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"I have always wanted to be more in
touch with my 'roots.' That is why I returned frequently
to all campuses of UWI,
to do surgery and teach medical and postgraduate students..."
Dr Renn Holness
Dr Renn Holness is
known for his selfless efforts to improve Caribbean healthcare
and instruct healthcare professionals. Through his
students, Dr Holness is determined to prove that Caribbean
doctors can be numbered among the best in the world.
Renn Holness was born
on 30th May, 1943 in Kingston, Jamaica. He attended Blake
Preparatory School and Jamaica College, where he excelled.
He began studying medicine at The University of the West Indies
(UWI), Mona on a scholarship and then left for Guy's Hospital in
England where he completed his Bachelor of Science (BSc) in
Anatomy in 1964. He finished his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of
Surgery (MBBS) at UWI, Mona, graduating at the top of his class
in 1968.
After graduating,
Holness interned at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital in
Trinidad from 1968 to 1969. He then spent a year
undertaking his general surgery residency at the University of
Michigan, USA, completing it in 1972. He went on to do his
neurosurgery residency in Canada at Dalhousie University and the
University of Toronto, finishing in 1976. Dr Holness began
his neurosurgery practice in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1977.
Over the next 10 years,
he became Professor of Neurosurgery and Head of Neurosurgery at
Dalhousie Medical School and Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences
Centre. In 1992, he became the first person in Canada to
perform foetal tissue transplants to rebuild brain cells and
treat Parkinson's disease. During the 1990's, he was a key
player on the committee that devised incentives for First Nation
and black students to attend Dalhousie University's medical
school.
 Dr
Holness has given back to the Caribbean, often dedicating many
of his periods of leave to this purpose. He lectured as a
visiting professor at UWI campuses and played the role of mentor
in the lives of his students. He arranges for Caribbean
students to pursue electives in Canada, sometimes at personal
expense, and lends his expertise to governments and hospitals in
the region. In 1993, he did a three-month sabbatical at
the UWI medical school in Barbados and in 2000, he served as
Acting Director of the Clinical Program at the UWI School of
Medicine in Nassau for six months, until a permanent director
was hired. He arranged the transfer of surplus medical
equipment from the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre to
Caribbean hospitals, and directed the Bahamian government to
recruit a neurosurgeon, whom he mentored personally, thus
bolstering the country's capability in neurosurgery.
Dr Holness was chair of the examining board
in neurosurgery for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons
of Canada. He was also President of the Canadian
Neurological Society during the 1990s.
For youngsters considering medicine, he
advises that, "Success in medical school is not purely related
to marks... but also having a genuine interest in human beings."
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