Dr Hamilton
Dr Michelle Hamilton loves being a teacher and physician. "As a teacher, I see my role extending beyond the classroom to train a student to approach life, not just to pass an exam," she told Flair, sitting in her office at the National Health laboratory where she has been on secondment since September last year as director of the Immunology Department. Dr Hamilton teaches biochemistry and medical microbiology at the University of the West Indies, a job she is very passionate about."A good student can fail if they have problems. When they leave my setting, they must be better equipped for life. You can turn off a student, you can change the course of their life." She has already positively changed the course of a number of her students' lives. This she found out recently when she was nominated for the UWI/Guardian Life Premium Teaching Award.
Testimonials
Dr Hamilton explained that, to win the award, testimonials had to be given by members of staff and students.
"It was like being at my funeral. They referred to specific events," she noted, adding how much the award meant to her when she received it last month.
"It was an international panel, they did not know me, and I wasn't working for it. I was doing what I enjoy and doing my all. I love to teach, really love to."
Dr Hamilton, however, is unable to say which of her professions she enjoys more.
"What I like with both is the interaction. I go the extra mile so students grasp what I'm saying. With my patients, I spend time to break it down."
The most important part of her medical practice is creating educated patients.
"I take time to explain to them what is wrong and why they have to take certain medications. In both fields, I get to impact people's lives."
Teacher
Dr Michelle Hamilton, principal investigator, Xanthan Gum Project, using the fermentor in the lab at the Biochemistry Department at the University of the West Indies. - Photos by Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Dr Hamilton's childhood dream never involved teaching, as her mother had predicted. Her mother told her that whatever she did, it would involve teaching. Today, her only regret is that her mother didn't live to see her prophecy come true; she died before Hamilton graduated from medical school.
After receiving a bachelor's degree in biochemistry, she decided to continue on to her PhD as she wanted to get it over as quickly as possible. She completed her PhD in medical microbiology at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. "I believe there is a plan in my life, it (my life) is not haphazard. I had a talk with God. He has been good to me. I wasn't thrilled because I don't like to study, but I do what I have to and I got a post-graduate scholarship from the British Government."
Xanthan Gum
One of Dr Hamilton's accomplishments is her pioneering work in the production of xanthan gum from a by-product of sugarcane. Xanthan gum is a raw material used in food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and the petroleum industry. It is a thickener, stabiliser, an emulsifier and a suspended agent used in salad dressing, textile, and cake mixes. Despite its numerous applications, it is expensive to import, which is a deterrent to manufacturers. With reduced prices, it could become extensively used in the petroleum industry in the region and internationally as large quantities are required for the oil recovery process. "The work has value. Something that can move us forward," noted Dr Hamilton. Filing for an international patent was completed late last year.
Time Management
Even on her secondment, Dr Hamilton still teaches some of her courses at the UWI, unable to give up on one of her life's great loves. This puts a strain on her time because, as brilliant as she may be, she is yet to find a way to add more hours to a day. "My time management skills are forever evolving," she notes with a laugh. But juggling is nothing new to Hamilton, who has always been very active, having been involved in drama, track and field, netball and debating while a student at St Andrew High School. She recalls that the headmistress always said, "I can't keep up with Michelle".
Of the many things she has to juggle, church is at the centre of it all. "Church is a big part of my life. God is the centre of my life." Dr Hamilton is one of the leaders at Fellowship Tabernacle. A very pleasant individual, Dr Hamilton simply concludes "I'm quite happy."