Local doctor receives international award - Named 5-Star Doctor by WONCA

Family physician and medical educator Dr Tomlin Paul has received the 2013 5-Star Doctor Award from the North American Region of the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies and Academic Associations of General Practitioners/Family Physician (WONCA).

Also known as the World Organization of Family Doctors, WONCA was founded in 1972 to improve the quality of life of the people of the world by fostering high standards of care in general practice and family medicine. Its membership now comprises more than 300,000 family doctors from 102 countries who promote its values, including respect for universal human rights and gender equity.

Paul is a family physician at Health Plus Associates, a Kingston-based medical centre which was started 20 years ago with his classmate Dr Orville Nembhard. He has had a fulfilling career as a lecturer at the University of the West Indies (UWI) where he rose to the ranks of deputy dean in the Faculty of Medical Sciences and in 2007 received the Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in teaching. He has, over the years, conducted research in a number of areas, having 50 papers and abstracts and three book chapters in the academic literature.

Paul has been actively involved in community service with schools and churches and has worked with numerous organisations on community health projects. He is a member of the Caribbean College of Family Physicians, having served on its board in the past.

WONCA's award of Excellence in Health Care, called the Five-Star Doctor Award, is given to a physician who is judged to have demonstrated excellence as a care provider, a decision maker, a communicator, a community leader and a team member. Paul was nominated for this award by one of his mentors, Dr Winsome Segree-Mackay, who is an outstanding pioneer in the development of family medicine in the Caribbean.

In copping the award for WONCA's North American region, under which the Caribbean falls, Paul now qualifies to be selected for the Global 5-Star Award to be presented at the WONCA World Conference being held in Prague in June.

In expressing delight at being conferred with this honour, the Five-Star physician said that he hoped the recognition will reflect appropriately on the contribution of all family physicians across the Caribbean and to the high-quality training programmes in family medicine at the UWI.

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