- BVH Editor
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Senior House Officer Dr. Destiny Griffith, a dedicated healthcare professional, joined the Bayview Hospital family in September. Her experience in the public health sector and her unwavering desire to make a difference in patients’ lives have been invaluable to our team. Born and raised in St. John, Barbados, Dr. Griffith’s medical journey was shaped by her upbringing and familial influences, instilling a deep commitment to patient care.
Her educational path took her from Mount Tabor Primary School to Wesley Hall Primary and eventually to Harrison College for her secondary education. Inspired by her mother, Dr Griffith knew from an early age that she wanted to have a medical career: “I wanted to be just like my mum, who is a nurse, and they encouraged me to go further and become a doctor.” That is precisely what she did. Dr. Griffith graduated from the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus in 2017 and then completed a rigorous internship at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where she honed her clinical skills and gained invaluable insights into patient care. Subsequently, she worked across various departments at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, immersing herself in the many intricacies of healthcare delivery.
Dr. Griffith ventured beyond Barbados’ shores and completed a comprehensive year-long program in Jamaica’s healthcare system, working in both hospitals and polyclinics. Shortly after returning to Barbados, the global pandemic COVID-19 erupted, and within a few weeks, Dr Griffith got to work on the frontlines and began serving her country by contributing her skills to the Branford Taitt Polyclinic’s COVID-19 Unit.
While she is a General Practitioner, Dr. Griffith’s true passion lies in surgical intervention, a passion that was ignited during her time at Q.E.H, where she was extensively involved in general surgery. “Compared to all of the other specialities, when someone has a problem, you can go in and fix it with surgery and then literally watch the patient get better in front of your eyes; there’s a vast improvement between when they come in and when they leave.” This deep-seated passion for surgical care, combined with the dynamic nature of the hospital environment, led her to seize the opportunity to apply for the position of SHO at Bayview when it became available.
Reflecting on her transition from the Polyclinic to the private healthcare realm, Dr Griffith noted that while the experience was both enjoyable and invaluable at the Polyclinic, the move to Bayview was the right one. “It’s been quite a change in terms of having to change my mindset from working at the Polyclinic. I definitely will say it’s more interesting for me. It’s more fast-paced than working at the Polyclinic….I do quite enjoy it; I think it came at the right time in terms of my skills and, interacting with different specialities, and not seeing the same thing every day in and out as you would at the Polyclinic. It is definitely refreshing being back in hospital medicine. I really enjoy it here; everyone has been welcoming and accepted me with open arms; it’s a good fit. It’s been a really good experience so far.”
Dr. Griffith acknowledged the difference in the level of personalised care that Bayview Hospital can provide versus larger institutions. “It’s just different with regard to the level of care that they receive. Patients have a call button, and you can go directly to the patient; there are fewer patients so that you can have a more involved interaction. It allows you to have a much closer interaction; you get to learn a lot more about them while they are staying with you because it’s less stressful in terms of the number of patients you have to see.” Dr. Griffith expressed excitement for the hospital’s expansion, which will see the opening of the Urgent Care unit, foreseeing new possibilities and enhanced healthcare services.
Advice
When asked what advice she would give to aspiring healthcare professionals, Dr. Griffith shared her wisdom. She encouraged budding clinicians to approach their journey with determination and resilience and to recognize the profound impact they will have on the lives of others. “It is an extremely rewarding process and profession. But it does require a lot of time and commitment, especially as you go through medical school and internship. So if you want to get into medicine you have to be very sure that it is what you want to do and that you can weather the tough situations that it will require of you, because there is a lot of personal sacrifice and your work- life balance if you let it can be lost so, you have to be firm in your resolve that you can make it through. It will test you.”
Dr. Griffith is an invaluable asset to Bayview Hospital, and we are happy to have her on board as a Senior House Officer.