Dr Sharifa Frederick – The fertility expert

IN a perfect world, hundreds of Jamaicans wouldn’t have to face the unseen, yet devastating pain of infertility. But since we don’t live in a perfect world, peace of mind comes from knowing that we have the expert hands of doctors like obstetrician, gynaecologist and reproductive specialist Dr Sharifa Frederick on the front line of fertility management.

The mother of four boys who spends most of her days at the Hugh Wynter Fertility Management Unit (HWFMU) at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), has a vested interest in creating equal opportunities for patients wishing to conceive but are plagued by fertility-related challenges.

“I chose one of the most interesting fields in medicine to fall in love with. Fertility takes you all in; it allows you to get fully involved in the patient’s life as you help them achieve their goals. When your patient conceives it’s a feeling of elation, and when the couple has a successful delivery it’s one of the most satisfying moments in life,” Dr Frederick told All Woman.

Unfortunately, the job is not always butterflies and rainbows. The road to conception has many pitfalls, and there is never any guarantee that the treatments will be successful.

“The most difficult part of the job is the emotional aspect; it’s extremely hard not to get emotionally involved in your treatments. When they fail, you feel the pain sometimes more than you know you should. It’s difficult to distance yourself emotionally from the process,” Dr Frederick shared.

For her, though, the joys of the job outweigh the emotional pains of disappointment that sometimes come. On reflection, Dr Frederick says she is thankful for the day she discovered the balance she was in pursuit of when she entered the Obstetrics and Gynaecology ward at UHWI as an intern following a failed relationship with her first love, paediatrics.

“When I entered medical school I thought that I wanted to become a paediatrician, but after rotating through paediatrics I realised that my love for children didn’t equate to wanting to care for sick children. I found myself becoming too attached to the children on the ward, especially the long-stay children who were possibly terminal. It broke my heart every time the world lost one and I realised it wasn’t going to work for me,” Dr Frederick admitted.

She acknowledges that her passion to pursue obstetrics and gynaecology, and her ultimate love affair with fertility management, were also heavily influenced by her father, Professor Joseph Frederick, a trailblazer in the field who has been recognised for his pioneering work in assisted reproductive technology in Jamaica. Professor Frederick also spearheaded the establishment of the Assisted Reproductive Unit, which provides services for the treatment of infertile couples in Jamaica and throughout the region.

“My father was my number [one] influencer to enter this field. His passion for what he does was large and contagious. He has laid a pathway for me that has been so deep and has so many avenues and potential. He is still my mentor whom I consult daily. He has always been decisive, solid and sound — and I trust that he always has the patients and my safety at hand,” Dr Frederick said as she rained praises on her dad.

Despite having large shoes to fill, though, the Campionite said she has never felt intimidated by or lost in the shadow of her father because she has always worked to create her own hallmark of excellence.

“I have never felt insecure regarding how well I will carry on the family name. I trust that God has a plan for me. I focus on trying to make myself a better doctor every day; [I] stay current, learn from peers, continuously develop my skills, and try to just relax and enjoy what I do. Once I do my best, that will be enough — regardless of where I fall on the scale,” Dr Frederick said.

Outside of their work at UWI, the father-daughter duo also teamed up to open a private practice in Regal Plaza, St Andrew. The family business is managed by mom Clotelle Frederick. It is her support, along with that of her supportive husband Julian Rodney, which makes the challenges of balancing her demanding job, which usually involves weekends and late-night shifts and home life, less challenging.

Fertility management in Jamaica has made significant headway over the years but Dr Frederick said that while they have managed to make great strides in the field and are poised to mirror some of the best reproductive centres in the world, she is disquieted by the fact that despite the wealth of knowledge now available on infertility, it still falls very low on the health priority list.

“I am confident that we can place ourselves on the map in terms of reproductive medicine. My major concern is that infertility services are quite expensive, and these services are just not financially accessible to the majority of the population. I hope that one day infertility disorders will be seen as a chronic disease, just like hypertension and diabetes, so that health insurance companies can come on board in assisting people to access these reproductive services,” Dr Frederick reasoned.

Accessing fertility treatments can be very expensive and the options for funding these treatments are particularly pricey. The vast majority of the infertile population have to therefore try to secure the unsecured maternity loan of up to $5 million through an agreement between JMMB Bank and HWFMU, or pay large out-of-pocket costs because insurance companies do not offer any coverage at all.

With most of her time spent with families exploring the barriers to their conception efforts and devising plans to surmount them, Dr Frederick spends all of her spare time away outside of work savouring well-needed family time with her own family. When not doing that, she sets her white coat aside to dabble in interior decorating, or you might find her in the kitchen exploring a new recipe that caught her eye.

Dr Frederick received her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from UWI, Mona. She later completed her residency in obstetrics and gynaecology and her fellowship in minimally invasive surgery and reproductive medicine at UHWI.