Young doctor explains her journey towards achieving her dream career

By Indrawattie Natram

HELPING others and reaching out to those in her community was always a top priority for 24-year-old Dr. Sodavie Naraine. Dr. Naraine is the Valedictorian of the 2018 graduating batch of doctors from the Guyana-Cuba Scholarship Programme. She scored 99.75 out of a 100 and was therefore given the Gold Award Certificate, an award that is given only to graduates with a GPA between 4.75 and 5.

Ever since graduating from the Abram Zuil Secondary School, as the best graduating student in the year 2010, the Cullen, Essequibo Coast resident had her eyes on medicine and was lucky to earn herself a scholarship from the Government of Guyana to pursue her dreams in Cuba.

“I was inspired to study medicine because it is one of the careers that doesn’t differentiate between colour, religion, economic status, nationality. Medicine doesn’t have any boundaries to good health, everyone has a right” Dr. Naraine said.

Now working in her dream career, Dr. Naraine said she intends to use her platform to transform the lives of Guyanese. During an interview with Pepperpot Magazine, Dr. Naraine said a good doctor not only treats patients with medication but also instills positive thoughts, confidence and care for their patients.

Having returned to her birthland, Dr Naraine intends to help various communities by offering medical care to those in need. She intends to do regular home visits and also provide medical advice.

Explaining her journey towards her career path, she said that she attended the Escuela Latinoamericana de Medicina (ELAM) and La Universidad de Ciencias Medicas ‘Faustino Perez Hernandez’ University in Cuba with the intention of becoming a professional doctor. She is presently qualified in general human medicine but intends on specialising in Psychiatry.

She interned at the Suddie Public Hospital and the Mahaicony Cottage Hospital rendering her services to those in need. During her studies, she said that she remained determined and was focused on her studies. Her persistence has made her excel in the field, and during her studies she copped top awards at the scientific forums in Cuba and Guyana.
Some of Dr. Naraine challenges during her studies included the language barrier, adapting to a different culture and being away from her home. But despite the challenges, Dr. Naraine said she would not trade the experience she gained in Cuba as a medical student for anything.

She, therefore, would like to thank the Government of Guyana, Government of Cuba, her parents and her colleagues for making her dreams come true. The parents of Dr. Naraine, Rohan and Badewattie Naraine, said they are happy to have their daughter back after seven years of her studies and are very happy about their daughter’s success. The parents said that they also had confidence in their daughter’s ability since she was a high flyer throughout her schooling. Dr. Naraine is, therefore, advising young people, especially those who are thinking of pursuing their dreams in medicine, not to give up but to approach with determination. She has also urged youths to focus on their career path and to qualify themselves in something they have a passion for.