For St. George’s University (SGU) School of Medicine graduate Dr. Yanik Anthony, MD, MPH, the path to becoming a doctor didn’t start in a lecture hall. It started in his grandfather’s veterinary clinic. Watching him care for sick animals as a child, Dr. Anthony saw firsthand the difference that knowledge and compassion could make.
“I have always considered myself a people person, so medicine brought together several things that were important to me: science, human connection, problem solving, and service to others,” he said.
When he wasn’t able to secure a place at an Australian medical school, Dr. Anthony refused to let that setback end his dream. He chose SGU for its recognition and its pathways into major healthcare systems in the US, UK, and Australia. This allowed him to pursue medicine abroad while keeping his ultimate goal, returning home to Australia, firmly in sight.
That plan worked. After training in Grenada, completing the UK Foundation Programme, and building a career in the NHS, Dr. Anthony is now a Pediatric Trainee Medical Officer at Sydney Children’s Hospital, one of Australia’s leading pediatric centres. He’s living proof that an SGU degree can carry an Australian student all the way back home, better equipped than when they left.
SGU News spoke with Dr. Anthony about his journey from Grenada to the NHS to pediatrics in Sydney.
SGU: Why SGU, and how did it set you up to eventually return to Australia?
Dr. Anthony: I was determined to become a doctor, and when I couldn’t secure a place at an Australian university, I didn’t want that to mean giving up on the dream. SGU gave me a genuine opportunity to pursue medicine internationally while keeping my ultimate goal of returning to Australia alive. I started in Grenada and did my clinical training in the UK, and that international experience did more than build clinical knowledge. It strengthened my communication, teamwork, and adaptability, and gave me the confidence to walk into a new healthcare environment, work out how the team operates, and contribute effectively. That’s a skill that has followed me from Grenada to the NHS to Australia.
SGU: What did it take to get from SGU into the UK Foundation Programme?
Dr. Anthony: A lot of perseverance, a very close group of friends, and support from faculty who took a genuine interest in getting us there. We pushed each other academically. I stayed on the Dean’s List throughout and graduated with honours. SGU faculty were especially helpful in mapping out my pathway into the UK, and alongside that guidance, my friends and I kept each other accountable for every requirement along the way.
I secured a placement at Watford General Hospital near London, and in the same year passed the PLAB, USMLE, and AMC exams. While I waited to start the Programme, I used the time to complete my MPH, again with Dean’s List recognition. Looking back, that period taught me that the pathway isn’t always obvious from the outset. But with the right mentors pointing you in the right direction, and a support network holding you accountable, you can build it step by step.
SGU: How did your NHS experience prepare you for Australian medicine?
Dr. Anthony: I deliberately chose the UK because the NHS has a lot in common with the Australian system. Both place huge emphasis on multidisciplinary teamwork, structured clinical training, and holistic patient care. The NHS gave me extensive hands-on experience in acute management, procedures, prioritising competing demands, and working effectively under real pressure. I also developed strong systems thinking and communication skills within multidisciplinary teams. When I returned to Australia, I wasn’t starting from scratch. I brought a practical foundation that translated very naturally into the Australian healthcare environment.
SGU: How has SGU’s global medical training prepared you to adapt to different healthcare environments?
Dr. Anthony: The global nature of my SGU education has been one of its greatest strengths. My medical journey took me through Grenada, the UK, and ultimately Australia, and each environment required me to adapt to different people, cultures, and professional expectations.
Moving between those environments taught me that becoming a good doctor involves more than acquiring medical knowledge. You need to communicate effectively with people from different backgrounds, understand how different teams function, and adapt your approach while maintaining high standards of care. That experience strengthened my teamwork, communication, clinical judgement, and interpersonal skills.
Most importantly, it gave me confidence in my ability to adapt. When I enter a new clinical environment, I know how to observe, learn, and become an effective member of the team. That ability has been invaluable throughout my journey from SGU to the NHS and into Australian medicine.
SGU: What’s it like working in pediatrics in Australia?
Dr. Anthony: There’s something particularly meaningful about caring for a child through illness and supporting their family through a stressful time. I’ve been genuinely impressed by the standard of pediatric medicine here. It’s supported by advanced technology, sophisticated systems, and world class hospitals. And the calibre of the people around me is exceptional. Pediatrics is very much a team environment, and working alongside such skilled registrars and consultants continually pushes me to learn and improve.
SGU: What advice would you give SGU students hoping to build a career that leads back to Australia?
Dr. Anthony: My first piece of advice would be to understand that there is a pathway from SGU into the UK and ultimately into Australia. If becoming a doctor and practising internationally is genuinely your goal, persistence and careful planning can take you there.
Learn to forward-plan and parallel-plan: know where you ultimately want to end up, work backwards from there, and tackle requirements simultaneously wherever you can, so a delay in one area doesn’t stall your whole career. Build a strong support network of people who hold you accountable, be proactive rather than waiting for deadlines, and expect roadblocks. An international medical career rarely runs in a straight line, when an obstacle comes up, look for the alternative route and keep moving forward.
SGU: What stands out most when you look back at your time at SGU?
Dr. Anthony: Two parts of my SGU experience stand out: the people I met in Grenada and my clinical rotations at Watford General Hospital, one of SGU’s clinical sites near London.
Living and studying far from home brought my classmates and me close together. We looked out for one another, and many of those friendships have lasted well beyond medical school. I’m also grateful to the faculty who took an interest in my goals and helped me plan my route into the UK as I worked towards returning to Australia.
Watford felt like a second home. The student support and education teams made us feel welcome and supported, even during the challenges of COVID.
When I look back, it’s the friendships, mentors and sense of community that I remember most.
