Jhanell Quarrie named 2025 Dr. Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship recipient for Cuban medical studies

Nearly 200 students received the Dr. Barry Wint Memorial Scholarship for 2025 at a ceremony in Havana, Cuba, highlighting that the programme supports Jamaican nationals pursuing medical education outside the island.

Jhanell Quarrie, one of this year's recipients, is in her final year at the University of Medical Sciences of Havana, Facultad Salvador Allende. She said her path into medicine grew from her mother's career as a nurse and a childhood spent in and around hospitals and health centres. "I was indirectly conditioned into studying medicine as my mom is a nurse," she said, adding that the field also lets her pursue work she cares deeply about.

Quarrie chose Cuba partly because of her long-standing interest in Spanish and the strength of its medical training. "Cuba gives you an opportunity to experience their culture. They have a really rich history. And the way they practice medicine is phenomenal. It's incomparable," she said.

The scholarship is open to Jamaicans studying abroad as well as at home. Quarrie said financial pressure has been a shared challenge among recipients, and the award has helped her push through the closing stage of her degree. "It proves to me that my country is willing to invest in my future and the future of our country on a whole," she said. "I can give back knowing that this country was willing to say, 'All right, you want to give back to us, let us first give to you.'"

She is leaning toward cardiothoracic surgery after a Ministry of Health summer internship at the National Chest Hospital, where surgeons took time to teach her and deepened her interest in the specialty.

For students entering medicine, Quarrie urged perseverance through hard days and a focus on patients. "Just do it because you love it. Do it for the people that you help," she said. She also stressed the value of rigorous study: "Just be book. Knowledge is the key to everything."