‘Just the beginning’

Ramone Reid received confirmation that he was accepted into the Faculty of Medical Sciences at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, just three days before school was set to reopen. Though ecstatic that he was finally getting the opportunity to pursue his dream of becoming a medical doctor, this news came with a bit of trepidation.

To take advantage of the space that opened up for him at the last minute, he needed to prove that he could afford the tuition of approximately $20 million over a five-year period.

Fortunately, he had the support of his parents, who, he said, even offered to sell their house in order for him to start school.

“The whole thing was just spiralling out of proportion,” he said.

The second of two children, Reid said both his parents rallied their networks and sold some of their assets to help fund his tuition.

For his part, he wrote letters to various organisations, seeking scholarships, and applied for a student loan.

Although he should have completed his degree a year ago, Reid said his graduation on Thursday was no less momentous as it represented the culmination of his commitment and faith that guided the journey.

“It’s just surreal that I am finally able to complete the degree that I really wanted,” the 30-year-old told The Gleaner. “I really put everything into it. It really tested my abilities in general.”

The St George’s College old boy said he always knew that he wanted to pursue a career in the sciences but was uncertain, at first, about the path to take.

In 2016, he completed a degree in animal biology at the UWI and then applied to the All American Institute of Medical Sciences to obtain a medical sciences degree. But his stint at this school was short-lived due to some administrative issues.

STILL GRATEFUL

A year later, he applied to the UWI but was told that his grades were not competitive. Now, determined to achieve what had now become a dream for him, Reid said he resat some Caribbean Examination Council-administered exams to meet the prerequisites and reapplied in 2018.

Even though his acceptance into the programme was at the last minute, Reid said he was no less grateful.

Inspired by his mother, Reid said he volunteered as a medical responder at various sporting events and health fairs.

“She was the one that always pushed me to my limits, always tried to get me involved in everything. My mom has been a volunteer sports manager at George’s for over 21 years, and that level of dedication kinda transpired and is in me,” he said.

He also became involved with the Jamaica Association of Sports Medicine while in school.

“I just recognised that this is really what I want to go into – orthopaedics and sports medicine,” he said.

Reid, who is fluent in Spanish, received a scholarship from the Ministry of Sport after volunteering at a football game between the Reggae Girlz and Panama in 2018.

Students at St George’s College benefited from a mentorship programme that he started at the school, and he worked as a medical responder for the Molynes United Football Club and the National Police Team.

“The chances that I’ve gotten in life, I really don’t take it for granted, and I appreciate every single one of them and every single person that has contributed,” he said.

Now with his degree in hand, Reid said he is looking forward to contributing even more to Jamaica’s sport industry.

“This is just the beginning. I want to continue being in sports medicine, eventually becoming a consultant. I want to become the team doctor for the Jamaica Reggae Boyz and even become the sports medicine doctor and orthopaedic doctor for the Olympic team,” he said.

“Whatever I do, I want to have it here in Jamaica. I want to be ... giving back as much as possible,” he added.

sashana.small@gleanerjm.com