Twenty-seven-year-old Dr. Savitree Sherman is the Best Performing Dental Surgeon from the College of Medical Sciences at the University of Guyana.
Dr. Savitree Sherman
Dr. Sherman describes herself as a lover of food. She confessed that when dental school got tough, she found herself in the kitchen cooking and baking to relieve the stress.
Nothing in the world can possibly beat a good Guyanese curry and Dhal and rice.
Savitree described Dental School as a rollercoaster that oscillated through a spectrum of emotions.
Some days were great, but there were days that weren’t great. Sometimes I felt defeated, unmotivated, and frustrated. Nonetheless, there were also other days I felt accomplished, grateful, and very humbled to be trusted by my patients. I think it’s fair to experience all these emotions through a five-year journey. After all, nothing in life should be too easy. If it were, then everybody would have done it.
Dr. Sherman admits that the best part of her five-year journey was meeting new people, hearing their stories, cultures, and beliefs, and creating meaningful connections with them.
Biggest challenge
The programme is five years, and it requires consistent discipline and commitment. It’s so fast-paced that it’s easy to forget to prioritize yourself and your mental health. When I reflected, I realized I lost touch with some of the small things I thoroughly enjoyed. My biggest challenge was to slow down and to prioritize finding the personal time.
Savitree wishes to express gratitude to her support system, particularly her mother and father, who always created space for her to be herself confidently.
“I am so incredibly blessed to have my siblings, my munchkin Arya, my Gariel, and my super small circle of friends: my classmates, Daryl, Christine, and my beloved med girls- Sumaiyah and Sofyanna. They are my personal cheerleaders.”
She continued, “The Dental Class is a very small class (5 students), but we have a sense of community among us. The past five years have been so much easier being surrounded by good people who are going through the same thing as you. We’re a very tight-knit group. During our exams prep, we ensured for every single procedure; everyone has the same materials and instruments. If not, the item voluntarily goes off all our trays. They’ve become family to me.”
Dr. Sherman advises that each of us must understand that happiness and success are subjective, so figure out what those words mean to you.
One should avoid pursuing the illusion of society’s standard of happiness and success. If not, one will end up in therapy. Be kind to yourself, take your downtime without guilt, and prioritize your mental health. Good vibes on to you!
