Physicians take their titles very seriously. The long years of work and tireless dedication it takes to finally be called "doctor" are nothing to be shrugged off.
Dr. Carol McIntosh, the medical director at Carriacou Health Services in Carriacou, Grenada, and a graduate of both Weill Cornell Medical College and Cornell University College of Arts and Sciences, had held the title of doctor since 1987, and soon Dr. McIntosh will be the recipient of another title, one far more exclusive than doctor.
Dr. Carol McIntosh
Dr. McIntosh has been selected by Queen Elizabeth II of England to receive the insignia of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). She will accept this honor on June 11 at Buckingham Palace.
"I'm just so excited," Dr. McIntosh said. "It's very overwhelming."
Nominated last year by the government of Grenada, Dr. McIntosh was chosen in recognition of her medical service to Grenada, an independent Caribbean nation that was once under British rule and remains part of the British Commonwealth.
Dr. McIntosh, a native of Brooklyn, received her M.D. from what was then called Cornell University Medical School in 1987. After an obstetrics and gynecology residence at St. Luke's–Roosevelt Hospital, she worked in private practice in Midtown Manhattan and Harlem for 15 years.
In 1993, while still building her practice, Dr. McIntosh began organizing trips to Grenada for health professionals interesting in volunteering in Carriacou. This loose network eventually developed into HealthCAP, the Healthcare Division of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Organizations Inc.
HealthCAP is a not-for-profit organization whose primary focus is improving the standard of health of the islands of Carriacou, Petite Martinique, Grenada and Canouan, through recruitment of health professionals and volunteers to provide health services and donated medical supplies. HealthCAP visits the aforementioned islands once a year providing health services in various medical areas. Dr. McIntosh served as chairperson from 1994 to 2005. Her work with HealthCAP brought great joy to Dr. McIntosh, allowing her to experience the beauty and culture of the islands, especially Carriacou, an island from which her family came.
The medal for members of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
Dr. McIntosh also works with students as a mentor, lecturer and adviser through the Black Biomedical and Technical Association of Cornell University and on the Board of Trustees for her alma mater Catherine McAuley High School, encouraging the students to pursue an interest in the health field.
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is the British order of chivalry instituted in 1917 by King George V to reward both civilian and military wartime service. The next year, civilian and military recipients were separated into two divisions. Today, the honor is given for distinguished service to the government in times of peace and war.
The five classes of both civil and military divisions, in descending order, are: Knight and Dame Grand Cross (GBE), Knight and Dame Commander (KBE and DBE, respectively), Commander (CBE), Officer (OBE), and Member (MBE).
There are more than 10,000 living members of the Order today.