By Admin. Updated 10:00 a.m., Thursday, July 25, 2024, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).
Kelsie Haynes loves music, but having been raised by medical practitioners, she was destined to love medicine too.
Today, the result is that she has excelled in both music and medicine, having successfully completed her Doctor in Medicine degree from the University of Medical Sciences Cienfuegos, Cuba while being awarded the Certificate of Recognition for the Most Outstanding Student in Culture at the university.
Dr. Haynes, 26, who originates from Lowmans Hill grew up singing, but she also had the benefit of watching both her parents excel in the medical fraternity.
“I always knew that I wanted to study medicine as a young child going to the hospital to wait for my parents after school, my Dad Dennis Haynes would give me and my sister medical books to read. I vividly remember the pictures showing patients with various infections including bacterial conjunctivitis, leprosy, chicken pox, etc,” she told One News SVG in an interview.
“Also, hearing the cry of newborn babies on the Maternity Ward where my Mom, Cecily Haynes worked was a significant influence in my decision-making. I also grew up playing with gloves and stethoscopes. Also, as a child I thoroughly enjoyed watching shows such as Mystery Diagnosis, Untold Stories of the ER, and other medical documentaries,” Dr. Haynes added.
Dr. Haynes’ affinity for the medical sciences was further bolstered through her interactions with the sciences at the Kingstown Preparatory School, the St. Vincent Girls’ High School, and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Community College.
Dr. Haynes’ father Dennis Haynes was a nurse anesthetist who passed away in 2020 during her studies while her mother Cecily Haynes is a Registered Nurse, Midwife, Clinical Nurse Specialist, and Lecturer at the Community College Division of Nursing Education.
She said she experienced challenges while studying in Cuba and her father’s passing was one of them.
“I never allowed my emotions to get in the way so it never affected my grades. I was sad a lot, always fearing the call to say he had passed away. It was his dying wish to see me graduate, so it was my driving force to push through,” Dr. Haynes told One News SVG.
She said she also lost her grandfather – Otto Jackson with whom she was very close. He passed away last year (2023).
“It has been rough,” she said, adding, “My experience in Cuba has been a challenging one but also filled with irreplaceable memories and experiences.”
“The daily struggles of life in Cuba due to the embargo were the most difficult for me, although I must say that it contributed to my character building. You become innovative, constantly finding a new way to overcome. You become humble,” she added.
She said through the difficulties, music was her medicine, and her faith in God kept her going.
“During my Internal Medicine rotation in my last year I worked on the Geriatric Ward. It was such a rewarding experience to take care of the elderly patients, some of them passed away right before my eyes, it has changed my perspective on death, which in the case of these patients was a peaceful one”.
She said, however, she enjoyed her surgery rotation especially in the emergency setting, suturing patients who came in with different wounds.
She said in the end, the journey was a musical symphony where every note had a meaning.
“It is an honour and privilege to have achieved such a degree and to have been trained by some of the most passionate doctors you will ever find,” she said.
About her future, she said: “My immediate plans are to serve my country”.
She said she plans to specialize, but, “It is hard to choose one specific field, but I am very interested in Internal Medicine, Anesthesia, and General Surgery.”
She also shared her perspectives on healthcare in St. Vincent and the Caribbean.
“The biggest challenge is the lack of our own specialists outside of the basic specialties such as internal medicine , obstetrics and gynecology, General Surgery and Pediatrics,” she said.
She shared some advice for prospective medical students.
“If you are truly interested in medicine then by all means work towards it, but one has to know that it is a life of sacrifice to one’s self and family, however, it is extremely rewarding to know that you are making a significant difference in the life of your patients as well as an important contribution to the society,” she said.
Dr. Haynes also played many strings outside of her medical composition.
“I served as the Vice President and then President of the Vincentian delegation in my second and third years in Cuba. That role has helped to strengthen my leadership skills and has taught me to be patient when trying to delegate tasks to others,” she said.
Some of the awards she copped include 1st prize in the category of singing at the American School of Medicine 2018, a Gold medal at the Provincial Festival of Amateur Artists in the years 2018 and 2019 along with other special prizes in Havana Cuba, Winner at the National Festival of amateur artists 2019 in Ciego de Ávila, Cuba, 1st place in the Afrikastar Music Competition 2021 in Havana Cuba, and Gold medal at the provincial festival of Amateur Artists 2023 in Cienfuegos, Cuba.
“I would like to give my gratitude firstly to Almighty God for sustaining me through the years. I also owe it to my parents who have supported my dreams and aspirations throughout the years, unfortunately, 4 years into my journey my father Dennis Haynes passed away and my mother Cecily Haynes has been the foundation of my motivation and encouragement. Also, special thanks to my sister Deandra Haynes for also being a great source of support,” Dr. Haynes concluded.
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