Dr Karen Sohan 

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The opportunity to work with Professor Peter Soothill, a pioneer in the field of Fetal Medicine, and Dr. Phillipa Kyle at St. Michael’s Hospital, the tertiary referral centre for the South West of the United Kingdom, allowed for training and subsequent practise of Fetal Medicine at the highest levels. The exposure involved not only mastering detailed fetal ultrasound scans and invasive diagnostic prenatal procedures but counselling some of the most vulnerable Obstetric patients. Without a doubt, it is during this time, I recognised the importance of the multidisciplinary approach and learnt the art of communication and humility, not only with patients but with colleagues.

In 2014, I embraced the opportunity to lead a Women's hospital at the pinnacle of my career. The duties of the Medical Chief of Staff of a busy Maternity teaching hospital (over 4000 deliveries a year) and a dedicated neonatal intensive care unit with limited resources were numerous. It involved supervision and co-ordination of all levels of staff: Obstetricians, Neonatologists, Midwives, neonatal Nurses, Registered Nurses and Support Staff. Further, the portfolio included formulation and implementation of policies, analyses of adverse events, medical reports to the legal department, improvements in infrastructure and contributions to national policies affecting maternal, fetal and neonatal well-being.

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Prospective study on fetal abnormalities in 2011 was the first set of published data of this kind in Trinidad and the English-speaking Caribbean. It was a privilege to be invited by international organisations such as the International Federation for Sonography Education and Research (IFSER) and the World Health Organistation/Pan American Health Organisation (WHO/PAHO) to share some of this work.

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Volunteering to provide Fetal Medicine services for Zika infected pregnant women during the Zika epidemic in Trinidad and Tobago in February 2016 was indeed a life-changing event. As the lead clinician in the antenatal arm of the national screening program, the experience gained in managing this health crisis in a limited resource setting was invaluable as it required innovation, discipline and dedication.

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During the Covid-19 pandemic, while stranded in the United States for eight months when Trinidad and Tobago closed it’s borders, I used the opportunity to the examinations of the American Registry Diagnostic Medical Sonography in Obstetrics and Gynaecology as I recognise that learning is an ongoing process.

 

I am keen to share my knowledge with others at this stage of my career as this is vital to the improvement of the specialty.