The determination of one young Doctor
By Marinella Glasgow
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. Faqueeda Watson is among the profound new generation doctors. Dr. Watson has chosen to dedicate herself to the profession of medicine. She finds her motivation in her numerous challenges and her undying love for the human race.

Dr. Watson, a native of Georgetown, has always wanted to help others. She explained that becoming a doctor had been her one and only dream since she was seven years old. She also explained that due to her constant attack by the cold/flu as a child, she was motivated to help those that may be like her. She attended the Sacred Heart Primary School and was rewarded a place at The Bishop’s High School. She recalls her years of secondary school as challenging.

“I was never the top student in my class and sometimes I would feel discouraged due to my performance but I never forgot my goal,” she told the Pepperpot Magazine.
FACING CHALLENGES
After she graduated in 2007, she embarked on the CAPE programme and came up victorious. In the year 2009, she applied to the University of Guyana to do the Pre-Medical Programme.

Dr. Watson admitted that it was not always smooth and favourable. There were many times she questioned whether to continue in her pursuit of medicine. She explained that she would sometimes worry about her family since they were always supportive despite the challenges she faced in medical school. She revealed that she occasionally felt disheartened and did not think she could continue.
“Sometimes I thought that this wasn’t for me and I needed to embark on another path; something much easier,” she said.

The support of her family was a crucial part of her motivation to continue. “I remember when I used to go home and I talked to my family and they’d be like ‘You can do it’,” she recalled. “You feel motivated all over again.” She praises the supportive nature of her mother and sister, who always believed in her even when she didn’t.
Though the journey was rocky, she strived and in the year 2011, she graduated from the University of Guyana with honours. She recalled, “My graduation day, I cried. I cried because I knew how hard I worked and the many struggles I experienced. I knew how many nights I went without sleep and how many days I studied and that day I was just overwhelmed that my turbulent journey had just come to an end.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Today, Dr. Watson is an influential and hardworking advocate of the Ministry of Public Health. She strives each day to aid the citizens of Guyana who may be in need of medical care. She also expressed her affinity for young people because she can use that opportunity to tell her story, thus, motivating someone.

She emphasised that the transition to the new work environment was not difficult, because of her numerous years of volunteerism. She does not categorise an occupation with a person’s status but helps wherever possible. “When I was an intern, if the porter couldn’t push the wheelchair, I did it. If the nurse was unable to administer the patient’s medications, I did it.” Helping persons who are in need does not make you less of a person, she emphasised.

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. Watson replied
Despite the challenges, she may have faced on the journey to becoming a doctor and may still have to face along the way, Dr. Watson 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 gives a feeling of fulfillment knowing that you have changed someone’s life at the end of each day,” she said.

When posed the question of her continued motivation, she proudly identified her role model: her mother. She also idolises her outstanding sister and appreciates the company of her courageous best friend, Dr. Patricee Douglas.
She also encourages the youth to rise above the challenges. “The road would never be easy. We would never rise unless we fall.” She shares her favorite quote by Winston Church-Hill which states, “Success is stumbling from failure to failure without the loss of enthusiasm.”