Congratulations to Dr Deepak Sharma, who has been awarded the Mika Ah Kuoi Award for Excellence.
Dr Sharma was presented with the award during a ceremony in Fiji late last year as part of the DevelopingEM Conference.
Funded by the ACEM Foundation, the award is presented to the highest performing student in the Master of Emergency Medicine program in Fiji. Dr Sharma is the second recipient of the award, following Dr Shivani Shailin taking the honour in 2016.
The award includes a medal, certificate and $500 towards medical education resources.
“I feel happy, satisfied and humbled on being the recipient of the Mika ah Kuoi award,” Dr Sharma said. “Satisfied that receiving this prize has further cemented in me the fact that hard work pays off. I had to save up and then complete my Masters and on completing it getting this honour makes me satisfied that all the hard work was worth it.”
Dr Sharma said the key to his success was “hard work, determination and being focused”. “Together with this was the support and input from the visiting FACEMs like Dr Melanie McCann, Dr Donna Mills, Dr Anne Creaton and Dr Georgina Phillips. Also not forgetting the guidance from my family.”
A doctor for eight years, Dr Sharma has spent five years in the Emergency Department at CWM Hospital. Prior to joining the emergency department, he has worked in a district hospital and an island health centre as well.
“I think we [emergency medicine specialists] are the most important piece of the jigsaw puzzle we call medical care,” Dr Sharma said. “We operate around the clock every day and see different volumes of patients with different acuities at different times.
“Also we work with all other departments in partnership for our patients. And the fact that every day you see a different case mix and get to do different procedures is why I love emergency medicine.”
Looking to the future, Dr Sharma said he was interested in exploring teaching. “Now that I have completed my Masters I hope to spend time delivering the various short courses of which I am an instructor,” he said.
And his hopes for emergency medicine in Fiji?
“I hope in the coming years there is more recognition for our speciality and also that we have recognised positions and career paths once completing our Masters like the other established specialities have,” Dr Sharma said.
Pictures below: Dr Sharma with his medal and certificate; Dr Sharma with (L-R) Dr Anne Creaton, ACEM President Dr Simon Judkins and Dr Georgina Phillips.
