Dr. Keira Medina was in the 11th month of her one year internship when it all came tumbling down.

Dr. Keira Medina, Trying To Get Her Medical License
“I’ve been subjected to humiliating experience lately. My concerns and my issues I have with the internship program, I, I voiced it to the medical council and I voiced it to the person in charge of us from the ministry of Health. I never knew by speaking out I would be subjected to humiliation, bullying, unprofessionalism. I was, my, my situation is so deep that it ended up to the police station. A medical doctor, medical profession ended up in the police station.”

“Long story short, when I was called in, it was another intern. The same intern that I had approached two days ago requesting that she refrain from speaking about me. She went and made a complaint that she was afraid of me as she felt threatened by me.”

“And I’m like, really? It had to come to this?”

It had, the fellow intern alleged that Medina had threatened her. While Medina tried without success to get the security video form the KHMH to prove her innocence, that’s when she was locked out of the hospital:

Dr. Keira Medina, Trying To Get Her Medical License
“I was scheduled to work and do my 24 hour shift on a Sunday. I went to the hospital on a Sunday and I was denied access.”

“I was told by the security because I haven’t gotten any written, verbal, any email or anything requesting as to why I wasn’t allowed in. But I was told by the security that he received a direct order from the director, or his director to restrain me from, or to deny me access to enter into the facility.”

Jules Vasquez
“How did that feel?”

Dr. Keira Medina, Trying To Get Her Medical License
“It was. It was very embarrassing. I’m not going to lie. It’s because…being degraded. And lied at. Being taken to a police station. Being wrongfully accused of something. Just for speaking out. Like I never thought they would have reached this level. Not to be publicly. I’m sorry. ….”

Since then, she’s been trying to get approval to complete her internship in another hospital – but the Ministry of Health says interns must work at the KHMH:

Jules Vasquez
“So where are you with your internship now?”

Dr. Keira Medina, Trying To Get Her Medical License
“Well, I’ve been restricted. This is like my third week. I’ve been sending emails every single week requesting a formal explanation as to why I’m being restricted. I haven’t gotten any formal explanation as to why.”

“My my role or my, my position within the internship is unknown and is jeopardizing my professional career.”

Jules Vasquez
“Because where are you in in, receiving a license as a doctor?”

Dr. Keira Medina, Trying To Get Her Medical License
“I guess I will never receive it. So, it’s very depressing. It’s very depressing. It’s like I can understand if I. If I’m a foreigner and I’m trying to get into the system here, but I’m a born and raised Belizean, which in I do have rights and I do have constitutional rights.”

And she hopes that using those rights will keep her from doing what she least wants to do:

Dr. Keira Medina, Trying To Get Her Medical License
“Honestly. I don’t want to. I don’t want to be here no more. I never told you this. Oh, believe me, I want to cry. Sorry. Oh, it’s just so depressing. And it’s so unfair. It’s. I feel like as a as a country, as a small nation, we should at least try to, to help, to encourage Belizeans to want to come home, to want to give back to their nation.”

“It’s not fair.”

Jules Vasquez
“So now are you thinking of going back to Nicaragua?”

Dr. Keira Medina, Trying To Get Her Medical License
“I am contemplating on going back.”

Jules Vasquez
“What in your hope would be the best outcome from all of this upheaval?”

Dr. Keira Medina, Trying To Get Her Medical License
“Honestly, Jules. I will just like to finish my internship in peace without interference from my superiors, and just leave me be to be the doctor that I know I can be.”

“You see, my determination, the little bit I still do have, I’m still trying to move forward.”

For her part Doctor Medina flatly denies the claim being made against her int he report and says the hospital’s surveillance videos can prove that.

And, the KHMH’s position is that they did not allow Doctor Medina to enter the compound because because of the complaint about her conduct towards that other intern, and because she used her cell phone camera to capture footage inside the hospital.

And while she is not an employee of the KHMH – the final decision on whether she can continue her internship rests with them. We would say – based on what we have heard – it does not seem hopeful. The Ministry of Health, which runs the internship program says Medina’s academic performance in the rotations had not been satisfactory.