Hi! I am Dr. Natalie Sharpe, your Oncology, Haematology and Palliative Care doctor.
About Me
I was born in Trinidad and Tobago then moved to Jamaica at the age of seven. I am a proud graduate of St. Andrew High School for Girls. After high school, I attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY where I graduated with a degree in Biochemistry in 2001. After college, I spent a few years working in research labs at several prominent institutions, including Columbia University and Emory University. The sea and the sun called me back and I moved back to Trinidad. While there I was part of the team that developed and opened the laboratory at the Medical Research Foundation, the largest HIV care clinic in the English-speaking Caribbean. My experience observing the wonderful care that the physicians there provide led me to medical school at UWI Mona.
I started medical school in 2006 as a “mature” student. I firmly believe that my life experiences that I brought with me helped me to better appreciate both the science and the humanity of medicine. From my first year of medical school, I became interested in haematology, which led to an interest in oncology. The science of how cells divide and mutate was fascinating to me. So after an internship, I entered the Hematology/Oncology residency programme.
While doing my residency I developed an interest in palliative care. I wanted to find a way to help my patients feel better while providing their cancer care. Being treated for cancer can feel like a long journey, I thought that there must be a better way for me to offer day-to-day care to make it not feel so long. I was selected as a fellow by the European Society for Medical Oncology and got the opportunity to spend my elective period studying palliative care at the University of Colorado. I then went on to do a six-month certification programme with Harvard Medical School on Palliative Care Education and Practice, where I not only learned how to practice palliative care, I also learnt how to teach it.
So five years and two babies later, I did it! I became a haematologist and medical oncologist with an additional focus on palliative care. And here I am, aiming to provide you with the best possible care you can have, which is the care you deserve.
Together, let’s figure out a medical plan of care that works for you!