Cave Hill med grads take oath

A dozen new doctors from the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill formally entered the medical profession on Thursday after taking the Hippocratic Oath at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).

 

After five years of intensive academic and clinical training, graduates of the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme took the solemn pledge, committing themselves to the ethical and professional standards of medicine.

 

Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Dr Damian Cohall, reminded the graduates that the oath signalled the beginning, not the end, of their responsibilities. He said provisional registration would allow graduates to move into internship but emphasised that this phase required accountability and performance.

 

“You will be evaluated, you will be assessed, and upon successful completion of internship, then you can be fully registered by the Medical Council,” he said, noting that internship was “not just a passage of time”.

 

He also cautioned graduates against assuming automatic placement, stressing that internships must be applied for and earned: “One of the first things I want you to dispel from your thoughts is that the Queen Elizabeth Hospital owes you an internship.”

 

Dr Cohall underscored the quality of training at Cave Hill, pointing to external accreditation and recent examination results. He revealed that Cave Hill was the best-performing campus in the most recent unified MBBS examinations, including both written and clinical components conducted in Barbados and St Augustine, Trinidad.

 

“Cave Hill was the best campus as it relates to performance in the overall exam, in the written papers, and also the clinical exam,” he said, adding that Dr Liyee Su recorded the best overall performance among all campuses and the best performance in the clinical exam.

 

While congratulating the graduates, he urged them not to “rest on those facts”, instead calling for lifelong learning, empathy, compassion and ethical conduct. “If you do love humanity, then being a medical doctor is not going to be a difficult job for you going forward,” he said.

 

Director of Medical Services at the QEH, Dr Carlos Chase, also addressed the new doctors, reminding them of the privilege and responsibility attached to the profession. “You are now doctors… one of the oldest professions in the world, and you are privileged,” he said.

 

Dr Chase stressed humility, confidentiality and patient-centred care, warning that medicine was not limited to fixed hours. “This is not an 8 to 4 job anymore. You have a duty of care to your patients,” he said.

 

He also emphasised professionalism, proper documentation and punctuality, noting that doctors were held to a higher standard because patients placed deep trust in them.

 

“Always act in the best interest of your patient at all times,” he advised.

 

Medical Students’ Association president, Joshua Grant-Desir, reflected on the resilience of the graduating class and the bonds formed during training. He encouraged the graduates to hold on to camaraderie as they move into the next phase of their careers.

 

“During the high times, the low times, the sad times, and the hard times of medicine, camaraderie gets you through,” he said.

 

Responding on behalf of the class, Dr Aleysha Williams described the journey as “extremely demanding” and expressed gratitude to lecturers, clinical teachers, mentors, families and patients. She recalled moments of doubt during examinations and the support she received from faculty members.

 

“Your teaching not only shaped our knowledge, but also the kind of doctors we strive to become,” she said.

 

The hybrid ceremony also included commendations for outstanding performance in the unified MBBS examinations, with Cave Hill graduates recognised for their achievements.

 

The virtual participants had returned to Trinidad and other parts of the Eastern Caribbean, along with relatives and colleagues who joined remotely.

 

The graduates will now await further correspondence from the Faculty of Medical Sciences regarding provisional registration and the next steps towards internships, with placements expected to be at accredited hospitals nationally and across the region.

(LE)