Centre from left Dean of Medical Sciences Dr. Peter Adams and retiring Professor Margaret Anne St. John chat with some of their colleagues after St. John legacy lecture on Tuesday.
Warm farewell to retiring Prof. Margaret Anne St. John
On Tuesday, past medical students from across the globe and the Barbadian medical fraternity came to the Henry Fraser Lecture Theatre to celebrate over four decades of hard work and dedication of Professor Margaret Anne St. John and to wish her a warm farewell.
The retiring doctor spent thirty-eight years of her lifetime with the Department of Paediatrics, Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) and forty-two years in the field of Paediatrics. Professor St. John who came from a strong Barbadian medical heritage, attended the prestigious Queen’s College and graduated from the University of the West Indies, Mona in 1974. Some of her medical classmates included prominent Barbadian physicians, her husband, Dr. Charles Edwards and President of the Barbados Association of Medical Practitioners (BAMP), Dr. Abdon Da Silva.
Described as a strong, disciplined, fastidious woman by many of her colleagues and students, Professor St. John was an inspiration and mentor for many particularly as she balanced family life and career. Despite her “no-nonsense” attitude, the former Senior Consultant in the Department of Paediatrics was shown to be an advocate for children and created close bonds with the children who stayed at the Martindale’s Road medical facility.
In Professor St. John’s legacy lecture entitled, “Perspectives of an era in Child Health...Carrying the Light”, the doctor, researcher and lecturer spoke about her early education at Queen’s College (where there was ratio of 700 boys to eight girls), her love of athletics, her study of medicine at UWI, her training experience in Canada and her return to Barbados.
In the history of Caribbean medicine, Professor St. John who some have said “left very big shoes to full” has taught several distinguished doctors in the field of Paediatrics.
In his introductory remarks, Professor Alok Kumar, Professor Of Paediatrics and Infectious Disease at UWI Cave Hill and Associate Consultant Paediatrician at QEH highlighted that Dr. St. John’s research and research based initiatives were instrumental in the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Barbados.
Additionally, he noted Professor St. John (who was affectionately known as “Ma” for her motherly qualities) has played a role and continues to contribute to the several medical boards and charitable organisations focused on children’s welfare.