Lesley Reece cannot say with certainty what made her choose to be a doctor, as no one else in her family is in the medical field.
“For as long as I have known myself I have wanted to be a doctor. That desire never left me even as I transitioned through secondary school and was exposed to varying subject areas. My focus was always on doing medicine so it the decision came naturally to me when it was time to choose a course of study at university,” recalls Reece, who practises family medicine and aesthetic medicine.
Reece, who has three siblings, grew up in Waterhall, St James, but because of mother Angela Worrell’s demanding career at the time, spent a great deal of time at her grandmother’s in Country Road, St Michael.
The doctor said the journey to where she is now had many challenges. After graduating from Harrison College, she went to Trinidad in 2002 to study medicine at the University of the West Indies.
She was happy to be able to experience a new culture and a fairly different way of life from what she was accustomed to in Barbados, and Reece saw herself growing, not only as a young adult but also as a budding medical practitioner.
“I was pursuing a lifelong dream of mine, but I was not one of the students in my class who was sponsored by the Barbados Government, so that my full tuition fees, living expenses, book costs had to be covered by my parents. I clearly remember my disappointment and fear when I found out because I was already in Trinidad, and I felt as though my dream was going up in smoke. My dad, Anthony Reece, said to me: “This is just a hurdle. You’re staying there and you’re doing medicine. I am eternally grateful to my parents for their unwavering support.”
Other challenges associated with the actual programme of study came mainly in the form of maintaining an intense and rigorous study schedule while still adjusting to the idea of having to look after herself.
“Because it was what I truly wanted to do, I enjoyed every moment of it, even on the most difficult days.”
Reece graduated in 2007 but at some point during medical school she became very interested in dermatology and even chose the specialty as her elective rotation.
Soon after graduating she realized that while she did still have an interest in the specialty, she was even more excited by the aesthetic/cosmetic aspect of it and treating cosmetic problems, problems she is well aware of that could lower someone’s self esteem.
“Oh yeah. I’m a member of the acne alumni. I suffered from acne as a teenager and it has persisted into my adulthood. I am happy to say that I have control over it.
“I have a regular skin care routine. I use a moisturizer/sunblock combo by PCA Skin, it has SPF45; everyone should be using sunscreen, regardless of your skin tone. Once weekly, I exfoliate [using scrubs more often than twice weekly tends to do more harm than good] and once every six weeks I have a light chemical peel treatment to keep acne and dark marks at bay.”
To help others overcome what has bothered her into adulthood, Reece did certifications in aesthetic medicine in courses done in the United States.
“I am on top of the world when I can visually see the improvement in my patients’ skin while completing a course of therapy. It is so rewarding to me when a patient who would barely look me in the eye during the first consultation is now looking up, and smiling confidently because of the improvement in their skin condition.
“But because of our economic climate, many patients may find it difficult to maintain the best regimen for their condition because they may find costs prohibitive. I try to work with them to get around this as much as I possibly can.”
Reece also does laser tattoo removal, which she says “is becoming more popular in Barbados”.
“The most common reason I have encountered are people wanting to join the Royal Barbados Police Force or Barbados Defence Force, as they have a requirement there are to be no visible tattoos.
Another common reason is just simple regret. I have had persons enquire about tattoo removal as little as a week after having the tattoo done.”
In this regard she says, “Think before you ink.”
“Complete tattoo removal requires a number of sessions and they are spaced two months apart each. Some tattoos are cleared completely (no scarring) in as little as three sessions; others require as many as twelve. It varies from person to person and depends on variables such as skin type, whether it was a professional tattoo, age of the tattoo (older moves faster) and colours used (green takes longer).”
And how did she end up in private practice? Reece says it was the experience of her internship.
“Internship at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital was a harrowing experience in and of itself as that involved working seven days a week, with a 32-hour shift twice per week, in some instances three times per week, with no days off for an entire year. It was physically, emotionally and mentally demanding.
“While there are some doctors who thrive in that type of setting, I knew from that experience that a predictable, private practice setting is what I wanted in the long run.”
Reece is mum to four-year-old Naiim four years (“I have always loved the name Naiim but also I am into names and their meanings and Naiim is Arabic and means content, and surely enough he was a very content baby”).
“It was a very uneventful pregnancy, “but I stopped working during my last month of pregnancy because I was very swollen and moving around became too taxing. I definitely followed my doctor’s orders,” she said, laughing.
Reece’s day is more often “typical” – seeing patients at 8 a.m., so she is out of bed by about 5:30 a.m, so that she is out of the house by 7 a.m., to take Naiim to school.
“I see patients until 2 p.m. as I collect my son from his school at 2:30. I aim for efficiency in my practice, but I will not rush my consultations. In between patients I am reading emails, going over laboratory reports, making calls. Though the hours don’t appear to be long, it can be very mentally taxing. After work, when I get home I help my son with his homework, we play, then I try to unwind, this usually involves a work out followed by some reading.”
Reece is grateful to her staff and parents in helping her juggle family commitments and work.
“I consider myself to be an extremely organized person, so for me that involves ensuring that my lifestyle is as balanced as it can be. Family and social time are very important to me and that played a huge role in my choice of medical area. My support staff are aware of this and they are very helpful in ensuring that I’m not stuck at the office when I need to be with my son. I also have awesome parents who assist if a conference or another work-related activity will impact my mothering duties. My friends are amazing and they help ensure that my social life doesn’t fade away.”
Reece says she has grown in the six years she has been practising her field.
“I believe that I have honed skills in listening in a non-judgemental way as well as the ability to empathize more. It may sound simple to some, but I think many persons ‘listen’ to others with a view to responding, whether that response is in giving advice or defending oneself, when what each of us needs is someone who will listen, not judge or form bigoted opinions, and offer thoughtful, caring advice on the issue at hand.”
Dr Reece says she is where she wants to be “in that I love (strong emphasis on the word) what I do. I don’t even view it as a job, I see it as my passion. But there is always room for growth; I am a dreamer and I am always thinking about what is the next big thing I can do. There are still some goals I have left to achieve in my career and I am going to achieve them.”
