Amrita Ghandatt, a 24-year-old aspiring cardiothoracic surgeon, has been named the University of Guyana's 2026 Valedictorian after completing her Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. She will receive the President's Medal for the Best Graduating Student with a Bachelor's degree, according to INews Guyana.
The award caps five years of medical study at UG's College of Medical Sciences, a programme Ghandatt began in 2021 when classes were still online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her story is also one of family sacrifice: her mother raised her and her older brother alone while working to keep them in school.
From Queen's College to the Georgetown wards
Ghandatt did not set out to become a doctor as a child. During two years of CAPE studies at Queen's College, she excelled in Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics and found herself drawn to human anatomy and physiology. That is where medicine turned from a subject into a calling.
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.
Medical school tested that conviction early. Anatomy, Pathology and dense medical terminology arrived through a screen, with no campus life to soften the transition. Clinical rotations at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation brought a different lesson again: patients are not cases but people, and comforting a frightened family matters as much as recalling a textbook.
Two and two is never equal to four in these cases, she said of the way difficult cases demand flexible, critical thinking rather than formulas.
A family effort behind the medal
Ghandatt's mother, Dharamdai Singh, raised her two children as a single parent and sole breadwinner. Ghandatt remembers the early mornings, the meals prepared before work and the quiet prayers for her children's success. She calls her mother an unmovable pillar of courage and strength.
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.
Her brother, Dyanand Ghandatt, a UG Computer Science graduate, waited outside the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation after late rotations so she could get home safely, balancing his own work and studies. Guyana Chronicle reported that she also credits lecturers and mentors including Dr Vickita Nandan, Dr Joel Joseph, Dr Sharada Samaroo, Dr Risa Retemeyer, Dr Keith Cummings and Dr Jamain Hatton, along with the doctors, nurses and patients who shaped her clinical training.
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, adding her gratitude for the chance to study medicine in her own country.
She also thanked her faith, naming Lord Krishna and Lord Ganesha as sources of strength against self-doubt and anxiety, and credited her Class of 2026 colleagues for holding one another accountable through the demanding programme.
Public support that paid off
Ghandatt's path was not without financial strain. A Government of Guyana Undergraduate Scholarship funded four years of her medical studies, and the tuition-free initiative covered her final year. For taxpayers, this is the kind of return that justifies public investment in education: a top graduate who now aims to build specialised healthcare capacity at home rather than taking her skills abroad.
Her academic record runs long. In 2014 she placed 11th nationally at the National Grade Six Assessment, an achievement then Education Minister Priya Manickchand marked with a visit to her school. 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 recalled.
A message to her generation
Addressing her fellow graduands, Ghandatt framed the degree as a duty rather than a trophy.
You've made it to the light at the end of the dark tunnel. 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 at UG, her advice was direct: Continue to dream big. There is no career that's too big that you can't achieve. 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.
What comes next
Her medical internship lies ahead. Ghandatt says she wants to be a compassionate, patient-centred doctor who delivers evidence-based care and works well with other health professionals. Her particular interest is the heart, and she hopes to train in cardiothoracic surgery, a specialty Guyana currently depends on foreign partners to provide.
That ambition matters for the country's health system. If she succeeds, the University of Guyana will have produced not only a valedictorian but a specialist in a field where local capacity is thin, proof of what disciplined individuals and open educational opportunity can build.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the University of Guyana's 2026 Valedictorian?
Amrita Ghandatt, a 24-year-old graduate of the College of Medical Sciences, earned the title with a perfect 4.0 GPA and will receive the President's Medal.
What degree did Amrita Ghandatt complete?
A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) at the University of Guyana, a five-year programme she began in 2021.
What does Ghandatt plan to do next?
She will begin a medical internship and hopes to specialise in cardiothoracic surgery in Guyana.