Barry Wint scholar Jhanell Quarrie explains why she chose Cuba for medical training

Jhanell Quarrie, a recipient of the Dr Barry Wint Scholarship, has outlined why she chose Cuba as the place to pursue her medical training, pointing to language, culture, history and the island’s approach to healthcare.

Quarrie said Spanish is widely spoken in Cuba and that she has long wanted to develop her skills in the language. That interest, she explained, formed part of the reason she looked to the Caribbean nation when mapping out her path in medicine.

She also spoke about the cultural ties she feels while living and studying there. Quarrie said she often tells Cuban friends that "Cubans are really just Jamaicans who speak Spanish," a remark she uses to describe how closely the two societies can feel despite the difference in tongue. For her, training in Cuba offers a direct way to experience that culture rather than observe it from a distance.

The country’s history was another factor in her decision. Quarrie described Cuba as having a rich past, and she said spending time on the island allows her to engage with that heritage as part of her wider education.

On clinical training, she was unequivocal. Quarrie said the way medicine is practised and taught in Cuba is phenomenal and incomparable. She also called the country a beautiful place to live and learn, adding that those qualities together made Cuba the right setting for her medical journey.

Her comments shed light on how a Barry Wint scholar weighed personal language goals, cultural comfort and respect for Cuba’s medical model before committing to study abroad. The scholarship has supported her pursuit of a medical career on the island, where she continues to balance classroom work with daily life in a Spanish-speaking environment.