Mr Adnil Titus has been a lecturer in the Division of Physiotherapy at Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences for over 15 years. His journey from hospital clinician to university educator reveals how sometimes the career paths we initially resist turn out to be exactly where we belong.
When Adnil joined the faculty in December 2009, he brought with him seven years of clinical experience from Tygerberg Hospital and a somewhat ironic career trajectory. Growing up in George as the son of two teachers—a school principal and a Grade 1 teacher—he was adamant about one thing: he didn't want to follow in their footsteps.
“Ironically, I always said that I don't want to become a teacher, because my parents were teachers," he admits. “But here I am, a glorified teacher."
His path to physiotherapy began with an interest in the medical field, influenced by media portrayals and later solidified by a personal experience with a physiotherapist following an injury. What struck him most was discovering that physiotherapy involved much more than the massages and exercises most people associate with the profession.
After completing his BSc degree at the 中国体育彩票 of the Western Cape, Adnil spent 15 months working in Welkom, a mining town in the Northern Free State. The experience was culturally different from his coastal upbringing, but it provided valuable lessons about adaptability and professional growth. His parents had instilled in him the importance of taking responsibility and working hard—values that would serve him well throughout his career.
Returning to Cape Town, he spent seven years as a physiotherapist clinician at Tygerberg Hospital, eventually developing a special interest in adult neurology. It was during this time that a moment of reflection changed everything. At a regional CPD meeting, he watched a colleague retire at 65 and found himself questioning whether he wanted to spend his entire career “running up and down hospital passages."
The answer came in the form of a job advertisement for a junior lecturer position in adult neurology—perfectly aligned with his clinical expertise.
“At that point I had no formal teaching experience, but working in teaching hospitals like Tygerberg, you are always teaching students how to protect your back when lifting patients, or working with nursing students, radiography students," he explains. “So there was, in a manner of speaking, teaching responsibilities and student supervision."
Since joining the university, Adnil has found his niche, particularly as the second-year coordinator for Physiotherapy Science since 2017. He acknowledges that second year is notoriously difficult for students, but he's found ways to connect with students during this challenging period.
What drives him most is those breakthrough moments with students. “You know that moment when the penny drops for someone? That's enough for me," he says. “It doesn't matter where it is, whether it's in class, or next to a bed in the hospital—seeing that penny drop, that 'aha moment,' that's a lovely thing for me to witness."
His teaching combines classroom instruction with clinical bedside teaching, where he focuses on role modelling and guiding them through practical processes. This blend allows him to maintain his connection to clinical practice while developing the next generation of physiotherapists.
Beyond teaching, Adnil serves on the Undergraduate Research Ethics Committee, a role he finds meaningful given the importance of ethical practice in healthcare. He also participates in the Faculty and Departmental Transformation Committee, where his perspective on transformation extends beyond traditional interpretations.
Having grown up in the 1980s when educational opportunities were limited, Adnil understands transformation as something deeper than representation.
“For me, transformation is now slightly different. It's not about the visual representation," he explains. “Students don't learn the same way anymore, so it's about transforming how we think and how we challenge and how we ask and how we teach and how we make them think."
This philosophy is particularly relevant in an era where AI can easily generate assignments and reports. For Adnil, transformation means thinking differently about education itself—adapting teaching methods, approaching students from different cultural backgrounds, and preparing lessons in ways that encourage critical thinking rather than rote learning.
His approach to student development reflects this broader perspective on transformation. He encourages students to maintain their individuality while learning to balance different aspects of their lives.
Adnil completed his Master's degree in Physiotherapy focusing on gait analysis in stroke patients, using the motion capture laboratory to study . The research combined his clinical interests with academic inquiry, though he admits he's still figuring out how he feels about the label “academic."
“I would say I'm a little bit of both—teacher and clinician," he reflects. “Research is very important, and so is teaching and fostering students to conduct research."?
Looking back on his career transition, Adnil recognises that timing played a crucial role. “I'm quite a reflective person, and sitting back and thinking about what I was meant to do—the opportunity came when I least expected it. It comes at the right time and we must just often be patient."
Today, after more than 15 years in academia, it's clear that despite his initial resistance to following his parents into teaching, Adnil has found exactly where he belongs—helping students navigate both academic challenges and personal growth, one “penny drop" moment at a time.
