The University of the West Indies School of Clinical Medicine and Research (UWI SCMR) recently showcased the work of its students, Doctors of Medicine, who graduated between 2022 and 2024. These doctors completed their post graduate degrees after internship and produced in-depth research work that was featured at UWI SCMR’s 18th Annual Research Days Conference.
The goal of establishing a clinical training programme in The Bahamas was prefaced in the 1992 strategic plan of the Princess Margaret Hospital’s Office of Continuing Medical Education. It was designed to transform PMH from a service-based facility to an academic one. The rationale was that medical and surgical care delivered in an academic institution provides a higher quality of care and better patient outcomes than a purely service-based facility.
Director of UWI SCMR The Bahamas, Dr. Corrine Sin Quee, the Doctor of medicine (DM) programme was started in 2002 at UWI SCMR, and by 2008, included a total of seven postgraduate training programmes. These programmes are: Family Medicine; Internal Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Surgery; Psychiatry; Paediatrics; and Emergency Medicine; with oversight and conduct via the University of the West Indies campus in Mona, Jamaica.
“A total of 165 specialist doctors have been trained,” Dr. Sin Quee revealed.
“This has helped to fill much needed replacements for retiring physicians, some of whom spent their entire professional lives in service at the public institutions. We are very proud of this accomplishment and congratulate our forebears in realizing that this investment would reap great rewards, as those trained locally are more likely to remain and serve in the country.”
Some of the recent graduates shared their UWI SCMR experience, including Dr. Krista Nottage, a recent graduate of UWI DM in General Surgery, who studied for five years to earn her specialized degree, noting that the program was a difficult but rewarding road, referring to her residency as “hard on one’s family, personal relationships, the body and the mind”. The highlight of her training, she said, was the first time she got the chance to perform and complete a procedure on her own: “I was ecstatic! I felt proud, felt a sense of accomplishment, but also felt closer to the patient… like I now belonged to them, and they to me.”
Dr. Kima Scott-Hall, Emergency Medicine Specialist, spent four years earning her post graduate degree. In her research, she identified new opportunities in non -urgent calls to the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) in Nassau.
“I found that the depletion of EMS resources and delays in hospital treatment may be attributed to socio-cultural factors,” she said. “Shaping patients’ knowledge of the proper usage of the EMS is critical to providing both accelerated and effective medical care.”
Dr. Anthia K. Forbes-Carey, found her specialty as a Pediatrician: “Our highly specialized training has taught us how to manage a delicate and sensitive population (pediatrics) and having the ability to handle our most precious resources, the children of our community. This specialty requires dedication and a very high level of training. Being a Pediatrician requires an advanced skill set and the ability to diagnose and treat a very vulnerable population who themselves are not fully able to describe or articulate how they are feeling. We are their helpers and their advocates.”
Dr. Wilnaye Bain completed her post graduate programme in Family Medicine. Shortly after joining this specialized program in 2019, Hurricane Dorian hit The Bahamas, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Those devastating events had an immediate impact on our program and moreover it changed the way of how we care for our patients,” she said. “To see how quickly The Department of Family Medicine and The University of West Indies shifted gears to ensure that we achieved our goals, despite the unknowns, was rather impressive. At no point did I feel that the quality or effectiveness of our program was watered down, but in fact it may have been a bit harder because we were literally chartering an unknown territory of post graduate training. Looking back on it all, from start to finish, I believe it shaped us into better and more resilient Family Medicine Specialists.”
Dr. Agatha Foulkes- Mackey is now an Obstetrician and Gynecologist, thanks to the University of the West Indies School of Clinical Medicine and Research: “This training has equipped me with the skills and expertise to address the unique health challenges Bahamian women face, from managing high-risk pregnancies to advancing preventative care. I’m committed to using my knowledge to improve access to quality care and empower women to take charge of their health.”
Dr. Sin Quee reflected: “We move ahead with a strong commitment to continue to build and improve what we have now. The Government of the Bahamas is rightfully investing much needed funds and resources in Health, and we expect to be the lifelong partner to lead this charge.”
Source: Felicity Darville
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