—aims for career in cardiothoracic surgery
Amrita Ghandatt, a 24-year-old medical graduand who achieved a perfect grade point average of 4.0, has been named the University of Guyana’s 2026 valedictorian.
Ghandatt, who will graduate with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery from the College of Medical Sciences, will also receive the President’s Medal for the best graduating student with a bachelor’s degree, the university announced on Monday.
For Ghandatt, the achievement is also a tribute to her mother, Dharamdai Singh, who raised her and her older brother as a single parent.
“This is my way of giving back to my mother. I would take all of my academic achievements and, in a way, present them to my mother. That is my way of showing her that all the sacrifices she made as a mother, as the sole breadwinner of her family, this is the fruit of it,” she said in a feature issued by the university.
Ghandatt’s interest in medicine developed during her two years of Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination studies at Queen’s College, where she pursued Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics. She particularly enjoyed studying the anatomy and physiology of the human body.
“I don’t think that there’s any profession for me out there that would give me the fulfilment the way medicine does. I’m so happy, I have no regrets about my choice,” she said.
She entered medical school in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, beginning university studies through online classes while adjusting to unfamiliar terminology and extensive coursework.
Subjects including Anatomy and Pathology tested her ability to adapt. Clinical training later brought different demands: long hours on hospital wards, exhausting rotations and limited time for social activities.
Working with patients also taught her that medical care required an understanding of the people and families affected by illness. Learning to comfort them became an important part of her training.
Her brother, Dyanand, also known as Amar, a UG Computer Science graduate, helped her manage those demands. When clinical rotations ended late, he waited outside the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation to ensure she could get home safely, while balancing his own work and studies.
Ghandatt credited her lecturers, clinical mentors, doctors, nurses and the patients who allowed her to learn from their experiences. She singled out Dr Vickita Nandan, Dr Joel Joseph, Dr Sharada Samaroo, Dr Risa Retemeyer, Dr Keith Cummings and Dr Jamain Hatton for their encouragement.
“My lecturers did more than teach from textbooks; they found different ways to help us learn and prepare us for the responsibility of interacting with patients,” she said.
She also acknowledged the support of her classmates and school friends, and credited her Hindu faith with helping her confront uncertainty, anxiety and self-doubt.
Financial assistance was important to completing her studies. A government undergraduate scholarship supported four years of medical school, while the tuition-free initiative covered her final year, according to the university.
Her academic success began well before medical school. In 2014, she placed 11th nationally at the National Grade Six Assessment while attending Enmore Hope Primary School.
Then Education Minister Priya Manickchand visited the school to congratulate her, an occasion Ghandatt said she appreciated more fully as she grew older.
“At that time I was just a shy little girl who did not fully grasp the significance of the moment. However, as I grew older, I came to appreciate just how special that experience was, not just for me but for my entire family,” she said.
With her medical internship ahead, Ghandatt hopes to provide compassionate, patient-centred and evidence-based care. Her particular interest is the heart, and she intends to pursue cardiothoracic surgery and contribute to specialised healthcare in Guyana.
She described being selected as valedictorian as humbling and urged fellow graduands to regard their qualifications as carrying responsibilities beyond personal achievement.
“This degree is not just a personal accomplishment, it represents a responsibility to actively participate in the development of our home, Guyana. Let us pursue specializations in our respective fields, and engage in research and leadership to develop our country,” she said.
To students still pursuing their degrees, she encouraged ambition, discipline and integrity.
“I thought it was once impossible, so if I can do it, you very much can. Just put in the hard work, be very disciplined, be honest with yourself, promote integrity.”
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