Meet Trishanna Sookdeo of Sookdeo Family Medicine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Trishanna Sookdeo.

Trishanna, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am an island girl at heart, born and raised in the republic of Trinidad. An only child of divorced parents, I grew up with my mother and maternal family in an extended family unit. My mother was the primary breadwinner within my nuclear family and my father, an alcoholic, struggling with sobriety. As a child, I spent many nights at AA meetings with my parents, witnessed the full effect of acute and chronic intoxication on an individual and families on social, emotional, mental and financial levels. My father’s natural brilliance was overpowered by the desire for alcohol. He operated his own accounting business, but his life was a roller coaster of events stemming from relapses from sobriety. These experiences ignited a flame within me to become a success. I always felt that ‘my success would be his (daddy) and her (mummy) success.”

Being an only child and the youngest within the family meant that I was doted on, indulged also closely mannered by everyone. A solid education was mandatory. The phrase ‘books before boys ‘was hammered into me weekly and truth be told, unwavering discipline mixed with the love of reading and curiosity for learning resulted in ongoing achievements through elementary and high school. Prior to starting medical school, I worked as a teacher in Trinidad’s public school system I also earned certifications in Psychology, more in an effort to understand myself as I walked into young adulthood. My final project on the topic of the ‘adult child of Alcohol syndrome ‘also led to several speaking events within Trinidad at AA meetings, Rotary club events and other seminars.

I graduated from the University of the West Indies at the age of 24 with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery. Within a year, I had completed a medical internship at the San Fernando General Hospital. My intent was to work within the community setting. I wanted patient education and preventive care to be the focal point. I envisioned myself as the neighborhood doctor’, the physician whom everyone in the town knew and trusted, the doctor who cared for the entire family.

I was blessed to have met my now husband during school and soon, we were migrating to Washington DC to begin the path for USA medical training. Leaving my family, friends and homeland to pursue a career was a difficult decision, more so as we were expecting our firstborn. For 18 months, I raised our son while pursuing a Master’s in Public Health. I began an internship at Howard university hospital pregnant with our 2nd son and graduated three years later as Chief Resident of Research and Quality Improvement and with my third son, just shy of 4 months old.

During my final year, a week after finding out that I was pregnant with my third son, I lost my father, aged 52 to unexpected and mysterious circumstances. He never knew that I was pregnant and at that time, he was a significant constant in my life. His death threw me into an abyss of anger and hurt and has left a void in my life that will never be filled.

The following year was spent in Atlanta, GA. Working part-time and raising my boys while my husband completed his fellowship. We had always planned on returning to Trinidad but our focus changed when we realized that our kids would have better opportunities in the United states. There was no other choice but moving to Florida. The warmth, sunshine, beaches and cultural diversity made it an easy choice. I started working in Polk County in 2015 at Heart of Florida Regional medical center providing primary care services to the community. I was privileged to provide care for newborns to the elderly. Many times, all members of one family or several neighbors within a community were in our waiting room. I realized that I was the neighborhood physician that I had always wanted to become.

Three years later, I was pregnant with my fourth child. Her birth and an ailing grandmother reignited a passion to start my own clinic closer to home. I made the very difficult decision to say goodbye to almost five years of family medicine and thousands of patients in Haines City, FL and begin another phase of my career in Winter garden, FL.

I am a Family medicine physician, board-certified in Family medicine (since 2014). In 2018, I earned the Degree of Fellow with the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) I also achieved a Masters in Public Health with Distinctions in 2014 and used this to engage in research throughout the years, the latest looking at vitamin D deficiency in the Sunshine State. Most recently, I achieved Board certification in Obesity Medicine (2021) as a means of providing medically supervised weight loss to those interested.

Outside of clinical medicine, I have served almost yearly as a Delegate for the Florida Academy of Family Physicians (FAFP) to the Florida Medical Association (FMA), I also serve yearly on the FAFP Practice Enhancement & Patient Safety (PEPS) Committee for the Florida Academy of Family Physicians. An appointment with the University of Central Florida as Assistant Professor enabled teaching of medical students.

In 2018, I graduated from the Karl M. Altenburger, M.D. Leadership Academy and served on panel discussions through the Florida Medical Association for the Healthy Eating Initiative in 2019.

In October 2020, I opened the doors to Sookdeo Family Medicine PLLC in Winter Garden, FL. I also currently work as a medical reviewer for ‘Choosing Therapy,” an online mental health resource.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I often see myself as a the obstacle as I can overthink or overanalyze and in doing so, procrastinate with decisions regarding the business side of the clinic. Obstacles are few and quite honestly reside internally. It comprises of the self-doubt that many small business owners may experience at the start of a new venture, the feeling of being overwhelmed and learning to multitask between clinical medicine and running a business. I also opened in October 2020, during COVID19 which was a challenge.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a board-certified in Family medicine physician and a new business owner. In October 2020, I ventured out into the world of entrepreneurship and opened the doors to a solo family medicine and obesity medicine clinic in Winter Garden, FL.

My goal is to become Winter Garden and environs neighborhood physician. I strive to provide quality, holistic health care to many who desire it. Whether this is acute, chronic. preventive, short term or long term, my clinic works with patients to create health care plans that are specific to their needs.

At Sookdeo Family Medicine, I provide care for all ages, from newborns to the elderly. Patients can benefit from a Medical supervised weight loss program with body composition analysis as well as general primary care for acute and chronic conditions and preventive care. Sookdeo Family Medicine works at ‘Providing the care you need with the compassion you deserve.’

Contact Info:

• Email: askdrsookdeo@gmail.com
• Website: www.sookdeofamilymed.com
  www.choosingtherapy.com
• Instagram: sookdeofamilymed
• Facebook: Sookdeo Family Medicine PLLC

Image Credits
Oliviasalesphotography.com Jay Knickerbocker