Dr. Chandrawattie Bissoon’s passion for the profession

By Gibron Rahim
A CAREER choice in the medical field requires a certain kind of determination and dedication. Doctors undergo years of training to equip them with the required skills which later lead to them spending a lifetime honing these skills and questing for the delicate balance between their personal and professional lives. Dr. Chandrawattie Bissoon is among Guyana’s new generation of doctors. Dr. Bissoon has chosen to dedicate herself to a career that she loves and one that she finds very rewarding.

Dr. Bissoon, a native Essequibian, has always wanted to help others. She also explained that her becoming a doctor had been one of her mother’s dreams for her. “She said I could help people,” she told the Pepperpot Magazine. After she graduated from Anna Regina Secondary in 2007, it was only natural then that she applied for a scholarship to Cuba, so that she could further the dream.

Studying abroad
Adjusting to living and learning in a new environment was difficult at first. Since Dr. Bissoon moved directly from secondary school into university life, she had to grow accustomed to the expectations of a tertiary institution. She also had to get used to a different climate. As time went by she was able to adjust and thrive. The experience is also very much a part of her. “It wasn’t bad. I don’t regret it,” she said. “All of that helped me to be who I am today.”

Dr. Bissoon admitted that it was not always smooth sailing though. There were many times she questioned whether to continue. She explained that she would sometimes worry about her family since she was so far away from them and communication was oftentimes difficult. She was able to visit them only twice during the course of her studies. Sometimes she would even miss things as simple as food from home. She revealed that she occasionally felt disheartened and did not think she could continue.

“You feel like water just covers you till up to your forehead,” she said. The support of her family was a crucial part of her motivation to continue. “I remember when I used to call home and I talked to my family and they’d be like ‘You can do it’,” she recalled. “You feel motivated all over again.”

Eventually, Dr. Bissoon and her batchmates returned to Guyana for their final year of study. She was placed at Suddie Hospital on the Essequibo Coast. She found it scary at first, since she and her batchmates were not yet doctors. Being part of the hospital meant that people had certain expectations of them. However, working at the hospital and gaining practical experience helped her to gain confidence. She learned much from shadowing the Government Medical Officers (GMOs) at the hospital.

These days, there is a marked change from the apprehension of those early experiences. Dr. Bissoon revealed that today she finds herself missing work on her days off. She could not imagine her life without it.

Settled in
Dr. Bissoon’s work has currently taken her from her native Essequibo Coast to Mahaicony where doctors were needed. She has not had any difficulty adjusting to her new community, owed in part to how welcoming everyone has been. The hospital environment is certainly a different one, however. She now works alongside specialists. Mahaicony has a diagnostic centre, rather than a hospital and that is undeniably a change of pace. She and her colleagues treat the patients that come in with cases that do not require complex interventions. This has allowed her the opportunity to meet the people of the community.

Dr. Bissoon admitted that it was somewhat hectic when she and her colleagues first arrived. There was an initial shortage of doctors and this necessitated them working night shifts every three nights. This challenge was dealt with when doctors who had been on leave returned and relative calm has prevailed since then. Currently, she explained, “you work once a week on the night shift which isn’t bad.”

She re-emphasised that the transition to the new work environment was not difficult, because of how helpful and friendly everyone around her has been. If she finds that she needs any sort of help she can easily call on a consultant or colleague to offer it. “It’s not like you’re all alone,” she said.

Finding balance
Doctors ply the delicate thread between personal and professional lives. When posed the question of whether she finds it difficult to balance these two, Dr. Bissoon replied, “All the time!” She works six days a week from 08:00hrs to 16:00hrs. She uses the remaining day to accomplish tasks such as shopping. “Sometimes I even forget to call my family,” she said. By the time she returns home in the afternoons she finds herself tired from work and travelling and there really is not much time or energy to get too much done sometimes. But she would not trade it for anything.

Despite the challenges, she may have faced on the journey to becoming a doctor and may still have to face along the way, Dr. Bissoon remains committed to her profession. Her compassion and dedication shine through her work. The best part of being a doctor for her is seeing the smiles on the faces of her patients after she has helped them. “For me it just melts my heart, knowing that I helped someone at the end of the day. At least I know I did something well and doing something good for someone [else] makes me happy.”