The 2012 Intern of the Year, Dr. Greg Padmore, is flanked by his colleagues, Outstanding Interns Dr. Anique Atherley (left) and Dr. Sonita Alexander.
Interns humbled by award
8/10/2012
The 2012 Intern of the Year and Outstanding Interns have all described being chosen as a “humbling experience”.
Speaking with the Barbados Advocate yesterday, Intern of the Year Dr. Greg Padmore said that Dr. Maurice Walrond, the Head of Surgery and Dr. Alan Smith had the most impact on him. Dr Walrond because he makes it more than a job, and he also does a lot of teaching and supports him in attaining his goals; and Dr Smith because he encourages and pushes him.
His favourite rotation was surgery and accordingly he would like to specialise in cardiothoracic surgery (heart surgery) because he likes the hands-on experience and seeing the quick improvement of patients after you treat them.
One of the Outstanding Interns, Dr. Anique Atherley also said that surgery was the department she enjoyed working in the most because “the patient care is the most satisfying, in that the patients come in sick and leave quickly; while with the other departments it takes a longer time”.
Dr. Danielle Dottin, Senior Registrar of Internal Medicine; Dr. Margaret O’Shea, Consultant in the Surgery Department; and Dr. Raymond Gill, Senior Registrar in Surgery were the ones who had the most influence on her.
Atherley noted that Dr Dottin, who is two years ahead of her, made sure that she was shown the ropes of the internship and made it more comfortable. Dr. O’Shea “demands her space and demands respect and that alone is inspiring”; while Dr. Gill “taught me to be tougher”.
She would also like to thank the entire Obstetrics and Gynaecology team.
Dr. Atherley plans on pursuing a Masters in Public Health at either the University of the West Indies (UWI) or in Liverpool, and from there she would like to get involved with medical education and medical research.
Dr. Sonita Alexander, another Outstanding Intern, is not sure which discipline she wants specialise because she loves all of them, but she has enjoyed her internship experience.
The ones who made the greatest impression on her were Dr. Chrisel Bovell, a Registrar in Internal Medicine, who she considers to be “an excellent leader”.
“She showed me that you can still teach someone so much and be humble; Dr. Hugh Thomas, an Obstetrics and Gynaecology Consultant who is a very hard-working individual and places a lot of time and effort on managing patients and he inspires me to do the same; Dr. Adrian Peters, Senior Registrar in Surgery because he is a humble leader who teaches me a lot, and Dr. Maurice Walrond.”
Dr. Alexander said that she and her colleagues put in more than 100 hours per week during their one-year internship and added that she wanted people to know that “you can get
everything you want in life if you put in the hard work and maybe not right away, but eventually you would reap the rewards”.
Dr. Atherley and Dr. Alexander each received a pendant and a jewellery box while Dr. Padmore received two bottles of Moet & Chandon Imperial Champagne.
