WOMEN IN MEDICINE:

BREAKING THE BIAS

FEMALE PIONEERS
IN MALE-DOMINATED SPECIALITIES

Imagine a gender-equal world. A world is free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that's diverse,
equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women's
equality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.

On Tuesday 8th March, we celebrate International Women’s Day. The campaign theme for International Women's
Day 2022 is #BreakTheBias. Whether deliberate or unconscious, the bias makes it difficult for women to move
ahead. Knowing that bias exists isn't enough. Action is needed to level the playing field.

The Standing Committee of Medical Education, Trinidad and Tobago Medical Students’ Association aims to
celebrate International Women's Day and the theme #BreakTheBias as we highlight female pioneers in
specialties dominated by men. Our goal is to Celebrate Women’s Achievements, Raise Awareness Against Bias
and Take Action for Equality.

To celebrate International Women's Day, we spoke with 5 female pioneers in specialties with some of the least
female presence; Orthopaedics, Urology, Cardiology, Neurology and Ophthalmology. In their interviews, they
discuss what lead them to their career, what advice they have for women just considering a career in healthcare,
and what International Women's Day means to them.

We had the pleasure of interviewing, Miss Camille Quan Soon (Orthopaedic Surgery), Dr. Vanita Shukla
(Paediatric Neurology), Dr. Cathy-Lee Jagdeo (Cardiology), Miss Barbara Rampersad (Paediatric Urology) and Dr.
Desiree Murray (Ophthalmology).

Article By: Standing Committee on Medical Education, Trinidad and Tobago Medical Students' Association
Thane Guerra (National Officer), Deyzha Carr, Jenine Dhoray, Genevieve Johnson, Sarai Koon Koon,
Iruomachukwu Oguneme, Reshiva Roopnarine & Sushmita Samsundar.
 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS

Miss Camille H.
Quan Soon
MB.BS, AFRCS (Ed),
DM Ortho (UWI),
CUTL
ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON
Miss Camille Quan Soon completed her internship in 1995
after being awarded the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of
Surgery (MBBS) degree as a student in the first cohort (a.k.a. the
“Pioneers”) at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of
the West Indies (U.W.I.), St. Augustine Campus.
After working as a House Officer for one (1) year locally in
Plastic Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery, Miss Quan Soon moved
to the United Kingdom and continued her basic surgical training as a Senior House Officer at Ipswich
Hospital, New Cross Hospital and then Northampton General Hospital in the specialties of Trauma and
Orthopaedics, Emergency Medicine, General and Vascular Surgery, and Urology; from February 1998 to
August 2000. During this time, she attained the degree of Associate Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons,
Edinburgh (AFRCS Ed) in June 1999. Following this, she held the post of Research Assistant to The Editor of
the M.R.C.S. STEP Course at the Royal College of Surgeons of England for six months.
Upon returning to Trinidad and Tobago in 2001, Miss Quan Soon resumed postgraduate training in
Orthopaedic Surgery, and served as a Registrar at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope
until July 2010, and then at the Port of Spain General Hospital. In 2014, Miss Quan Soon was awarded the
Doctor of Medicine (D.M.) in Orthopaedic Surgery from The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, and
was notably the first female graduate from this program in Trinidad and Tobago.
Miss Quan Soon joined the academic staff of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the St. Augustine
campus of The University of the West Indies in June 2016, and now holds the post of Lecturer and Honorary
Consultant in Orthopaedic Surgery at the Port of Spain General Hospital. She has a keen interest in
Paediatric Orthopaedics and has also been part of the surgical team at the Princess Elizabeth Centre for
Physically Handicapped Children since 2014.
As a firm believer in lifelong learning, Miss Quan Soon also holds a Certificate in University Teaching
and Learning from The U.W.I., is a regular presenter at both local and regional conferences, and is an
instructor at trauma and surgical training courses.
Her other current professional endeavors include serving as the President of the Society of Surgeons of
Trinidad and Tobago, and the Secretary of the Caribbean Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Miss Camille Quan Soon is truly a pioneer in her field and stands as the first female Orthopaedic
Surgeon in Trinidad and Tobago.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS

Miss Camille H. Quan Soon

MB.BS, AFRCS (Ed), DM Ortho (UWI), CUTL

What led to your career in healthcare? Was orthopaedics always your chosen discipline?
Since I was 5 years old, I told people I was going to be a doctor. Eventually, I went through a phase where I
wanted to be flight attendant or pilot and at some point I aspired to be a music therapist and though I am still
fascinated by planes, I think at the back of my mind I always wanted to be a doctor.
When I started medical school, I thought I wanted to do paediatrics but after clinical rotations in 4th year I
became interested in surgery and by the end of that year my mind was set. After my orthopaedics rotation in year 5 I
thought, “This is very demanding, physically demanding” and sometimes it can be “barbaric” but something
fascinated me, almost immediately, about orthopaedics.
Over the years, people have asked “Why orthopaedics?” and I jokingly tell them that there’s carpentry in my
family. Although, I’m not sure if it’s much of a joke. Carpentry is in my blood and I think orthopaedics has a lot in
common with carpentry. Maybe it’s hereditary.
I also like the immediacy, a patient comes in with an injury and you can do something for them almost
immediately and get them back on their way to being normal.
In terms of my sub-specialty, I always liked paeds, I thought I was going to be a paediatrician starting out.
Having worked alongside Mister Toby at the Princess Elizabeth Centre I think I got more and more interested in
Paediatric Orthopaedics and now it has become my sub-specialty of interest. That more than anything is my love. I
love treating kids.

Along with interacting with patients, what are some of the other things you love about your job and
working in Orthopaedic Surgery?
The immediacy of it. Surgeons like to say we have a short attention span. We want to identify a problem quickly
and solve it. There is a lot of instant gratification in orthopaedics and in surgery. You can really solve a person’s
problems quickly. The faster you can diagnose a problem, solve it and treat the patient, the faster they can return to
their normal life. This is the ultimate goal.
In terms of children, I do a lot of congenital deformity correction at the Princess Elizabeth Centre. We’re taking
babies and young children and trying to make them more functional. Giving them the best quality of life they can
have is very important to me.

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

As I start looking back, there are a lot of firsts that this has afforded me. To digress a bit, I was in the first class at
Mt. Hope. We still call ourselves “The Pioneers” because we were the first class that was totally locally trained when
the medical school opened in 1989. I am proud of this accomplishment, along with all my classmates, that we
survived.
I am also now the first female president of the Society of Surgeons of Trinidad and Tobago. Again, I never set out
to be the first but all these things have sort of fallen into my lap over the years just because I was interested and
involved. I think I’m most proud of being part of that first class at Mt. Hope than all of the other firsts that I
accomplished just because I’m a girl.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS

Miss Camille H. Quan Soon

MB.BS, AFRCS (Ed), DM Ortho (UWI), CUTL

What would you tell other women who are just starting a career in healthcare or Orthopaedic Surgery?
You have to love what you do because that's what gives you the motivation to get out of bed in the morning and
help your patients, especially when working in the public sector and having to deal with all the adversities that come
along with it. You have to really want it. Want it for yourself more than anything else. You have to find something that
makes them happy because, at the end of the day, Medicine takes up a large portion of your life. So if you're unhappy
with your job, you're going to be unhappy with all other facets of your life. You have to find that internal motivation. If
you find something that you really want to do you really just have to put your mind to it and be stubborn.
You also have to have good mentors. People who believe in you and people who will support you.

Who are some of your mentors?

I've had some good mentors along the way. I do tonnes of work at Princess Elizabeth Centre so Mister Toby is
definitely one of my mentors and he is probably one of the biggest ones. There weren't many female general
surgeons when I was a junior, and so we all looked up to Miss Dorothy Williams. She's one that supported me over the
years even though she's not in Orthopaedics. There's also Mister Roland Moze whom I worked with for a long time as
a registrar and a lot of my practice were molded and shaped by him. Mister Lousaing was another, he was never one
to tell me "No. You cannot do it". Mister Lousaing and Mister Toby even went on to help me get my first job in
England. Mister Terry Ali pushed me to do my DM in Orthopaedics "Let's get this on paper" he said and encouraged
me for years. There were quite a lot and I know I've missed some. Some of my colleagues from my MBBS class, now
consultants, also support me.
You also need the support of your family. My parents were both educators. My dad is a U.W.I. Lecturer and my
mother a primary school teacher. Growing up they both engrained into my brother and me "The only thing that can't
be taken from you is your education". Their guidance and teachings have pushed me and continue to carry me.

What are some of the challenges you've encountered in your journey?

Just surviving those first 5 years of medical school, was really a big challenge. I don’t think a lot of you would
understand where the faculty came from. They were literally trying to find us, lecturers, the library had no books for
us. There was probably only 1 cadaver when we started.
To do surgery as a woman, I think you have to be mindful that it takes up a lot of your life. Very early on, someone
sat me down and said “You have to decide on your work-life balance and how important having a family is to you”,
and that’s because surgery can be all-consuming at times. My point is that if you’re going down the route of building
a family, you should do some careful planning to ensure that your family nor your career suffers. It would be helpful to
have the support of your partner and your extended family.
Orthopedics comes with a physical demand, but it has changed. It was once very brutal and still can be at times
so one can’t be unfit and as such, I am at the gym several times a week, maintaining fitness. However, the specialty
has evolved over the years, there are surgical techniques that allow you to perform with a little less demand.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS

Miss Camille H. Quan Soon

MB.BS, AFRCS (Ed), DM Ortho (UWI), CUTL

In the US, Studies have shown that only about 11% of Orthopaedic Surgeons are women. What can the
health care industry do to help increase the number of women in your specialty?
We are about a decade behind the US and other countries with regard to gender equality. We are currently under
11% but I think we’ll get there in about 10 years. We’re currently seeing more women in the post-graduate programs
and I think it’s following the large percentage of females in the undergraduate programs. So there’s a slow increase
even in surgery.
Going back to family-life balance, if they can find ways to facilitate job sharing and part-time positions where
professionals can share the same posts so that they don’t have to dedicate their entire lives. This would benefit as it
would help professionals to achieve that work-life balance which would have positive consequences for both their
families and careers.
I don't think that, personally, bias or inclusivity, is something that could or should be forced. If it is forced, it can
breed resentment. It needs to progress naturally. We should ensure that persons are selected based on merit and let
their work speak for them. Looking back on my journey, the profession, and by extension, surgery, is evolving. Some
may think that change is not happening fast enough but it is happening.
You can see. In the post-graduate trainees, some of them are married and some have children and they are
taking time off, leaves of absence, maternity leave and, coming back and it’s not frowned upon. At one point in time, if
you had to go off in maternity leave, you would have some senior telling you, “You could never be a surgeon” and
basically try to push you out of a program but now, there’s not much of that active discouragement. There may not be
enough encouragement or positive reinforcement but that negative feedback is decreasing.
I think it will get better.

What does International Women's Day mean to you?

I think the importance of International Women’s Day is to bring awareness to the specific issues that plague
women in society. One of the nation’s biggest issues is domestic violence. I still don’t think there’s enough focus on
trying to get to the root of that problem. The root of that problem unfortunately is men.
It goes back to education. We have to determine why men are driven towards these acts of violence and I think
recently, it’s a result of men feeling threatened and intimidated by women. Women are taking larger roles in society
and there are probably people out there that still think “It should be a man”.
I think this day brings focus to the issues surrounding women. We should no longer be seen as the weaker sex
and subservient. I think everyone, male and female, is capable of more than what the stereotypes have designated for
them. By highlighting the accomplishment of certain women, we also have to make men understand that we are not
trying to belittle them or demean them but that things should be equal. We should start by teaching our youth that
are no men's jobs and women's jobs but that everyone should be able to assist and work alongside each other. Things
will progress quicker and more peacefully.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS

Dr Vanita
Shukla MB.BS, DM, MRCPCH
Felllow Paed Neurology
PAEDIATRIC NEUROLOGIST
Dr Vanita Shukla started her Paediatric career at Sangre Grande
Hospital in July 2010 under the guidance of her mentor, Dr Marlon
Timothy. In December 2016, she qualified as a Paediatrician (MRCPCH,
UK and DM Paediatrics, UWI). As she was passionate about improving
the standard of care for our kids with neurological conditions, she was
encouraged to pursue possible training routes by her remarkable
teachers and colleagues at EWMSC and UWI.
In 2017, she was successful in securing a 2-year Senior Clinical Fellow position at the Bristol Royal Hospital for
Children in the UK – a trust with an outstanding CQC rating and incomparable experience in epilepsy surgery,
complex movement disorders, neurorehabilitation, stroke and neuromuscular services. Supported by her wonderful
family, she made the tough decision to follow this rewarding path.
It has not been an easy road - on returning to Trinidad and Tobago, she worked in the public sector as a
sessional registrar for 6 months - a contract with no benefits, including an insubstantial salary - but she got the
chance to start building the service from the ground up. So she persevered until she was awarded a consultant
contract.
Currently, the pediatric neurology service at EWMSC functions as an inpatient/outpatient division, managing
patients in the parallel healthcare system as well as the other RHA's. Since January 2021, 2 weekly outpatient clinics
have been established. Furthermore, the Paediatric EEG/Neurophysiology service is the only functional public sector
resource available nationally - led by another great woman, our neurophysiology technologist, Miss Aruna Moona
and supported by our dedicated administrative assistant, Miss Saadiqa Ali.
Dr. Shukla’s goal is to diagnose and manage our kids with neurological disorders while ensuring that her
patients and their families get the best care. Her ultimate dream is to develop a Paediatric Neurology service with
colleagues here in T&T, embodying the Bristol inspiration, with first-world capabilities including being a center for
epilepsy surgery in the Caribbean.
Exemplifying her exceptional role models, avidly learning from her patients, and being grounded by her
nurturing family and amazing children, she is guided by a strong base. “Losing a parent in childhood shaped me to
persevere with kindness – I always strive to make her proud. Overcoming this tragedy was difficult, but our family
became a real team. I grew up believing in community and solidarity.”
“Being part of a child’s story is the most rewarding gift. Teamwork encourages all of us to push ourselves to
achieve greatness for our patients."
Humbled and grateful for her opportunities, she perseveres in a male dominant field to care for our kids with
neurological conditions. Her path is lit up by the strong female leaders who continue to guide her - always aspiring
to be the best mummy, daughter, sister, and even wife in both her personal and professional duties.
Vanita's watchwords are - humility, respect, empathy, kindness, and compassion. She believes that these are
the ingredients to becoming a great female presence in the field of medicine.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS

Dr Vanita Shukla
MB.BS, DM, MRCPCH, Felllow Paed Neurology

What led to your career in medicine? Was Neurology always your choice of subspecialty after completing
your DM in Paediatrics?
Since I was a child, I have always wanted to be a doctor and specifically a pediatrician and I never really
considered anything else.
During training, we have often come across children with cerebral palsy and their limitations with their
spasticity and quality of life. For me, I wanted to help them because I wanted to improve the quality of their life.
With neurology, it is very common for people to think of it as something detrimental- especially families, who think
of death when it comes to seizures. I wanted to help these kids that were unable to move or speak and
communicate and those were the kids that I felt for.
In the UK, there were courses to help prepare for that and when I went abroad, I saw that these kids had their
own ways of communicating and they were not entirely bedridden. Then, I thought to myself ‘that is something
that we need’ because there are kids here who can benefit from long-term care like that, and with the help of
parents, it can be possible. That’s why I chose this subspecialty.

Alongside interacting with patients, what are some of the other aspects of this field do you enjoy?
Epilepsy for sure. In the wards, we encounter these kids that experience first-time seizures, patients with seizures
who experience changes in patterns, infections that cause seizures, and recently with the Covid 19 virus there are
inflammatory-type lesions.
Most epilepsy-related cases have to do with children rather than adults, according to most specialists. In most
cases where it is present in adults, it’s mainly derived from childhood issues or strokes. In the clinic, most patients
there, are cases of epilepsy.

What are some of your accomplishments?

My primary interest lies in managing these children with medically intractable epilepsy and working with them
with medications to lessen these effects and lessen the stress on the parents. Their daily seizures may be due to
underlying causes and can interfere with their quality of life and it’s really hard on the families as well.
We use the same drugs for adults on children since they are similar, but we refrain from giving children the
drugs that would result in long-term side effects unless it is an emergency. There are always questions about
treatment options. We always want to do what's safest for the child and we aim to preserve their development
while treating their seizures- it’s all a balance. Some of my main interests involve developing epilepsy surgery
services for our patients here and in the Caribbean.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS

Dr Vanita Shukla
MB.BS, DM, MRCPCH, Felllow Paed Neurology

What would you tell other women who are just starting a career in healthcare or pediatric neurology?
Pediatrics is a rewarding specialty and it is refreshing just having to do your job and having to interact
with these cute children and families. I have seen a TED talk on the lack of female leaders in work areas and
what we as women can do.
One point was that we should be deserving of our success because we deserve a seat at the table. We are often
seen to be emotional and we should use that as an advantage in pushing ourselves towards becoming leaders, and
proving that softness does not equal weakness.
Another point was to ensure that our partners share the same duties as us. My husband has been amazing and
is the main caretaker of our family and he never tries to compete with me or my job.
Finally, the third point was don’t leave before you leave. There should be more mentorship programs where
women and men can learn from each other. Additionally, we should try to preserve our mental health. There are
some doctors who feel guilty about leaving their children for work, and they feel like they are abandoning their
children. If there were a lot more mental health services for both men and women, it would break the stereotype of
adults being shameful over seeking mental health.

Who are some of your mentors?

It was hard for me to obtain a job in Mt Hope after my internship. However, in Sangre Grande, Dr. Timothy
headed a good pediatric program and was able to build on it. He was so driven and he pushed me to do the DM so
that I would be close to my family, and I was very thankful for that. When I went for training, I encountered so many
amazing doctors, and because of my training, I was even more determined to do training for my subspecialty.

What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered in your journey?

As for the challenges, there were a lot. However, I was lucky because I have met a lot of great women in the
field of pediatrics and I observed how they balanced their personal and professional lives, I knew that I could do it
too. I tell the younger ones that if I could do it, you could do it too. That advice stayed with me and I was able to
overcome that challenge. There were some cons, such as having to leave my family, the cultural change, and even
the cold. However, I was able to gain a lot of support from work, from home, to get me through it all and get me
there.
Choosing this path was also hard due to the lack of training in this field within the Caribbean. So, I had to
choose between Canada and England, and ultimately, I chose the UK due to how similar the health systems are.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS

Dr Vanita Shukla
MB.BS, DM, MRCPCH, Felllow Paed Neurology

Studies show that there are less than 30% of female physicians in the field of general neurology - What
can the healthcare industry do to help increase the number of women in your specialty?
That statistic is true and you can see it in the hospital. There aren't many pediatric doctors that go into
subspecialties or other training.
Regarding flexibility in the workplace, it’s important to support women who have families. For example, for
mothers who are freshly exiting maternity leave, there should be time off for them to be with their babies, there can
be a breastfeeding area, they should be able to bond with them in a daycare area. Family events that are organized
in the workplace, can help mothers to be with their children.
There should be more DMs in the future. There should be an established partnership where young doctors can
go into different subspecialties where they can gain proper experience. For example, for neurology, there should be
a DM on general neurology, so if you want to combine that with pediatrics, you would be ready.
There is the known cultural stereotype of women that they have to stay home with the kids and do the chores
and it is, unfortunately, a hard stereotype to break. However, if we raise our kids properly and lead by example- we
can lessen the effects of the stereotype as time flies.
Pediatrics is considered to be a women-centric specialty, but you do see in different specialties that women
may restrict their emotions so that their success would be known. This is why with women, we should be able to
focus on not changing ourselves, but instead strengthening the traits that we possess. Family medicine and
pediatrics are often recommended for women but pediatrics could be a bit stressful, and it’s not the ‘soft’ job that a
majority of people think it is, which is a stereotype that the people who work under this specialty face.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

I like to celebrate the women that were involved in shaping me as a person. My mother passed away when I was
younger, but it did not affect my skills in becoming a mother. I was raised by dad, who assumed both mother and father
roles throughout my life, my aunt, and my grandmother, a very strong woman who influenced my personality. There’s
also my young, but very strong sister and cousins, and most importantly my daughter, who has exhibited a strong
personality as a young girl. There was my primary school teacher, Ms. Chote, a strict woman who earned her leadership
status then and until this day, as well as my teachers at Lakshmi Girls. My girl friends throughout school, university, and
professional training (locally and internationally) also influenced me. Equally, my husband’s mom and sister
encouraged him to break the bias and to support his wife. I would like to dedicate this day to them.
My female pediatric mentors are the best examples of leaders in medicine- whenever you see them and how they
work, you’d automatically be inspired to be them and choose pediatrics. I would like to thank Dr. Singh, Dr. Dookran
(our HOD), Dr. Lutchman, Dr. Solomon, Dr. Alleyne, Dr. Coombs, Dr. Bird, Dr. Green, Dr. Dick, Dr. Fernandes, Dr.
Ramcharan, Prof Ali, and the countless number of women, including in pediatric emergency/PICU such as Dr. Paul, Dr.
Vidya, Dr. Robertson, and Dr. Persad. There are also the nurses, our lovely secretary Vicky and the girls in the
neurophysiology department.
International Women’s Day to me is about celebrating them because without them, I would not have been where I
am today.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS

Dr Cathy-Lee
Jagdeo MB.BS,
DM (Internal Medicine)
INTERNAL MEDICINE SPECIALIST
Dr. Cathy-Lee Jagdeo is currently an acting consultant in the
medicine department at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex
(EWMSC) with a special interest in cardiology in cardiac device
implantations and interrogations.
Dr. Jagdeo completed her medical degree at the University of
the West Indies, St. Augustine, and then went on to complete a Doctor
of Medicine in Internal Medicine in 2019 .
She has also engaged in pivotal research with publications in cardiology, neurology, and nephrology. She is
affiliated with the Heartbeat International of Trinidad and Tobago (hbitt), a non-government organization assisting
with cardiac device implantations/interrogations at the EWMSC. She holds health and fitness dear to her heart and
truly believes in the statement that talent without working hard is nothing.

What led to your career in healthcare?

I don’t have the cliché “How I Became a Doctor” story like most people do because I never saw myself in
healthcare even while learning at the primary and secondary level. I wanted to have a future in Chemical and
Process Engineering, but I decided to give medicine a chance, despite my parents not being too fond of medicine
as it was a long, drawn-out field, when compared to other degree programs. I switched from engineering to
medicine, and it was a last-minute decision that I am proud of and have no regrets about.

Was Cardiology always your chosen discipline?

I had a lot of interesting reasons for choosing Cardiology. I had always liked Internal Medicine because it was
the “jack of all trades" where I’d be able to have a little taste of everything. Internal Medicine to me was like a puzzle
that needed to have its pieces put back together, and that is especially the case for me when coming up with the
diagnoses for my patients. Having noticed that there was some overlap with patients of various conditions and
cardiac diseases, I found myself taking a liking to the subsidiary branch of Cardiology.
Also, I liked Cardiology because it offered a lot of diversity in procedures ranging from Interventional Cardiology to
electrophysiology, as well as the use of pacemakers and many other devices.
But to me, these were just bonuses because the most important reason for loving my specialty was being able to
focus on every single thing about a patient and treating the patient as a whole. It was about getting to treating the
patient, and not just the disease.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS

Dr Cathy-Lee Jagdeo
MB.BS, DM (Internal Medicine)

Along with interacting with patients, what are some of the other things you love about you job and
working in Cardiology?
I admit that my job is not as glamorous as you think because it calls for one to put in a lot of blood, sweat, hard
work, and tears. But in the face of long hours, working overtime whilst not being compensated at times, and the
hard work that the job demands, the idea of working to help patients recover may be seen as “just a job,” and you
would think that it would be something that you’d grow accustomed to. However, in real life, when you see a
patient go from unwell or even close to death and then you bring them to the point where they can return to their
family and their loved ones- the fulfillment that you feel is incomparable. Even though you have a lot of sweat,
blood, hard work, and tears, it will be worth it in the end. That is one of the things that was very impactful to me
because I feel like a much-fulfilled doctor as I’m not just doing this for the sake of it being a job.

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

I have a variety of achievements ranging from academic to non-academical. I firmly believe in being an all-
rounded individual and having a balanced life. My accomplishments started from me being a 2006 National
Additional Scholarship winner, to getting my MBBS degree before moving on to acquiring my DM in Internal
Medicine granting me specialist registration with the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago.
After that, I went into Cardiology, which I wasn’t too keen about at first, but with the leave taken by a
coworker, I became immersed in the specialty. Within a year of doing implantations in the specialty under my
supervisors in Cardiology, I applied to join Heartbeat International, a non-governmental organization (NGO), whose
main office is in Tampa, Florida but has a subsidiary office in Trinidad. This body assists with the donation of devices
to the public healthcare system for patients that can’t afford them. I continued to work hard at the clinic, doing
interrogations and implantations, and I was able to move up and be listed as an independent implanter.
Among the non-academic achievements that I am proud of, I love aerobics- I have even won an aerobics
competition in the past- and I have recently started cross-fit training. Being able to have a means of relieving stress
and keeping a balance is necessary. A person’s free time can be taken up by work and so it’s important to make the
extra sacrifice and time to do a sport or a hobby to keep one’s mind at ease when dealing with a job that can be
demanding.

What would you tell other women who are just starting a career in healthcare or Cardiology?
From my experience, I remember the resistance received from patients who doubted my capabilities because I
was young and a female. Patients did not have that level of trust in me because I did not fit the general description
of a knowledgeable, elderly, male doctor. To these patients, based on my appearance, I was seen as too young and
inexperienced.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
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Dr Cathy-Lee Jagdeo
MB.BS, DM (Internal Medicine)

However, once I did my best with the patients by showing them that I cared, and even having a conversation
with them to show that I only had their best interests at heart, they developed that trust in me and listened to what
I had to say. A lot of times, that doubt in your capabilities could be discouraging, you may feel looked down upon
and you might feel as though you want to switch career paths. But when you develop that patient trust and care,
then the patients will love you. And it doesn't really matter what your general outlook or appearance is. And just by
doing something as simple as that, you also develop respect from your colleagues, especially males.

Who are some of your mentors?

In celebration of International Women’s Day, I have to mention a female mentor of mine who had a tremendous
impact on my life as a medical doctor. I was fortunate to work with the cardiologist, Dr. Tricia-Ann Cummings, who
has been at Mt. Hope hospital for at least thirty years. She was the founder of the Cardiology department at the
EWMSC who fostered the procurement of echocardiograms as well as the implementation of a Cath lab for
angiogram support which a lot of hospitals in Trinidad lacked. Dr. Cummings was an English-trained consultant
who was a very strict, ‘no nonsense’ superior with a very strong personality, who was feared by not only me but also
my fellow junior doctors, bringing some of us even to tears on ward rounds. Despite the tough love shown by her,
our mentor-mentee relationship blossomed into a friendship. She was “more than just a mentor, more than just a
senior or a colleague.” Being indecisive of the field I wanted to go into, I turned to Dr. Cummings for some guidance.
I remember she slapped me on the back and she said, “You’re a cardiologist!” In the end, my mentor was the
blessing in disguise who would finally direct my path to a lucrative career in Cardiology, and to me, she is one of the
greatest, life-changing female mentors that I ever had the pleasure of being trained under.

What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered in your journey?

There are many challenges that I encountered throughout my journey. The transition from high school to
university presented itself as a challenge because I was not accustomed to the concept of self-directed learning. It
was in that transition that my eyes were opened to understanding that studying for exams even a month before,
was no longer an option and that the formation and implementation of a structure to study medicine through
continuous studying was the key.
Another challenge on my journey followed soon after medicine when I progressed from an intern to a house
officer in the world of work. Trying to balance work with studying was a little bit of a challenge because you have to
make sure that you have time to do everything. I remember how difficult it was to work and study at the same time.
There was a lot on my plate because I had to make sure that I had time to do coursework, while also teaching
medical students and signing histories. For me, it just was not a matter of getting everything done for getting it
done's sake, but also doing it to the best of my ability and giving it my all. I needed to develop a lot of time
management, and that was one of the biggest struggles for me, especially because I wanted to give 100% to
everything that I did- from balancing school classes to teaching students and working.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
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Dr Cathy-Lee Jagdeo
MB.BS, DM (Internal Medicine)

A non-academic challenge that was troubling for me was the decision of which specialty I wanted to enter
into. After finishing the medicine, I wanted a better taste of each specialty to know which one was right for me and I
did not think I had that. So with the exposure I had, it became a process of elimination to determine which
specialties I was not looking forward to going into. As a medical student then, I really thought that I would have
done pediatrics. Then as an intern, I got a little bit more exposure to it and I realized that this was not for me. So I’d
advise people to not rush to choose the specialty that you want to do. Take time to know if it is something that you
are passionate about, because when you are passionate about something, you feel as if you don’t work a day in your
life, and that's how I feel now.
Also maintaining your sanity and personal life is a challenge in itself. Medicine is not one of those things where
you could just leave work at work. You will see a sick patient, and sometimes you don't know how that would affect
you when you return home from work, even when dealing with your own personal challenges. And you want to
make sure that you cover a patient to the best of your ability. Then from this, another challenge came where I had to
ask myself, “How do I let go?” or rather “How do I learn to let go?” This was important for me because I needed to
know when a patient is not going to do so well, or even in the worst-case scenario, I had to know when I’d lose a
patient.
It’s one of the toughest challenges yet where I had to learn to develop that mindset where I can say that at the
end of the day, I did my best, even if I didn't get to save that person. This is a challenge that all doctors will face, have
faced and continue to face in medicine because it's not easy to lose a patient and it's not easy to see a family lose a
loved one, and then the worst of it is when you have to do the explaining as to why the relative could not be saved.
To overcome this challenge, I reflect on the good stories, where I was able to get through so much with a patient to
bring them back to recovery and the happiness and fulfillment that it gives me, helps to make up for the patients
who could not be saved.

Studies have shown that only about 16% of Cardiologists are women. What can the healthcare industry
do to help increase the number of women in your specialty?
Cardiology can be split into invasive and non-invasive, and not many females enter the invasive branch of
Cardiology. Although from the perspective of one hospital, that being Mt. Hope, in my department, the majority of
registrars and house officers are females, which shows some contrast to the data found in the US studies. I believe
that if we show females that there are ways of protecting themselves in terms of radiation exposure, more would be
encouraged to join Cardiology. In Trinidad, some females feel as though they don’t have enough protection, they
don’t have the proper leather jackets and dosimeters to measure radiation exposure. If they know that they are
protected, and they see studies showing that the long-term effects of radiation are not really affecting females, then
I think more women would be entering the specialty.
Concerning the US studies, I know that Cardiology is indeed a highly competitive and extremely difficult field
to get into. I believe that reasons such as the wait time being roughly 2-3 years dissuades some females from
entering Cardiology.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
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Dr Cathy-Lee Jagdeo
MB.BS, DM (Internal Medicine)

A lot of people believe that if you're in medicine, as a female, it’s difficult to balance a personal life, and personally, I
don’t really agree with that. I personally think I get a lot of extra time to do a lot of things. So, don't let that turn you
away as a female.
Also, I believe one of the top reasons why females tend to shy away from Cardiology, even medicine on the
whole, especially for those with their hearts set on having a personal life or starting a family is because they feel that
they won’t be good at balancing it all. But I think the times are changing because now you've seen a huge shift in
how many females have been doing medicine, even internationally. In our field, there are a lot of people who have
family lives and children- there are people that tend to make it work. So, it really is what you want out of it because
getting and balancing all these things depends on you.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

International Women's Day highlights how much women in society do because they are homemakers, doctors,
family mentors, and I think it celebrates how all-rounded women are in general. It shows the equality between
somebody who might be a homemaker, versus someone who's a doctor, versus somebody who's the cleaner on the
road, or, a garbage collector. It shows equality amongst all women. And I think that's one of the best things that
International Women's Day recognized.
Most times, there is a bit of skewness in society in terms of occupations where being a lawyer or a doctor is a
very glamorous job, but I think at the end of the day, that all women in all occupations and everything that a
woman does should be embraced on a day like this and I think that's one of the best things about International
Women's Day. International Women’s day should not just be about gender equality between men and women, but
also equality amongst all women.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS

Miss Barbara
Rampersad MB.BS , CCST
FRCSEng
PAEDIATRIC UROLOGY / SURGERY
Miss Barbara Rampersad completed her MB.BS in 1991 and
graduated from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus. Miss
Rampersad began her post-graduate training in Paediatric Surgery
and Paediatric Urology in 1994. Her training took through the United
Kingdom, Helsinki, Finland, and Sydney, Australia. Barbara attained
the degree of Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) in
Paediatric Surgery as well as her Certificate of Completion of
in 2004.
Specialist Training
Miss Barbara Rampersad has served as a Consultant in Paediatric Surgery / Urology at the Eric Williams
Medical Sciences Complex since 2005. She was promoted to Head of the Department of Paediatric Surgery in 2008
and has been serving in this post since then.
Miss Rampersad joined the academic staff of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of the West
Indies, St. Augustine Campus in 2010 and holds the post of Lecturer in Paediatric Surgery.
Miss Barbara Rampersad is truly a pioneer in her field and stands as the only Paediatric Urological Surgeon in
Trinidad and Tobago.

What led to your career in healthcare? Was Paediatric Urology always your chosen discipline?
I’ve always liked looking after and helping people, I liked to do things with my hands. My mom taught me
how to sew and I was crafty, so I think medicine was a natural choice. When I got into medical school and was
introduced to surgery I thought- “Wow this is just exactly what I need.” After I became a surgeon, I took an aptitude
test, and I think my personality is very well suited to being a surgeon. I also really liked kids, so it was a no-brainer,
pediatrics and surgery.
Because pediatric surgery is so broad, we do a bit of everything. After my training in the UK, I came home to
Trinidad when I realized there wasn't really anyone doing pediatric urology which piqued my interest. It’s an
interesting specialty, working on renal and penile abnormalities, in cases like hypospadias. It is very technical
similar to plastic surgery thus, I decided it was a good field for me.
There is one other pediatric urologist in the Caribbean, in Jamaica, aside from me. In the Caribbean there
really aren't many of us, we’re a rare breed. I do pediatric surgery and pediatric urology but most of my elective
work is in pediatric urology.
When you start doing pediatrics and pediatric surgery you’ll realize there is a lot of urological pathologies. So
there is a fair amount of work.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
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Miss Barbara Rampersad

MB.BS, CCST, FRCSEng (Paediatric Surgery)

Along with interacting with patients, what are some of the other things you love about your job and
working in Paediatric Urology?
You interact with parents as well. I think pediatrics is very different from adult medicine, as you must be able
to understand and deal with families because you're not just dealing with a child- no child comes in by themselves,
and you have to deal with the parents, the grandparents, the extended family. You also sadly have to deal with
social workers and children who are not taken care of well. The thing about being a pediatric doctor is that you have
to be the advocate for the child. You must always remember that the child is your priority no matter what is going
on around you, whether it be parents fighting or disagreements, for example, some parents may say that they don’t
want this treatment. So it really takes a lot of your time and energy to deal with the actual surgical condition as well
as the dynamics of the family. I think that's where your skills in communication come in.
I'm also the head of the department and a lecturer of pediatric surgery, so there are many hats I wear. I was
complaining to my secretary the other day that a lot of my time is spent doing administrative work, which as a
surgeon you really don't want to be doing, but you have to realize that somebody has to make the changes. If you
don’t do it, who’s going to do it? As a woman, I think it is extremely important that women are in positions where
they can make decisions. I think we won’t move forward unless we have more female heads, female professors,
more females in authority, because that will make a difference in the way that women and lower ranked doctors are
treated. For example in Mt Hope, the heads of Medicine, Paediatrics, Paediatric Emergency, Dentistry, Vet, and I are
all female and the rest are male. So we are probably around half of all the Heads of Departments, so we are moving
in the right direction.
And of course, medical school is around 70% females now, so it goes to show that in the future women are
going to be running the show.

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

I don’t know how to answer that actually, I’ve done lots of things. My dad was a teacher, I came from a
strong family of teachers. My dad, his brothers, and my sister are teachers so I think many doctors have
teachers in their families, I don’t know what that’s about. My dad, who has passed on now, used to tease me
that when I became a doctor my title was “Dr.” but when I became a surgeon my title went back to being
“Miss”, and then when I became a lecturer at U.W.I., he said, “Oh now you've found your calling!" So I don’t
know, I guess making your parents proud and showing them that what they've done for me has borne fruit.
I think that my parents were very proud and I was able to spend time with them and enjoy their company. I
was very glad to have them as parents.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
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Miss Barbara Rampersad

MB.BS, CCST, FRCSEng (Paediatric Surgery)

What would you tell other women who are just starting a career in healthcare or Paediatric Surgery?
The number one thing is to not listen to anybody, don't listen to anyone saying “This is not for you” and “This is
not for women.” Just ignore everybody. There is nothing you cannot do, there is nothing that women cannot do.
When I started my training, I went to England, and everyone was like “Oh it's so hard in England!”, “You’re a black
person”, "You're a female”, “Nobody’s gonna give you a job and you have to compete with all these other people.” The
thing is once you work hard and do your job properly and have the right attitude, people will recognize that.
Let people see that you are interested and that you are hardworking. A lot of Caribbean doctors are very
hardworking. I think pediatric surgery is very easy for females because even in the U.K, Paediatric surgery is very
female-heavy. Some specialties are a little tougher, but that doesn’t mean that it is not for you. And things are
changing now, Dr. Quan Soon became an orthopedic surgeon in Port of Spain, and head of the Society of Surgeons
for Trinidad & Tobago. So there is nothing that you cannot do, nothing is beyond you, you can find your path, find
what you want to do and you just keep at it.
Nothing is smooth sailing, you’ll get little stumbling blocks, but once you know that is what you want to do- just
keep at it. The most important thing is to find somebody who will support you. I try to, and I'm sure a lot of us try to
mentor the young female doctors, because everybody needs guidance, to help direct them in their path. So just find
somebody who is in your corner, who will help you. There are many of us around if you need advice.
Also, support your fellow females by talking about each other's accomplishments and helping each other to
overcome challenges, it's a really nice thing.
The only other advice I have for women in medicine is to try to have a baby, if you want kids, before 35. I see so
many women who have problems, such as congenital abnormalities, because they focus on their career and they
decide to have kids late in their life when the risk for congenital abnormalities is much higher. I myself do not have
kids, but if you do decide you want children, plan it into your life. Infertility is also a big problem for career-focused
women because as you get older, it's harder to get pregnant. Have control over your life, your career, and when and
how you have a baby if you want that.
I have sat at interviews and the juniors have told me that there have been instances where people have asked
women "Well what are your plans? Are you planning to have kids and all that?'' Does anybody ask the men when
they are planning to have kids? No. That is actual discrimination. You’re not supposed to ask women that. Because if
you want to have kids, that’s your business. If a man wants to have kids, that’s his business. That should not affect
whether you are taken into a program or not. People should not be looking at your gender, and that shouldn't affect
whether you get a job or how well you perform in a job, and I think that’s where we should reach, and we still have a
certain amount of discrimination going on in the Caribbean.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
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Miss Barbara Rampersad

MB.BS, CCST, FRCSEng (Paediatric Surgery)

Who were some of your mentors?

I had a lot of mentors in the U.K, and my parents were my mentors as well. They didn't teach me about
medicine, but they taught me about life and how to be a good human being and I think that is really important. My
ethics are what they are and I learned from my parents. So I’d have to say my parents are my role models. There are
still a few surgeons in the UK whom I keep in touch with, if I have a problem- I call them. Your role models don't just
have to be people in medicine, they can be anybody. I don't think I would use the word role model, you look at
people and the way they live their lives and you say “Well, that's the way I want to live my life”. Don’t ever give up on
your ethics and principles. Don't ever sell your soul to the devil to get you where you want to go. And I say the one
thing, I can go to the grave with my morals and my principles, that's one thing you can’t take from me.

What are some of the challenges you’ve encountered in your journey?

Well I have to say I have been really lucky, or maybe I landed in the right place and met the right people, my
course has been really smooth. When I tell people, most say “You’re so lucky.” I don't know if it's just luck or if you
have a good work ethic, then you would be rewarded.
When I went to the UK, getting into the pediatric surgery program was the first challenge. Just like in Trinidad,
they would take the UK graduates first and then foreign graduates, and that included people from everywhere and
there were lots of them. You had to really stand out amongst them. So once I got in it was pretty straightforward.
The main challenge I had was getting into the Paediatric Surgery program.
Some of the challenges as a head are that if you stand your ground- people look at you and say you’re mean.
You have to deal with people’s perception of you, but I'm one of those people, who doesn't let those things bother
me, I just ignore it. I tell people you come to work not to make friends but to do your job. A lot of people think
everyone has to like you, but I think the patient and the institution will thank you if you do your job properly. Maybe
some do it differently, but that's my way.

Studies have shown that only about 10% of Paediatric Urologists are women. What can the healthcare
industry do to help increase the number of women in your specialty?
It’s happening without us doing it consciously. For example, the DM in Urology was very male-dominated,
however, there are now some female urologists who graduated from the program and more trainees. A couple of
patients told me that they would rather go to a female urologist, like how some females want to go to a female
gynecologist. So now they have choices. I don't know if the industry needs to do anything, I think it is going to
happen since medical school is more female-dominated, we are going to get into all fields. I think we just have to be
given the opportunities, for example, for entrance into these programs, there must be equal opportunities for
women and men. Once you get in you need the right support, because some women do struggle, and some men do
struggle so that you can finish the program. I don’t know that there needs to be an organization making these
changes. It's going to happen. You just need to give them equal opportunities.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
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Miss Barbara Rampersad

MB.BS, CCST, FRCSEng (Paediatric Surgery)

So the other thing, it's not just a Trinidad problem, it's a Caribbean problem. There is a Caribbean College of
Surgeons, where we have meetings annually. We give each other advice and go across to the other islands to get
help with complicated surgeries as well, and that's what it's about. And we recognized that the women needed a
voice so we have the Caribbean Women in Surgery, and there are about 88 of us now in this group. We have female
Caribbean surgeons and Caribbean nationals who are practicing outside of the Caribbean as well. We support each
other, talk about each other's accomplishments, and help each other overcome challenges.
Every year in our annual meeting, when we had face-to-face meetings with our female participants, we found
that there is still a lot of discrimination happening in the Caribbean, and I think it's subtle, but it's also at times over.
Some of the residents complained when they go to surgery with their seniors, they almost always let the guys do it.
Some consultants treat the male residents differently from the female residents. So the women still feel they have
to work harder and fight for what they want, and that shouldn't be the case.

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

Women all over the world must have the same rights as we Caribbean women do, every woman should be
able to do whatever job they want to, drive a car or fly a plane, and do whatever they want. Women all over the
world should have the same opportunities that I was lucky enough to have. They should have equal rights with
regard to their body, that’s your body and you have a right to make the choices for yourself. No man has the right to
tell you what to do with your body.
Women all over the world should have the same opportunities and access to education! Education is the
number one way that women can get out of these situations. How many educated women do you know decide to
stay home and raise kids, rather than work? Because they have a choice, most choose to work and raise their kids,
finding the right balance.
We need to reach a place where we are all gender-neutral, no one should look at you and say you're a female
or male, it doesn't matter. It should be based on merit and your gender should never come into it.
Hopefully, when we have these conversations ten years from now, things will be different, things thirty years
ago were different when I was starting out, so I have hopes that in twenty to thirty years things will be different
again.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS

Miss Desirée
Murray MB.BS. (UWI),
FRCOphth, MSc (Lond.)
OPHTHALMOLOGIST
Ms. Desirée Murray is a Lecturer in Ophthalmology at the
University of the West Indies and Honorary Consultant Ophthalmic
Surgeon at the Port of Spain General Hospital, Trinidad and Tobago.
She trained at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, UK, where
she undertook fellowships in both vitreoretinal surgery and glaucoma.
She also holds a Masters degree in Public Health for Eye Care from the
University of London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine. She practiced as a dual-specialty vitreoretinal and glaucoma consultant for 6 years, before focusing her
attention on the prevention of avoidable blindness from glaucoma. She is the first author of a landmark paper on
clinical outcomes of mitomycin C trabeculectomy in an indigenous African Caribbean population, the 12th
publication of the ReGAE (Research into Glaucoma And Ethnicity) series. She co-authored the IAPB (International
Agency for the Prevention of Blindness) Essential List for Glaucoma.
Desirée is the co-founder of the Association of Caribbean Glaucoma Surgeons (ACGS) and co-founder and sitting
chairperson of the Volunteers for World Sight Day, an NGO which raises awareness about the prevention of
avoidable blindness.

What led to your career in healthcare? Was Ophthalmology always your chosen discipline?
As a student at secondary school I really did not know what career path I would take. I excelled at all subjects
and it was natural at that time to pursue the sciences. I was awarded a national scholarship and was offered a
place at UWI Mona, Jamaica to study medicine. In medical school I enjoyed Pathology and my favourite clinical
subjects were Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Ophthalmology. I absolutely enjoyed delivering babies and I was
fascinated with the eye, especially being able to see the blood vessels with the ophthalmoscope. Eventually the
eyes won out, so as soon as I completed internship, I travelled to the UK to pursue postgraduate studies in
Ophthalmology.

Along with interacting with patients, what are some of the other things you love about you job and
working in Ophthalmology?
By far the best thing about my job is knowing that my intervention has prevented unnecessary blindness and
the pain and suffering that goes along with that. It is also a blessing to be able to restore sight through surgery.
Sight restoration is a miracle and I feel blessed to have been chosen to do this on an almost daily basis.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
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Miss Desiree Murray

MB.BS. (UWI), FRCOphth, MSc (Lond.)

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

As chairperson of The Volunteers for World Sight Day, I am really proud to have contributed to raising
awareness about the causes of preventable blindness, including glaucoma, diabetes and cataract and more
importantly, educating the public about what can be done to prevent blindness from these diseases. I am also
proud to have been awarded a Commonwealth Eye Health Consortium scholarship to complete the Masters in
Public Health for Eye Care at the University of London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The
establishment of the UWI Doctor of Medicine (DM) in Ophthalmology was another major accomplishment. The first
ophthalmologist graduated from the programme in 2021 and this was a really proud moment for me and for the
university.

What would you tell other women who are just starting a career in healthcare or Ophthalmology?
Be kind to your female colleagues.
Be kind to your male colleagues too.
Be kind to yourself. Try not to be your own worst enemy. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
Continuing professional development and lifelong learning are essential tools of the trade.
Trust your instincts.
You don’t need to be one of the boys. Remember, the best man for the job is a woman.
The eyes are the windows to the soul – remember you are treating the whole patient, not just their eye.
Ophthalmologists are first physicians and surgeons.

Who are some of your mentors?

Believe it or not, most of my mentors were men!
Mr. Eamon O’Neill was like a father figure to me when I first started my career in the UK. He hailed from Ireland
and we bonded over the fact that I went to a primary and secondary school run by Irish Catholic nuns (kudos to St.
Gabriel’s Girls and St. Joseph’s Convent!)
Professor Peter Shah is a glaucoma specialist who encouraged me to specialise in glaucoma as this condition is the
most common cause of blindness in the region. He is one of the most insightful persons I know.
Mr. Graham Kirkby is a vitreoretinal surgeon who taught me to keep calm and carry on. I have never seen him
flustered, even when under tremendous pressure.
One person I never had the opportunity to meet, but wish I had was Dr. Patricia Bath (she was due to travel to
Trinidad in July 2019, but died on May 30th, 2019). Dr. Bath was an American ophthalmologist. Her father was from
Trinidad. She was the first African American to complete a residency in ophthalmology. She received a medical
patent for a device used to perform laser cataract surgery. She was a remarkable woman who excelled as an
ophthalmologist against all odds.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
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Miss Desiree Murray

MB.BS. (UWI), FRCOphth, MSc (Lond.)

What are some of the challenges you've encountered in your journey?

Time management is one of my biggest challenges – as the saying goes, so much to do and so little time. The
ability to multi-task is essential.
Working in resource-limited settings is another challenge. You have to constantly remind yourself to “do the
best, with what you have, where you are”.

Studies conducted in the United States have shown that only about 26% of Ophthalmologists are
women. What can the healthcare industry do to help increase the number of women in your speciality?
Employment based on merit.
Flexible working hours.
Part-time contracts/job share.
Promote a culture of diversity including having more women in leadership positions.

What does International Women's Day mean to you?

The fact that International Women Day is such a big event means that women are still being discriminated against.
If there was gender equality, then there would be no need to have a day for women.

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 WOMEN IN MEDICINE:
BREAKING THE BIAS
FEMALE PIONEERS
IN MALE-DOMINATED SPECIALITIES

Article By: Standing Committee on Medical Education, Trinidad and Tobago Medical Students' Association
Thane Guerra (National Officer), Deyzha Carr, Jenine Dhoray, Genevieve Johnson, Sarai Koon Koon,
Iruomachukwu Oguneme, Reshiva Roopnarine & Sushmita Samsundar

It was truly an honour to meet and interview these remarkable women and to share their testaments with
you all. Through these interviews we have gained valuable insight which would definitely be applied
throughout our medical careers.

It is our hope that by sharing these interviews we have, in some small way, aided in breaking the bias
surrounding women in male-dominated medical professions. As future medical professionals, progressing
in our own fields, we can be the change by creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive world in the
field of medicine.

With these inspiring stories from our female physicians, we hope that their diligence and passion encourage
other women in the field, as they are the future of healthcare and medicine.

We encourage readers to continuously Celebrate Women’s Achievements, Raise Awareness Against Bias
and Take Action for Equality.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE DOCTORS WHO TOOK THEIR TIME AND ENERGY TO BE
PART OF THIS INITIATIVE. YOU HAVE BEEN AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE.

#BreakTheBias
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