Medical student seeks help

EIGHTEEN-YEAR-OLD BIANKA Gooden has commenced medical school with the hope that she will be able to improve the quality of her mother’s health and have the ultimate opportunity to care for patients in one of their most vulnerable times.

“She’s had a condition since 2006 that many doctors, both locally and internationally, have diagnosed differently. I remember being confused and feeling helpless when she would bring home scan after scan – none bearing good results. I decided that I wanted to help her and others with her condition, and one way to do that was to become a doctor,” she said.

Gooden grew up between the parishes of St Elizabeth and St Catherine with her single mother, two siblings and an aunt.

She has excelled academically from as early as primary school, where she was also deputy head girl, before transitioning to Hampton School in St Elizabeth.

In 2020, she sat nine Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) subjects and earned seven grade ones and two grade twos.

Gooden used those results to apply for the medical programme at St George’s University in Grenada.

Gooden then sat and passed five Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination Unit 1 subjects, namely, integrated mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and Caribbean studies.

She told The Gleaner that the most challenging part of the enrolment process was acquiring the funding for tuition and other school-related expenses.

GRANTED SCHOLARSHIPS

“University isn’t cheap. I knew that if I were to attend St George’s University, I would definitely need scholarships. With the help of my mother, I applied and was granted scholarships from the True Blue Foundation Inc, the West Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the Central Jamaica Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, as well as one from the university,” she said.

Gooden is now in the first year of a seven-year medical programme and is expected to complete studies in 2029.

She told The Gleaner that SGU has wonderful learning resources and a great support system that will supplement her learning.

The medical student added that it is also an opportunity to experience different cultures as SGU’s student body has students from over 100 countries.

“While my mother’s situation has been a huge influence on my reason for pursuing medicine, another big reason is how dynamic medicine is. It is ever-changing and there is always something new to learn,” she said.

Gooden is unsure of the area she would like to specialise in, but she is currently interested in surgery.

Director of True Blue Foundation, Crispin Mitchell, said the charity was launched over three years ago, when he recognised the need to give back to struggling students and families in Jamaica.

The foundation granted Gooden a US$2,000 scholarship towards her expenses. Mitchell, a Manning’s School alumnus, said funding came from clients, friends, family, business associates and strangers.

“We are still working behind the scenes to shore up the foundation financially. We hope to be able to assist more people in the future as we grow and our team will also continue to support Bianka Gooden whichever way we can,” Mitchell said.

Gooden’s studies are being funded by a series of scholarships and bursaries but she will need additional financial support in order to progress in the medical programme.

Interested persons can make a donation to:

NCB Savings Account

Name: Jenneve James

Account Number: 305200867

Branch: Half-Way Tree

judana.murphy@gleanerjm.com