Jhanell Quarrie Urges Medical Students to Expect Hard Days and Master Their Studies

Jhanell Quarrie has shared guidance for students at the start of their medical sciences journey, urging them to prepare for setbacks while holding fast to purpose and deep study.

In remarks featured in a Ministry of Health video, Quarrie reflected on what she would tell newcomers to medicine. She was plain about the demands of the field. Medicine, she said, will bring difficult periods. "You will definitely have bad days," she stated. Even so, she encouraged students to continue because they genuinely love the work and because of the people they will help.

Quarrie pointed to counsel from a doctor she holds in high regard, repeating a phrase that shaped her approach to learning. "Just be book," she said, adding that knowledge is the key to everything.

The conversation later turned to surgical careers. Quarrie explained that while she had long been drawn to surgery, cardiothoracic surgery became her focus after a Ministry of Health summer internship at the National Chest Hospital. During that placement, she worked around cardiothoracic surgeons who were accommodating and willing to teach.

That experience, she said, left her well immersed in the specialty. Over time, her time at the hospital deepened her interest and grew into a lasting love for cardiothoracic surgery.