Dr Avianne Sandy-Robinson: Driven to serve the people of Tobago

When she was eight, Dr Avianne Sandy-Robinson wrote down on a goal on a piece of paper. But to achieve it she had to persevere, slaying emotional, mental and physical demons along the way. Today, at 34, she is a Fellow of The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and holds a doctorate in medicine (DM) in obstetrics and gynaecology from the UWI, Mona campus, Jamaica, and bachelor of medicine, bachelor of surgery degree (MBBS) from the UWI, St Augustine campus, Trinidad and Tobago.

She still has that piece of paper on which she wrote that she wanted to be a doctor, to serve as a reminder of the importance of writing down goals.

“The irony of my life is that I had a strong sense of identity and knew what I wanted but was often crippled by self-doubt,” the former head girl of Bishop’s High School, Tobago, told WMN.

Sandy-Robinson, of Calder Hall, Scarborough, attended the County Council Credit Union pre-school, Scarborough Methodist Primary and wrote the Common Entrance Examination in 1998.

“My early years at Bishop’s were plagued with notions of inferiority and aimlessness,” until a line from the movie Sister Act, “If you want to be somebody, if you wanna go somewhere: you better wake up and pay attention,” became her mantra. But it took years for her to internalise what she repeated to herself on a daily basis.

The opportunity to learn a skill that would help her shine on her academic journey presented itself when she was in form three, and had it not been mandatory, she would have passed on it because of fear. She was given a public speaking assignment to be presented to students at the UWI, St Augustine campus and for two weeks she was forced to practise.

“I was acutely apprehensive about speaking publicly because I was traumatised from an experience during a primary school story-telling competition, where I was sharply disqualified after forgetting my lines and running off the stage in embarrassment, much to the amusement of the audience.

"The drive from Piarco felt agonising and I silently thought about several brilliant ways to avoid showing up…So before I went on stage, I began repeating my mantra.”

At the end of the presentation, the audience applauded loudly, providing a boost to her confidence. In the following years she did several public-speaking engagements and even won most outstanding public speaker in a competition hosted by the Rotary Club of South West, Tobago.

At her graduation she was selected as one of two valedictorians and received three awards including most all-rounded girl. Sandy-Robinson later did a short course in journalism at the Tobago Community College and auditioned as a newscaster for Tobago Channel 5. Instead of taking the job, though, she decided to return to Bishop’s to do Advanced Level studies. She graduated in June 2005 with four GCSE subjects. In July of that same year she got a temporary job at Radio Tambrin 92.7 FM as a news collector. A few weeks she got an opportunity to read the 12 pm news, and at the end of her stint was asked to consider staying on.

“The prospect was enticing, and I considered working for a while. However, I was awaiting acceptance from UWI to pursue a bachelor's in biochemistry.”

The acceptance letter came, and she left Tobago to take up temporary residence in Trinidad, vowing to return home to give back to the people who had invested in her and to whom she will be eternally grateful.

But during her first semester at UWI she didn’t perform well. “I felt that I lacked purpose and direction. A high level of self-doubt had returned as my mind was tormented with debilitating thoughts of insignificance. I needed help!”

That help came in the form of a conversation with youth activist and peer-adviser, Dale Robinson, who later became her husband.

“He asked me a hyper-critical question. ‘Where will you be and what will you be doing in your professional capacity in the next five, ten and 15 years?’ To this, I had no clear answer,” although deep down she knew what she really wanted to do was study medicine.

Robinson urged her to pursue her ultimate goal, but she was missing physics to enter the medical programme and was advised to do the School of Continuing Studies pre-science (N1) programme.

“This situation presented a conundrum. It was December 2005 and in order to enter the pre-health professions programme in September 2006, I needed to complete N1 physics. In order to attend N1 physics, I would have to drop courses in biochemistry. That current cycle of N1 physics had already completed several practical lab sessions and if I was allowed entry, I would need to catch up. In order to enrol in pre-health, I would have to discontinue my bachelor's in biochemistry, entirely. More drastically, if I did not succeed at the pre-health professions programme, I could not enter into the Faculty of Medical Sciences; thus I would leave UWI empty handed.”

She was determined to get into the medical programme, but on the morning she visited the School of Continuing Studies office to plead for a place in N1 physics, the principal was leaving for a meeting and was unsure of when she would return. Sandy-Robinson waited outside the principal’s office until she returned at 4.30 pm.

She was allowed to do the course on the condition that if she failed the upcoming exams, she would not be allowed to continue. She successfully completed it, and the following year she completed the pre-health professions programme with the GPA required to matriculate into the medical degree programme.

The demons, however, refused to allow her easy passage. In the second year of her MBBS, she began experiencing a constant, dull pain in her hands with tingling in both wrists which got worse over time.

“The symptoms were worse at nights. To sleep, I had to keep my hands elevated by tying them with a bandage to my bed head. The pain got so severe that I could not write.”

She was diagnosed with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome – a nerve condition that causes numbness, tingling, or weakness in the hand – a nightmare for a student and a potential doctor. She had to undergo two surgeries to rectify it.

In July 2012 she started an internship at the Port of Spain General Hospital (POSGH) and Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex.

“Port of Spain, especially, stands out for its high work-load which is an ideal scenario for interns to translate theory into practice.”

Her enthusiasm for work attracted the attention of a consultant, who recommended her for a house officer position – the person responsible for diagnosing and administering general medical treatment to patients. But she had made a promise to Tobago that she was determined to keep.

“I was flourishing under the pressure of work at POSGH and the offer was an honour and an opportunity that I would have capitalised on, had I not pledged to return to Tobago.

She took a house office position at the Scarborough General Hospital.

“It was my highest accolade to be able to return home after eight years to serve my people.”

But although she had achieved her goal of becoming a doctor, the note to herself written on the piece of paper nudged her to go further. In October 2014, she applied for entry into the DM programme and was accepted in March 2015. She hit another bump because she had to find money to pay for tuition, learning resources, and living expenses in Jamaica for 54 months. Her hunger for success pushed her to secure the funds through a combination of personal savings, contributions and a partial academic scholarship.

“I did my residency at the University Hospital of the West Indies and the Victoria Jubilee Maternity Hospital,” during which time she hooked up with an old friend who was instrumental in seeing her through to the end.

“I had to make several presentations during my residency and public speaking helped me progress. Ultimately, I was able to deliver fluently in my final oral examinations.”

In December 2019, upon completion of the DM, she immediately returned to service in Tobago just prior to the covid19 pandemic. She is currently a house officer at the hospital.

Sandy-Robinson thinks the Health Ministry's has done a good job managing the pandemic.

"Given that there were no indicators to warn of this devastating outbreak, our health system has done well in managing the impact of the pandemic. Looking forward, our post-pandemic analysis would identify our deficiencies and conversely highlight the areas where strategic planning and institutional strengthening would prepare us to proficiently manage future health crises."

As it regards improvements in the health system, she said, "I would like to see improvements in the area of doctor and patient interactions. As doctors we should be mindful that every patient is a person whose life and well-being is of the utmost significance to them and their families. Therefore, that person, regardless of affiliation or social standing, deserves our sincere respect and highest quality of care."

As for her legacy, she said as an obstetrician and gynaecologist she wants to advocate for, design and implement national policies that further the development of women, children, men and the family.

Sandy-Robinson believes experiences – good or bad – is a major contributor to every success story.

“Don’t be afraid to face life’s challenges with optimism, don’t be afraid to suffer deeply in your pursuit of excellence because in time, all these experiences will form succeeding chapters in your story,” much like hers, which began as a note on a little piece of paper.