Dr. Georgian Ajilloh emerged as the standout award recipient as Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre celebrated the doctors who successfully completed its 2025–2026 Medical Internship Programme.
Ajilloh received three major honours during the graduation ceremony, including the prestigious Intern of the Year Award. She was also presented with the Patient Care and Compassion Award and the Leadership and Team Spirit Award.
The ceremony marked the culmination of an intensive year of clinical training for the 2026 Medical Intern Class and a significant step towards full registration and independent general practice in Antigua and Barbuda.
Throughout the programme, the interns completed rotations in Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Paediatrics, gaining hands-on experience while strengthening their clinical knowledge, judgement and confidence.
Dr. David Odulaja was also among the major award recipients, earning the Clinical Excellence Award for exceptional clinical knowledge, skill and judgement. He also received the Spirit of Service Award for his dedication to patients, colleagues and the wider community.
Dr. Brianna Benjamin received the Most Improved Intern Award, recognising her growth in clinical skills, confidence and professional maturity over the course of the programme.
The ceremony also recognised faculty members and departments that played key roles in guiding and supporting the interns.
For the second consecutive year, Dr. Vonetta George, Chair of SLBMC’s Department of Surgery, received the Mentorship Award, while the Department of Paediatrics again received the Outstanding Department Support Award.
Dr. Gaden Osborne, SLBMC neurologist and Subspecialties Chair, was honoured with the Best Teaching Consultant Award for his contribution to medical education.
Medical Director Dr. Shivon Belle-Jarvis told the graduating interns that completing the programme represented not only a major professional achievement but also the beginning of a deeper responsibility to their patients and communities.
“Today is about more than celebrating the completion of a training program. It is about recognizing the doctors these young professionals have become and the responsibility they now carry,” Belle-Jarvis said.
She reminded the doctors that medicine extends beyond diagnosing and treating illnesses, stressing the importance of listening, compassion and earning the trust of patients during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.
“We are proud of what they have accomplished, and we hope they carry that sense of responsibility, humility and service with them throughout their careers. The patients and communities they will serve deserve nothing less,” she added.
Successful completion of the internship is required for full registration as a medical practitioner in Antigua and Barbuda, making the graduation an important transition from supervised clinical training to the next stage of the doctors’ professional careers.
Congratulations to all of you guys now go out in the world and be an example. Extend empathy to those you make contact with