– Be positive in your thinking, active in your doing
– Make your passion into a career
By M. Margaret Burke

DR. PATRICEE Douglas, fondly known as ‘Dr Pat’ isn’t one that finds much joy in speaking about herself. She would rather spend that time engaged in volunteerism or an intellectually stimulating conversation.

Patricee is described by those who know her well as outspoken, passionate, humble, confident, and a “little crazy in the head”. This statuesque young woman who stands five feet, nine inches tall, lives by Rumi’s quote: “I am not this hair, I am not this skin, I am the soul that lives within.” She enjoys the simple things in life and believes that “those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted…I am happiest when serving others,” she said, adding that she keeps this quote by Martin Luther King Junior in mind: “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’.”

“I enjoy getting lost in words, engaging in intellectually stimulating conversations and spending quality time with my loved ones. I am also a strong believer in temperance and believe that it is one of the virtues, if practiced, which will enable all to get the most out of life,” she said. Dr. Pat also admits that she has a flair for the dramatic which spurs a love for drama and poetry.

Humble beginnings

Dr Douglas is a born and bred country girl, who hails from the village of Haslington on the East Coast of Demerara, where she spent the greater part of her childhood. She credits the village for her sharp tongue and witty personality. She later moved to Non-Pariel, where she currently resides.

“My parents and I lived in a small wooden, one bedroom house. We didn’t have electricity or running water in our yard, so our only source of potable water was our neighbour’s yard, where my father would have to fetch daily in order to meet our needs,” she said.

Her father was an auto-electrician while her mother did an array of what others may term “menial jobs”: washing peoples’ dishes, cleaning their houses, and even working on a farm. “They didn’t have a secondary education; however they were adamant on me having one and did all they could. My father, especially, would always sit at the table with me and ensure that I did my school homework,” she said.

The young doctor admits that the family didn’t have much growing up, but she always felt loved and had what she needed to succeed in school. She admits too, that despite not having much, she considers those the best days of her life.

“I went to my mother’s workplace to assist her on the morning of my primary school graduation so that she could have time-off early for my graduation in the afternoon,” Dr Pat said.

She further revealed, “I can recall while going to church there were two sisters who would laugh at my clothing and shoes week after week. Once, it really got to me and I told my mom and she said to me, ‘Child, life ain’t gon always be this way…don’t take them on’. Then every year a huge Maypole was kept in my village and there was also an annual Christmas party for children at the entrance of my street and not once was I able to go to those either,” she recalled.

Moving to Non-Pariel

Dr Pat said that later on the family were able to move into their own home, in Non-Pariel and she believes that this was one of the best things to happen to her, as, she said, it was in this new village where she found herself and grew into her own.

“Subsequently I entered secondary school, wrote CSEC examination, and graduated valedictorian. This boosted my confidence tremendously and made me believe that I can do anything that I set my mind to. I later went to President’s College where I wrote the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations (CAPE), came out as the top student for my school, and the top 10 student for the entire country.

Dr Pat revealed that after leaving secondary school, she applied for and was accepted into the BSc in Biology programme at the University Of Guyana; a year later was accepted to do the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) programme, which she successfully completed.
“I was fortunate to be selected as the inaugural scholar for SAGE (Scholarship for Advanced Guyanese Education) in 2009. Hence, I was able to attend UG without having to worry about how my tuition would be paid or about student loans,” she declared.
Volunteerism

Volunteerism has also played a major role in this young doctor’s life, and she said that she has been constantly working on encouraging young people to get involved as well. “Volunteers are essential in making Guyana and the world at large a better place,” she said. In making emphasis on this, she quoted Marian Wright Edelan: ‘Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time’.”

She said that her love for volunteerism also provided her with many opportunities for which she is grateful, including the opportunity to work with underprivileged women and girls across the coastal areas of Guyana, being selected as one of the 200 Women Deliver young leaders from around the world, and being able to participate in its conference in Copenhagen Denmark in 2016. “It was also due to volunteerism I was awarded a National Youth Award of Excellence: For outstanding voluntarily work in the field of health and an award from my medical school that acknowledged my voluntary work in 2015,” she said.

Biggest Accomplishment
Dr Pat said that her biggest accomplishment is actually discovering her purpose, her life’s true calling, which is the promotion of the health and rights of women and girls.

“I am not looking to change the world but to bring about change in myself and those around me. If the work I do touches only one person that will make me happy. All that I achieved thus far is due to God’s goodness towards me,” she said.

A woman of many passions, Dr Pat is on a mission to be a catalyst for change in people’s lives. “Women and girls’ health and rights, volunteerism, youth empowerment are but a few of my passions. However, I have been trying to channel those passions, to focus on one and try to effect change in that area, hence, I have been placing emphasis on work in this field,” she said.

Asked what her message to young people would be, given the vast amount of knowledge she has garnered over the years, she said, “Young people, it’s ok if you don’t want to be a doctor, lawyer or an engineer. Break way from those conventional careers and do your thing. Go, be the greatest artist you can be; go, be the greatest fashion designer you can be. Once you love it go after it and stop listening to the critics. The best thing you can do for yourself is to make your passion into a career. Be positive in your thinking and active in your doing. Invest in your future. Take a course, read a motivational book, get off FB (Facebook) and volunteer. Do something today that will benefit you tomorrow.”
(mercilinburke2017@gmail.com)