The Caribbean continues to celebrate this achievement and Selma Udine Jackman is a great example. Born in Barbados, her simple style hides the major accomplishments that this 64-year old woman has achieved over the past 30 years.
She was one of the first Caribbean-born female surgeons to have qualified and worked in the Caribbean region. This is a remarkable achievement especially in a period where males dominated the field of medicine. Throughout her career she trained many doctors, teaching by example and emphasizing a team approach to patient care.
But who is Selma Udine Jackman? In an interview Barbados Nation News newspaper in 2016, Jackman said
“I am a very blessed person. I am five out of 12 children; I have been blessed with very good teachers . . . everything I have learnt, all the people I have learnt from, I have learnt because they were good examples.”
Jackman has received numerous awards over her career. In January 2017, Jackman was conferred the accolade of Dame of St. Andrew in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the medical profession and as as recent as this month (October 2017) was presented with the Fertur Lux Award for Outstanding Contribution.
Dr Jackman has always expressed her passion for patient care and in the video below, she talks about old-time community approaches to health care in Barbados.
