhana finished school in 2019 and was placed sixth in the province. She is a fourth-year medical student and is definitely the most direct out of all of us. She will give you her honest, unfiltered opinion and keeps things very real. She also creates a positive atmosphere and is a very caring, protective older sister.”
Life outside of medicine
All four siblings practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and love sparring together. “We play table tennis every day and also enjoy playing pool. When the weather is good, we are usually in the swimming pool where things often get quite competitive,” laughs Smita. “My mom insists we all practice yoga and Pilates and these help me to stay grounded and keep things in perspective.”
Smita says the family also loves travelling internationally together, experiencing new cultures and cuisines and usually go on at least two overseas trips every year.
“There is never a dull moment in our home and I just love being there,” she says. “Our home is a safe place for all of us, where we are all support structures for one another. When the weight of something becomes too much for one to handle, we are the ‘spotters’, the sounding boards and each other’s life coaches.”
