Cape Town's uneducated surgeon Mr. Hamilton, was awarded an honorary degree of Master of Medicine; but, he could neither read nor write - he was illiterate. Let's examine how this was possible.
Cape Town Medical University is a leading university in the medical world.
The world's first heart-bypass operation took place at this university.
The honorary degree of Master of Medicine, was awarded to someone who had never seen the inside of a school, in his life.
He could neither read an English word nor write .....
But one morning in 2003, world-renowned surgeon Professor David Dent announced in the university auditorium: "Today we are awarding an honorary degree in medicine to the man who produced the most surgeons in the world". He is an extraordinary teacher, an amazing surgeon and studied medical science and surprised the human mind.
With this announcement, the professor said the name: "Hamilton" and the entire auditorium stood-up and cheered the Doctor.
It was the biggest reception in the history of this university.
Hamilton was born in Sanitani, a remote village in Cape Town. His parents were shepherds, he wore goat-skin, and walked in the mountains barefoot all day. As a child, his father fell ill; so he left the sheep and goats and moved to Cape Town, for work. Construction was underway at the University of Cape Town in those days.
He joined the university as a labourer. He would send home as much money as he could get, and after a hard day's work, he used to sleep in the open ground chewing gram himself to sleep.
He worked as a laborer for many years. The construction process completed, and so he found the job of mowing the tennis grass-courts at the university.
He arrived at the tennis courts, and would start mowing the tennis lawn, daily.
He did this for three years ...
Then came a strange turning-point in his life which enabled him to reach and 'touch' medical science - where no one else had ever experienced or been, before.
It was a mild, warm morning and Professor Robert Goetz, was researching giraffes, and wanted to see why - "When a giraffe bends its neck to drink water, why doesn't it have a seizure?"
They laid a giraffe on the operating-table, knocked him unconscious, but as soon as the operation started, the giraffe shook its head. So they needed a strong man to keep the giraffe's neck tight and still during the operation.
The professor went out of the theatre, and saw 'Hamilton' mowing the lawn in front. The professor saw that he was a healthy young man, of strong stature and beckoned him over and ordered him to grab the giraffe's neck. "Hamilton" grabbed its neck.
The operation lasted eight hours. During this time, the doctor continued to take tea and coffee breaks; however, "Hamilton" stood holding the giraffe's neck without moving much. When the operation was over, Hamilton quietly went out and started mowing the lawn.
The next day, the professor called him in again, and he came and grabbed the giraffe's neck and remained standing-up all the time. This became Hamilton's routine for the next many months, and neither did he demand any compensation for the additional duty, nor did he complain.
Professor Robert Goetz was impressed by his perseverance and sincerity; Hamilton was promoted from mowing the tennis courts to "Lab Assistant." He now arrived at the university, and went straight to the operating-theatre, to help the surgeons. This process continued for years.
In 1958, came another turning point in his life. This year Dr. Christian Barnard came to the university and started pioneering heart- transplant operations. Hamilton became his assistant during these operations, and went from an assistant to become an "Additional Surgeon".
Now, after the surgeons operate, the Additional Surgeon would remain after the operation. Hamilton was given the task to stitch-up after the heart surgeon had completed his task. Hamilton used to do excellent stitches. His fingers were clean and fast. He stitched fifty people in one day. Whilst working in the operating-theatre, he began to learn and understand the human body.....in more detail, than any surgeon would have. So, the senior doctors gave Hamilton the responsibility of teaching the junior doctors.
He now began teaching surgery techniques to junior doctors. He gradually became the most important figure in the university. He was unfamiliar with the terms in medical science, but, he became, and was the best cardiac- surgeon in the world.
The *third* turning-point in his life came in 1970, when research on the liver began that year; and he identified one such liver artery during such a surgery.... which made liver-transplantation easier and safer.
His remarks (and knowledge) astonished the great minds of medical science of the day.
Today, when a person has a liver-operation in some corner of the world; and the patient re-opens his eyes and sees light - the reward for this success goes directly to Mr. Hamilton.
"Hamilton" achieved this position with sincerity and perseverance. He was associated with the University of Cape Town for 50 years, in those 50 years he never took a vacation.
He would leave home at three o'clock in the morning, walk 14 miles to the university, and enter the operating-theatre exactly at six o'clock. People used to synchronise their watches with his punctuality.
He received an honour, that nobody in medical science has ever achieved..
He was the first illiterate teacher of medical science, in history.
He was the first illiterate surgeon to train 30,000 surgeons in his lifetime.
He died in 2005 and was buried at the university grounds. It became compulsory for every graduating surgeon, soon after obtaining their degree from the university, to go straight to his grave and take a picture - before beginning their practical career as surgeons.....
*"Do you know how he got to this position?"*
*"With only one "yes"*
The day he was called to the operating-theatre to grab the giraffe's neck; if he had refused on that day, or, if he had said that day, "I am a Grounds Maintenance Worker, my job is not to hold the giraffe's neck"; he would never have become a surgeon.
It was a "yes" and an extra eight hours of hard work that opened the door of success to him, and enabled him to become a surgeon.
"Most of us have been looking for a job all our lives. All the while: "we must find work".
Every job in the world has at least one criterion, and the job is available only to those who meet that criteria; whereas if you wanted to do work, you can start any work in the world in a few minutes; and no power in the world would be able to stop you.
"Hamilton" had found the secret, he gave importance to work rather than the job. Thus, it changed the history of medical science.
Imagine if he had applied for a surgeon's job, could he have become a surgeon? Never, but he put the hoe down and held the giraffe's neck and became THE surgeon!
There are unemployed people who fail because they just look for a job, not for work.
The day you started working like "Hamilton", that's the day, you will win the Nobel Prize and become a great and successful human being
