IncorporatIng the St Mary’S

and charIng croSS

gazette

Vol 10:03 Summer 2011

ICSM Gazette 2

ICSM Gazette 3

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the first edition of the Gazette of this academic year. Since last year we have said goodbye to Prof Robin Touquet as Honourary President, and are pleased to welcome Mr Parakevas Paraskeva as his replacement.

Although we are barely halfway through the Autumn term as I write this already there is much to report - another year of Doctors have graduated, and another year of Freshers have come joined us. Many of the Clubs and Societies have been busy over the Summer - either on Tour, or planning for the forthcoming year.

This is also the first Gazette that the Imperial College era alumni will recieve in electronic format. This has been a necessary cost cutting measure following a withdrawl of funding from the Imperial College Healthcare Charity. We thank the ICSM Alumni Association for their continued support, and hope that this Gazette is enjoyed by all of their members.

The St Mary’s era alumni will still recieve their Gazettes in paper format. We also, as ever, thank the St Mary’s Alumni Association, and particularly Mr Kevin Brown, for all their support in producing the Gazette. The help we recieve is far more than just financial. I hope you all enjoy this Gazette also.

We have also had a change of committee since the last Gazette was published. Aaron Bancil has left us as editor, and Sam Barclay has departed as treasurer.

I hope this Gazette has some articles of interest to all our readers. We are looking forward to hearing what you thought of this issue - our e-mail address is icsm-gazette@imperial.ac.uk.

I hope you all enjoy reading this Gazette,

Oliver Gale-GrantGazette Editor

Front Cover Artwork - Holy Triniy Church, Prince Consort Road, during the ICSM Carol Service 2010., by Mariam Zahedi.

Editorial Contents4 - State of the Union5 - News6 - Prize Winners10 - Summer Ball Report11 - Rugby Tour to Canada Report14 - The Top 1016 - Clubs and Socs23 - St Mary’s Association Newsletter26 - St Mary’s Association Minutes28 - Letters30 - Obituaries32 - Memoirs of Mary’s Men33 - 1961 Graduates Reunion34 - Alumni Newsletter35 - Electives38 - Culture Bit

EditorOliver Gale-Grant

ContributorsJac CooperMatthew Rinaldi Joseph PickThomas PhillipsMichael Field

Secretary Mariam Zahedi

TreasurerParag Raval

PhotographyAlan Liu

Honorary PresidentsMr P ParaskevaProf A DaviesProf P Steer

ICSM Gazette 2

ICSM Students Union

It gives me great pleasure to wel-come you to the first Gazette of 2011-12. Already one third of the way through my year in office, I re-ally do not know where the time has gone. It has been hugely en-joyable so far, and I put this whole-heartedly down to the exceptional ICSMSU exec team that I have had the privilege to work with. I would like to take this opportunity to thank David Smith for his fantastic work over the previous year and for his continued support.

The year started with a re-format-ted Freshers’ Fortnight – same well loved events, new order. As ICSM is often quick to oppose change, I was concerned as to whether this would cause disappointment. However there appeared to be universal approval of this move, and I have only heard positive feedback from the Freshers. My thanks go to ICSMSU Entertain-ments Chair, Mitul, as well as IC-SMSU Social Secretaries, Odhran

and Lauren, for all the hard work they have put in to organise such successful events.

We have also been holding events for those at the opposite end of the medical school – our recently qualified Doctors. The Affirma-tion Ceremony was held on July 23rd and was a sell out. Many kind words from families highlighted the enjoyable nature of the oc-casion. On 19th October, the F1s returned for the final official time to attend Commemoration Day at the Royal Albert Hall. Over 2500 students graduated over the course of the day, including, from the Faculty of Medicine, both the MBBS students and those who had completed their BSc.

RAG has kicked off to a flying start this year with the Halloween col-lect making £18,142 – a record collect by more than £2000! This is down to the hard work of Lizzy and her team, as well as the en-thusiasm of the Freshers! I have no doubt that this years charity, the Teenage Cancer Trust, will be receiving a record breaking total at the end of the year.

Aside from events, we have had a summer of renovation. The St Mary’s common room has had a complete overhaul and looks wonderful, thanks to the support of the St Mary’s Development Trust. We have also completed the conversion of the Charing Cross downstairs meeting room into a common room for everyone to use. icsmsu.com has also had a face lift, giving us a fully function-ing online calendar for the first

time in years. There are loads of useful educational resources as well as a forum primarily designed to help with housing difficulties so please take a look.

ICSMSU continues to enhance its welfare support, expanding our successful Mums and Dads scheme to provide intercalating students with a ‘sibling’ who have taken the BSc in the previous year. The associated social was a great success and I feel the intercalaters were made very welcome.

On the educational front, year reps have been elected after some stiff competition – 20 year 1 students ran for only 4 positions! Please identify your relevant year reps and feedback to them – your com-ments really do make a difference. Both the Faculty and ICSMSU will be making an extra effort this year to ensure that you are aware of the changes that your feedback has contributed to, so watch this space.

Finally, my thanks go to the Fac-ulty of Medicine, Imperial College Healthcare Trust and the St Mary’s Association for their continued support, enabling ICSMSU to keep on doing the same for the stu-dents.

I hope you enjoy this Gazette and enjoy the rest of the term,

Best wishes,

Suzie Rayner

State of the Union

Imperial join Europe’s Biggest Medical Research Centre-Imperial College, along with King’s College London, have joined the Francis Crick Institute, which is London’s attempt to create Europe’s leading medical research centre. The Institute began construction in Camden in July of this year and should be finished by 2015. Both King’s and Imperial agreed to join the Institute and donate £40,000,000. The occasion (also a ceremony to dedicate the facility to Francis Crick), was supplemented by the burial of a time capsule containing writings by eminent British scientists underneath the foundations of the Institute. The contributors to the project now consist of Imperial College, King’s College, UCL, the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK and the Wellcome Trust.

Building work in Wood LaneImperial College held several exhibitions in October in order to ascertain how residents feel about the details of their plan to build a new complex in the Wood Lane area. Permission was given last year and work has already gone ahead on new halls of accommodation for graduate entry students, as well as room for junior doctors at the Hammersmith Hospital and lecturers and other staff. The current plans for the ‘studio’, to be called ‘Imperial West’, include new local shopping, a public ‘green area’, a new School of Public Health, new teaching space and a 4-star hotel with a leisure centre. There are several proposed benefits to win over the locals, such as improved security, 2,500 new jobs, new healthcare services and access to accommodation in the compound. The graduate halls are on course to be finished to provide accommodation by the beginning of the academic year 2012-2013.

Event newsWith the new academic year and new Freshers arriving, the Student Union has just finished its most recent Freshers’ Fortnight. This year there was a slightly altered format to try and maximise the opportunities for enjoyment for students who do not drink alcohol, with a Casino Night and Pub Quiz joining the regular Bop, Mums and Dads and Roadshow. In another change from recent years, the Bop followed Fresher’s Review on the last Friday of the fortnight, which was a resounding success.

On the 25th October, the Halloween RAG Collect took place, with students collecting for the Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity that builds specialist centres for young people with cancer. More RAG money-making will happen shortly at the Reynolds Bar on Wednesday 16th November for the annual RAG Centurion. There are numerous other big SU events to come this term including the RAG Christmas Collect on the 1st of December, the Christmas Bop on the 16th of December, ICSM Ski Trip to Tignes leaving on the same day.

News from ICSMResearch, social and everything in between

And FinallyThe Graduation ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall on the 19th of October was a happy occasion for all of our new doctors, so congratulations and good luck to them. I hope you enjoy your first Gazette as a graduate!

Compiled by Jack Cooper

Sir Frances Crick

The Wood Lane Complex

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Academic Prize Winners 2011-2012 Year 1 MBBS Examinations Martin J Turner Scholarship Prize (best overall performance in the Year 1 examinations) - £250 Martin J Turner Scholarship Prize (2nd best overall perfor-mance in the Year 1 examinations) - £250Martin J Turner Scholarship Prize (3rd best overall perfor-mance in the Year 1 examinations) - £250Joint Winners: Burns Prize (best performance in Paper 1) - £33

Mercers Prize (best performance in Paper 2) -£100

Mildred Lees Prize (best performance in Paper 3) - £100

Joint Winners: David Livingstone Prize (best performance in Paper 4) - £50 Joint Winners: Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London Prize (best performance in Paper 5) - £50 Year 2 MBBS Examinations

Hawker Scholarship Prize (best overall performance in the Year 2 examinations) - £250Hawker Scholarship Prize (2nd best overall performance in the Year 2 examinations) - £250 Joint Winners: Hawker Scholarship Prize (3rd best overall per-formance in the Year 2 examinations) - £125 Murray Prize (best performance in Paper 1) - £100

Harry Barkley Prize (best performance in Paper 2) - £100

Huggett Prize (best performance in Paper 3) - £100

Graduate Entry Year 1 MBBS Examinations

Faculty of Medicine Prize (best overall performance in Year 1) - £250 Joint Winners: Faculty of Medicine Prize (best performance in Paper 1) - £33Faculty of Medicine Prize (best performance in Paper 2) - £100 Faculty of Medicine Prize (best performance in Paper 3) - £100 Year 3 MBBS Examinations

Chadwick Prize (best overall performance in Year 3 examina-tions) - £250 Rudolph Konstamm Gold prize (performance in the written examination) - £250

Caoimhe Walsh

Sanjeev Ramachandran

Germaine Chia

Caoimhe Walsh, Jong Ahn, Zelie Britton

Caoimhe Walsh

Foteini-Stefania Koumpa

Sanjeev Ramachandran, Abigail Squire

Hannah Tullett, Sandra Halim

Louis Peters

Qiong Wu

Bina Patel, Rahul Ravindran

Radhika Patel

Conrad Harrison

Nadeesha Mudalige

Anthony Dorr

Ben Cullinger, Anthony Dorr, Georgina FenwickFrances Conti-Ramsden

Anthony Dorr

Isabel McLuskie

Mahi Pal Singh Gill

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Joint winner - Rudolph Konstamm Silver Prize (performance in the written examination) - £125Joint winner - Rudolph Konstamm Silver Prize (performance in the written examination) - £125 Swinford Evans Gold Prize (performance in the OSCE examina-tion) - £250Joint Winner - Swinford Evans Silver Prize (performance in the OSCE examination) - £125

Year 4 BSc Examinations David Lees Memorial Prize - Endocrinology - £100

Dudley Phillips Memorial Prize - Gastroenterology and Hepa-tology - £100Thomas Skurry Prize - Immunity and Infection - £100

Pereira Prize - Surgery and Anaesthesia - £100

Malcolm Morris Memorial Prize - Neuroscience and Mental Health - £100 Agnes Cope Prize - Cardiovascular Science - £100

Steadman Prize – Haematology - £100

Alan J Stolow Prize - Respiratory Sciences - £100

Thomas Henry Green Prize - Reproductive and Developmen-tal Sciences - £100Morris Prize - History of Medicine - £100

Max Bonn Memorial Prize - Medical Humanities - £100 Julia Buckingham Prize - Global Health - £100

Charles Power Prize (best overall performance in BSc) - £250

Ester Seifert Prize (2nd best overall performance in BSc) - £100 Waller Prize (3rd best overall performance in BSc) - £100

Evelyn de Rothschild Prize (best BSc Project) - £250

Hepburn Memorial Prize (2nd best BSc Project) - £100

Sir William Broadbent Prize (3rd best BSc Project) - £100

Faculty of Medicine Prize - Death, Autopsy and the Law - £100

Amy Mallorie

Sarah Burns

Isabel McLuskie

Jade Zhao, Georgina Phillips

Miraj Patel

Bibek Das

Timothy Rawson

Karin Purshouse

Jamie Henry

Christopher Rajkumar

Nicholas Ng

Francesca Conway

Michael James

Nathaniel Roocroft

Michael James

Elizabeth Anderson

Elizabeth Anderson

Miraj Patel

Nicholas Ng

Miraj Patel

Bob Yang

Justine Zhang

Margaret Adu-Baah

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Year 5 MBBS Examinations

Medical Women’s Federation Prize - 2nd best performance in Paediatrics - £50Meadows Prize - performance in O & G - £225

Humphrey Arthure Prize - performance in O & G - £200

Humphrey Arthure Prize (proxime accessit) - performance in O & G - £100Frederick Bird Prize - performance in O & G - £100

Green Armytage Prize - performance in O & G - £100 T Watts Eden Prize - performance in O & G - £100

William Travers Prize - performance in O & G - £100

HWC Vines Prize in Pathology - best performance - £200 HWC Vines Prize in Pathology (proxime accessit) - £100 Wallace Prize - 2nd best performance in Pathology - £150

Abrahams Prize - best performance in Histopathology - £100

Calvely Prize - best performance in Chemical Pathology - £100

Richard Hebb Prize - best performance in Haematology - £100

Sturges Prize - best performance in Microbiology - £100

Jasmine Anandarajah Prize - best performance in Immunology - £50Hanbury Prize - best student in Paediatrics (odd years only) - £100Faculty of Medicine Prize - best performance in Psychiatry - £100Year 5 Special Awards - performance in Chemical Pathology - £15Year 5 Special Awards - performance in Haematology - £15

Year 5 Special Award - performance in Immunology - £15

Year 5 Special Awards - performance in Microbiology - £15

Chira Mustafa

Amrita Banerjee

Alexandra Holyome

Robert Golding

Stephanie Bromage

Julia Fordham

Lara Phillips

Chira Mustapha

Alasdair Scott

Ann Sturdy

Oliver Cousins

Alasdair Scott

Oliver Cousins

Alasdair Scott

Jack Beadle

Thomas Ward

Ann Sturdy

Alexandra Holyome

Ann Sturdy, Caroline Hoong, Sarah Dun-can, John Chan, Ankit Patel, Bhavini PatelOliver Cousins, David Bargiela, Michael MatheouJayna Mistry

Robert Golding, Claire Waterworth

ICSM Gazette 9

Year 6 MBBS Examinations

Edgar Lawley Prize (best overall performance in Finals) - £375

Golding Medal Prize (2nd best overall performance in Finals) - £250Stevenson Prize (3rd best overall performance in Finals) - £250 Faculty of Medicine Prizes - £100

Gordon M Holmes Prize (best overall performance in Medi-cine) - £250Cheadle Prize (2nd best overall performance in Medicine) - £150Gordon M Holmes Prize proxime accessit (3rd best overall performance in Medicine) - £50British Pharmacological Society Prize (best overall perfor-mance in Clinical Pharmacology) - £1,000Victor Ludorum Llewellyn Prize (2nd best overall performance in Clinical Pharmacology) - £100Barron Prize (3rd best overall performance in Clinical Pharma-cology) - £50Anthony de Rothschild Prize (best overall performance in Surgery) - £75Glazer Prize in Surgery (best student in the clinical surgery examination) - £150Norman C Lake Prize ( 2nd best overall performance in Sur-gery) - £63Norman C Lake Prize (3rd best overall performance in Surgery) proxime accessit - £50Charing Cross & Westminster Medical School Alumnus Prize (General Practice) - £500Adam Snape Audit Prize (General Practice)

University of London 2011 Gold Medal (open to final year students from all London medical schools)

University of London (Open) Gold Medal - £500

University of London (Open) Betuel Prize (runner up) - £200

Matko Marlais

Charlotte Askew

Amina Al-Yassin

Rosemary Laurie, Nishma Manek, Dhruv Panchal, Gemma V Robinson,Adrian G Rozario, Semini Sumanasuriya, Michelle A J Ting, Shophia Kuganolipava

Matko Marlais

Louis Koizia

Yasotharan Paramesparan, Christopher CouzensGeoffrey Chilvers

Adil Ahmad

Chow Yee Lai, Bryonnie M M Biddell

Matko Marlais, Adrian G Rozario

Amina Al-Yassin

Anna Roche, Semini Sumanasuriya

Charlotte Askew, Dhruv Panchal

Matko Marlais

Ajay Gandhi

Matko Marlais

Nishma Manek

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The 2011 Summer Ball was held at the Grand Connaught Rooms, a central London venue the decor of which delighted some guests ‘it has chandeliers – I don’t care about anything else, it has chandeliers!’ one final year remarked. As is typical the night was sold out in advance of the date, but fortunately the restrictions on numbers were relaxed so almost 750 people could celebrate the end of the year together.

This year, with thanks to the great efforts in fundraising and sponsorship sourcing by the committee, we were able to offer a reasonably priced ticket without compromising on entertainment. Students enjoyed a truly unlimited drinks reception - dinner had to be delayed so there was enough time to get through the wine! During the reception guests enjoyed entertainments from magicians and music by ‘4 One Night Only’, a 4-piece band comprised of current students David Thompson, Edward Tucker, Sybghat Rahim & Richard Stanton. Mariusz Milkowski, one of our photographers for the evening, captured beautifully the arrival of our guests and was joined by Simon Federer to shoot many other moments throughout the rest of the evening. If you would like to see some more of the photos then visit the ICSMSU Facebook page (search ‘ICSMSU’).

After dinner, guests enjoyed a funny but thoughtful speech from Dr Zul Mirza, the West Middlesex A&E consultant chosen by our final years to speak to them on their first evening as a doctor. He welcomed them to ‘the club’ and I’d once again like to thank him for agreeing to speak as I know

Summer Ball Reportit really meant a lot to many of them. As is tradition our president David Smith followed this by announcing the new recipients of colours and fellowships before Dr Martin Lupton left us all with an inspiring final thought for the evening. Then it was time for the party to really begin as `Bulldog Gravy’ a band featuring our own Dr Hoare & Mr Hollingdale kicked off the rest of the night.

After dinner guests arrived just in time to enjoy the entertainments for the evening, varying from black jack and roulette to giant Scalextric. The photobooth proved particularly popular, and for those still feeling peckish after dinner the chocolate fountain and pic’n’mix ensured nobody left hungry. As the night progressed, we were treated to a solo act by final-year Dev Mukhey, and dancing continued until the early hours of the morning.

As well as being a memorable night of celebration roughly £2000 was also raised for our chosen charity ‘The 3 Little Miracles Fund’. I hope all our guests will

share with me my appreciation for the generosity of our financial supporters (Winkworth Estate Agents, MDU, MPS, Wesleyan Medical Sickness, Battersea Flats, Fiesta Havana, Pastest, Mahiki, Texa and Dr Mike Schachter) and the great efforts of the committee. A great amount of time and effort was put in all of them to make the 2011 ICSM Summer Ball a night to remember and for that I am truly grateful.

Aislinn O’Mailley, Summer Ball Chair

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Day 1 - Departure

On 8th July a group of intrepid tourists set out from London Heathrow on an expedition that would traverse both time and space. Inadequately kitted out the majority of the party were wondering just how useful that elusive hoody would prove to be in the coming days. Everybody managed to board the plane without incident and 8 hours later the British Airways flight was considerably drier, with the exception of the bit that Riddler had occupied - that bit was covered in vomit.

Upon arriving in Canada tour organisation hit its next snag, where was the hotel? Never mind, any annoyance that anybody may have voiced was drowned admirably by the now delirious with “excitement” Grizzly. Eventually the hotel (student halls) was located and everybody settled down for a good sleep - shame it only lasted 3 hours.

Day 2 – Calgary Stampede 7s

Everybody departed for the first of our rugby playing exploits of the tour, the Calgary Stampede 7s tournament. IMRFC were to field 3 teams at the competitive and social levels of the tournament. Upon arrival at the ground some concern was registered by certain members of the squad, mainly about the effects that altitude might have on the social members performances, and just how dry the air was. Despite these harsh conditions IMRFC sides started well, with back to back victories from the 1st and 2nd team sides which saw them progress from the

Medicals Rugby Tour to Canadapool stages of the competition. Disappointingly Team Fun, under the guidance of James Tibbott were unable to pull off the same feat, despite James’ motivational team talks and desire to win.

Nevertheless the other two teams continued to do IMRFC proud progressing to the final of the both the social and competitive competitions. Team Flair, who up until now had done surprisingly well considering they comprised 3 second rows, 2 props, 2 hookers and a lizard, were disappointingly outmuscled and outdone in the final, meaning they had to make do with 2nd place, which all things considered was actually pretty good.

The 1st team, had a rather more comfortable final, having already beaten the best of the opposition to progress to this stage. The match started off with some well worked moves and clinical handling allowing the medics to build up a healthy lead. As fatigue took its toll a few more mistakes were made which allowed the opposition to come back with

two tries of their own, however, the initial dominance was enough to see Imperial Medicals finish on top, finally allowing Captain Sharples to break his duck and actually win a 7s tournament for a change.

The evening saw us visit a tent surrounded by school buses - slightly odd, but on entering the tent we found it was full of beer and scantily clad waitresses, so not so bad after all. Some of the boys engraciated themselves with the locals, and all were model ambassadors for club and country. Our very own Patches Bergamasco took delight in advising some of the locals on the best place to go for a takeaway, more fool them...and Dr Le Chet, despite his on stage antics, was not fooling anybody, no Chad, you don’t have a great bod and you are also not a lady.

Day 3 – Calgary Stampede Rodeo

This day of tour saw Vikings descend on the Stampede festival. It was previously pointed out that this was a cowboy themed party,

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but who cares for the details. Once again IMRFC showed its knack for timing by turning up to this festival on ‘Family day,’ it’s always better when you have an audience. For many this was the first experience we had had of a rodeo. To summarise, it had all the elements of a petting zoo plus a few extras – farmyard animals, little children, drunken Vikings and lots of Chinese people.

Once the rodeo had finished, the petting zoo moved into town, George ‘The Horse Whisperer’ Cross made good on his name ensuring many an animal was stabled. Grizzly upon entering the club could be heard exclaiming “I can do what I want, I never get kicked out of clubs,” swiftly followed up by the statement “Sir, you have to leave.” This was the point Graham fell out of love with Canada, and oh how we would hear about it.

Day 4 – The Bus Journey

An all day trip on the bus could only mean one thing – sleeping and eating crisps, meanwhile at the back of the bus some other stuff was going on. Graham also managed to turn back time,

something he tried to replicate a lot during the course of the next week.

Day 5 – Kelowna

A training day and preparation for the match against Kelowna RFC served to educate the boys on what exactly one can do in Kelowna, not much being the answer, a town renowned for crack addicts and motorcycle gangs – a friendly place all in all.

Day 6 – Match Day

After a hearty breakfast of Egg McMuffins, attention turned to the game to be held in the evening. On arriving at the pitch, which turned out to be a park, we were met by a surprisingly large crowd as well as a surprisingly large team. Having been billed as the weakest opposition of the trip some doubts were suddenly felt, luckily these were of no concern to Team Fun on the sidelines, whose attention was focussed on establishing the “golden ratio.” All of this led to some confusion with the locals who could not figure out whether we were rugby players or mathletes, well anything is possible when you

have James Tibbott and Conrad in your touring party. The match was a thrilling encounter, with the Medicals coming from behind in the last 5 minutes to score in the corner giving us a 31-28 point win.

Afterwards we were hosted by Kelowna RFC at their club house, if only we had brought something to give them in return.

Day 7 – Travelling to Victoria

A slightly shorter coach trip and a ferry journey saw the Medicals arrive in the lovely city of Victoria. A pleasant evening’s entertainment was sought at the Sticky Wicket, a favourite haunt of a previous IMRFC tour to Canada.

Day 8 – Match Against Velox Valhallians

The day was spent in preparation for the game, some of the party went whale watching and learnt some interesting facts about whales and dolphins. The second match of tour was billed to be a tougher encounter than the first, which given the closeness of the previous fixture did not fill the team with hope. The match turned out to be a fairly scrappy game, with plenty of errors from both sides and plenty of end to end rugby. The final score of IMRFC 58 – V. Valhallians 38 suggesting that defence was not the focus of either team.

The after game entertainment saw us being excellently hosted by the opposition at their club house and then moving on to a club of the opposition’s recommendation. Upon entering it appeared we had gone through a portal to Beijing, needless to say our illustrious club captain was in his element. After it packed out a bit Angus

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was pleased to find out just how many people’s birthdays it was, and Chamberlain, disappointed about missing the whale watching decided to do some harpooning of his own, fitting that she lived on a house boat.

Day 9 – Victoria

After the exploits of the previous evening the day was left to our own devices, as some of our party departed to fly home the rest of us did what we do best – eat a lot of chicken wings. The day finished up in Shark bar, voted best sports bar in Canada 2008. Stagefright managed to convince some locals he had met the previous night to meet him there, needless to say nothing happened – literally.

Day 10 – Travel to Vancouver

Another bus and ferry journey saw us reach the final destination of our tour, Vancouver, fresh from the riots, the damage was all too evident. After a delightful steak dinner it was firmly established that it was drum and bass night at the Roxy, Graham, all too tired of Canada’s taste for country and western was all too thrilled. Turns out everybody makes mistakes.

Day 11 – White Water Rafting

The tour party enjoyed a delightful day in nearby Whistler, enjoying the scenery and swimming around in ice cold water.

Day 12 – Match against Abbottsford RFC

The final full day of tour saw IMRFC face off against Abbottsford RFC. Numbers were somewhat depleted after the departure of some of the touring party as well as injuries that were picked up

during the course of the previous 2 weeks.

The medics started the match off well, with some bone crunching hits in the midfield and superb work in and around the breakdown from the forwards. Well worked phases and some slick hands put us over for the first points of the match with two unanswered tries. Abbottsford found their feet towards the end of the first half and were able to break in in the corner and add a penalty to make the score 14-10 in the medics favour at the half. The second half began in a more lacklustre manner and it was only some great last ditch defence which prevented the opposition from taking the lead. Eventually the medics were able to work some rhythm back into their game and some good individual breaks paid off with two well worked tries putting the score in at 26-10.

Once again we were hosted at the Abbottsford club house before heading out into Vancouver for the last night of tour. Needless to say everybody was in fine fettle (apart from the boys that had been inducted into the ARFC ‘rum club’) and much fun was had, we even listened to some music on the coach with lyrics. For the most part everybody finished the night in one piece, making it home to their own beds, “Beats” cut a lonely figure spending the night in sparing comfort on the floor outside his room, he must have misplaced the key. Conrad lost a number of his possessions, including his eyebrows, as well as his brand new pair of boxers...I had wondered why another of our party was intent on filling his pants with McDonalds/Kebab. Thankfully “red watch” was on duty to make sure the hotel’s fire

safety policy was up to code, and absolutely nothing got broken.

Day 13 – Departure

After a long, arduous but very enjoyable two weeks it was time for IMRFC to depart Canada and re-enter the real world. After some last minute shopping the boys made their way to the airport and several hours later arrived in Heathrow happy but a lot less healthy.

A big thank you must go out to our sponsors and everybody who made the tour happen, especially Steve Jordan for all his hard work. Another big thank you must go out to Abbottsford, Kelowna and Velox RFC for hosting us and showing us such a good time. Where IMRFC’s next big trip will take us who can say, probably Barbados if Grizzly has anything to do with it.

Jamie Rutter, IMRFC Club Captain 2010-2011

Pictures by Craig Nightingale

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As Imperial will tell you OSCEs are as just like real medicine. Show that you understand this. In real clinic would you put a cannula in a plastic arm? Of course not. So don’t do it here. Use the real one! Don’t forget this maxim in the su-turing or catheterisation stations either!

98% of marks are for things unrelat-ed to medicine so focus mainly on in-troducing yourself. Name, star sign, favourite checkout, place of birth and hobbies should all be included.

The Top 10 OSCE TipsThe New Year is commonly seen as the ideal time for 3rd year stu-dents to start thinking about OSCEs. Here is a helpful head start.

Infection control is key! Make sure you wash your hands constantly. In the minute between stations for a distinc-tion why not have a shower or even a quick bath to show how concerned you are about this important topic?

Remember, it’s just like a Muslim Medics mock OSCE - there are over 9000 marks per station and if you don’t manage to get every one of them, you fail the entire OSCE and drop out of medical school. Don’t for-get - you must perform any surgical pro-cedures or radiological investigations that you mention. 10 minutes is plenty of time.

If you see another medical student as the patient they won’t have signs. Unless it’s Dave Smith – then he will have all the cl-linical features of premature menopause.

Undressing is a tricky topic. To put the patient at ease and score maximum em-pathy marks why not remove your own shirt also? Nipples to knees will be ideal for female grad students as the distance between them is now insignificant. If you’re only going for a pass then wear-ing a low cut top should be sufficient.

Not feeling confident about a sta-tion? – Simple. Give somebody else’s candidate number and relax.

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Precautions for the afternoon session. Avoid making any rapid movements or loud noises. You might wake the examiner!

Empathy is key! To show that you know this why not give yourself the patient experience in the exam. Listen to your own chest as well as the patient. Inspect your own fingernails as well as theirs! And in the catheterisation station there’s a reason why they give you two catheters.

Be prepared for comically bad acting. The quality of acting on display by the hired ac-tors at OSCEs makes High School Musical look like Casablanca. Luckily Light Opera Club host a week long bad acting exposure course to help you prepare, usually in the first week of December. Tickets available on the door.

READY TO DO THE NEURO EXAM!

by Oliver Gale-Grant, Shell Gatter, Tom Phillips and Helena Lee

16 ICSM Gazette

RUGBYThis season has begun with some mixed results for IMRFC. Our Saturday side are performing admirably in London North West 2, however, we are struggling to reproduce these performances on a Wednesday. That said a strong fresher intake has really strengthened the club in some vital positions. The 2’s despite getting off to a slow start in BUCS have finally found their feet and appear to be stringing together some results. Our 3’s are also developing well under

the stewardship of Captain Dan Hay. With our new strength and conditioning training sessions we are really looking at developing the players that we have.

Our annual Interyear fixture was a big success and a big thank

you must go to all the staff at Teddington. In the next few months we hope to put on a number of events for postgraduates so please keep up to date using our website www.imperialmedicalsrfc.co.uk.

Joe Pick, Club Captain

Clubs & Socs

Compiled by Joe Pick and Parag Raval

Clubs & Socs

ICSM Gazette 17

Results have been very positive for the 2nd XI however with some brilliant early results including a 5-4 win over IC.The 3rd XI have so far claimed 6 points from 4 games. Odhran Keating seems to have been given a new lease of life since switching positions from water boy to central midfielder, and particular mention should go to Jawaad Saleem, whose creativity has lifted the team since his return Captain Louis Peters has managed to rack up a grand goal tally of -1 in only 4 games and of course - who could forget the sterling performance of The Gazette’s own Oliver Gale-Grant, who as keeper managed to concede 2 goals in a

FOOTBALL

7th Dec for our Christmas Dinner, which is a great opportunity to meet the new faces of the club as well as reminisce with more familiar, fellow doctors. With a new committee, a dedicated president and an incredible fresher intake for the new year, the club

HOCKEY

Another year, another pre-season, another intake of freshers. The club has found itself in a goalkeeping crisis following the graduation of Dr. Eshan Oderuth , and Adam Hughes’ entry to final year. With the current final year, one of our strongest in recent memory, absent on elective we were in need of a strong fresher intake. Thankfully there was, with some players going straight into the 1st and 2nd XIs. The intake thankfully included Bradley Lonergan, a new keeper straight from the Shire!

The 1st XI have started slowly, with injuries and players away on elective meaning a largely new squad of players playing together resulting in a lack of consistency. The team is improving however and will hopefully be pushing for promotion by the end of the season.

The ICSM Men’s Hockey club starts the new season as winner of the 2011 United Hospitals Cup and runners up of the 2011 BUCS Challenge Cup Alumni day proved a fantastic success, with many doctors returning back to the club for a day of hockey and a night out with the club. The strong tradition of Oxford Tour is still flying high, as we returned with the ladies club for a fantastic weekend of hockey and public house touring. Keep your diary free for Wednesday

match in which the opposing team only had a single shot on target.The 4th XI have found themselves a new talisman, and he comes in the shape of the pig-eating Harry Posner. With the best goal-scoring record in the club thus far, they are a force to be reckoned with (I can’t believe this is getting printed - Editor).

In the summer, our latest cultural adventure took the club to Tallinn, Estonia. Of the many tour highlights, ‘Special J’s’ herring pancake disaster will be fondly remembered. Tour fines will be dished out before the infamous ICSMFC Christmas dinner on the 14th of December. Our close relationship with the netball girls has also continued, with a football-netball fresher dinner and mid-season tour in the works.

Dave Hillier, Secretary

looks set for a promising season ahead. Alumni, please contact Fred Torlot (Alumni Sec) on fjt07@ic.ac.uk to join our mailing list.

Preth De Silva, Club Captain

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18 ICSM Gazette

Although very disheartened to leave Devon Thomas Marjot rasied spirits with some exceptional entertainment on the journey back. A special mention should also be given to Parag Raval, who showed some strong batting perfromances in both Warwick and Devon, scoring 2 50s and one century (from just 34 deliveries) in 3 innings. He even found time to feed a hungry pony he chanced

CRICKET

Football clubs are looking forward to the hugely popular ‘Fetball’ Tour in February, which this year will take us to the picturesque city of Bath. As the biggest all female club at ICSM, we still felt we needed our own tour. In a couple of weeks

NETBALL

Our season started with losses to Barts and St Georges, but with a win against GKT and a walkover against RUMS we were able to salvage third place in the UH cup, and qualify for the 2012 UH 2020.

The year ended with our President’s Day match where ICSM took away with them a great victory largely thanks to the power hitting of Josh B-Lynch.

We also played some matches outside of London. This year we went on two tours, the first was to the NAMS T20 tournament in Warwick (where we once again placed third) via a suitably lubricated night in Birmingham, and the second was our annual trip to Cheriton Fitzpaine in Devon via Exeter. ICSM won the cricket match and went on to the much loved Half Moon Pub where the skittle alley was enjoyed by all.

After a hugely successful 2010-11 season, ICSM netball has shown no signs of slowing down. With the new year well under way, all five teams are in strong positions in both their BUCS and ULU Leagues. Having not lost a game yet in ULU, the first team is continuing to live up to it’s well deserved titles of ULU Premiership Winners and ICSM Team of the Year! One of the biggest dates in ICSM Netball’s calendar, and one we are already looking forward to, is Varsity in March and with wins over IC already we are expecting yet another year of domination.With many victories already this year we have not needed to look for a reason to celebrate, and with a big fresher intake, Wednesdays continue to be the biggest night of the week. Both Netball and

time we will be heading north to Liverpool to watch the World Netball Series, on hand to offer the England squad our expertise.

Beth Nally, 1st Team Captain

upon during the latter tour. It was these contributions that led to him taking away the coveted Player of the Season award.

The club has now set it’s sights on a 2013 international tour, for which we are looking for sponsorship. Please e-mail dt908@ic.ac.uk if you can help, or if you would like information about our alumni group.

Dev Thakker, Club Captain

ICSM Gazette 19

sides, as well as sampling the local culture (and rum).

October saw a very successful Alumni Day at our Chiswick pitch, as well as the annual tour to Oxford with the men’s club.We are looking forward to the re-instigation of a Ladies UH side,

HOCKEY (GIRLS)

our long unbeaten Mixed team continues its winning ways with three victories already over LSE, Royal Holloway 2s and Kings, which is a great start to a packed season. Our highly popular Freshers’ Curry was held last week and tickets have just sold out for our annual

LACROSSE

With a lot of players leaving at the end of last season, and a few more leaving us for elective, we knew that this year was going to be hard for the club.

To replace half a first team was a tough job, but one made so much easier by the fantastic intake that we have had. All the squads have more players on their books than ever before, and results are looking promising for the year ahead. The third team have had their first win in 18 months, and the Saturday side have got two wins already under their belt.

The 1st XI have begun to gel as a team and play well together, and the 2nd XI are continuing business as per usual. This year saw the club’s first long-haul tour to Barbados, where we played two local

It has been a brilliant first few weeks of term for Imperial Lacrosse, with some very experienced players joining us as well as many who have never picked up a stick before. With the introduction of the new Ladies’ second team, we have needed new girls this year more than ever – and the freshers have not disappointed us. They look forward to their first match against Canterbury this Wednesday. The established Ladies’ first team have had a brilliant start to their BUCS campaign, with resounding victories over Royal Holloway and Portsmouth, and hopefully many more to come. This is not to neglect the men’s side of the club, who, after losing narrowly in their first match against Essex 1s, are keen to beat Canterbury this week. Also,

with a match in December against the Sandhurst Cadets. If you would like to know more about the club, then visit http://union.ic .ac.uk/medic/ladieshockey

Charlotte Lees, Club Captain

tour, this year to Birmingham from the 11-13th November. There is much to look forward to for Imperial Lacrosse this season, and we hope to continue our success both on and off the pitch.

Rebecca Singh, Club Captain

Clubs & Socs

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20 ICSM Gazette

we hope to raise money through our bop this term and with new ideas such as a sponsored ergo. As always the social side of the club is flourishing. We had a spectacular victory over ICBC at our recent ‘varsity pub crawl’ – and can now

BOAT CLUB

the alumni (and Tinie Tepah!) Now with everyone barely recovering liver enzymes we go once more into the breach of rehearsals. With only 4 more weeks to go til the opening night of ‘The Producers’, the society is set for

LIGHT OPERA

ICSMBC has had a very promising start to the year with a huge intake of novices who are proving to be a fantastic addition to the club, both in terms of commitment to the sport and our social life. They are currently training for their first race, the UH Novice Regatta, held on 26th November. Our senior squads are also more competitive than ever, and are currently undergoing selection for their first race of the year; the Cambridge Winter Head on 19th November. We are very excited to announce that this year we are renewing our collection of boats with a new senior men’s first VIII, and have re-vamped one of our older boats bringing it from a novice up to senior standard. Obviously this doesn’t come cheap - so sponsorship and fundraising this year is extremely important –

This year the Light Opera Society got off to a cracking start. A lot of talent passed through the audition doors meaning that every role to be cast was going to be a hard call for our directors. But after days eagerly glued to our inboxes, waiting for that email to come, it did. For some people it was not so good news, but for others the answer they had waited for. The social secs got off to a militant start (both in costume and circle fun) and the show team set the pace with ever more elaborate dance moves, acting and singing coming into play. Then, in what seemed like a blink of an eye… Tour. To Neverland (well, Bournemouth) we descended into fun, frivolities, more circles, a trip to the seaside and caught up with

proudly say that we beat IC at the most important kind of boat race!

Lauren Crook

a gruelling schedule to make sure we ‘nail’ the show and to ensure Mr Teoh utters those famous 3 words… ‘Best. Opera. Ever!’

Jamie Manuell, Chair

ICSM Gazette 21

shop, slipped and fell in perfect synchronicity. The former came out worse of the two with a minor injury to his wrist, while the latter bounced off his backside and came out unscathed. After the fun of a weekend in Southampton, next summer’s week long tour to Lithuania promises to be a wonderfully banterful occasion. Back in London, we are approaching concert time now and invite you to join us in concert on Saturday 19th November with Choir and Chamber Choir, and on Thursday 24th November with Orchestra. These are held at St. Stephen’s Church, Gloucester Road and start at 7.30pm. We are also hosting the ICSM Carol Service at Holy Trinity Church, Prince Consort Road on Sunday 11th December at 6.30pm and it would lovely to see many old faces there. There will be further concerts next term so don’t worry

MUSIC SOC

Despite the graduation of many big names in society at the end of last year, MusicSoc has flourished already this term with an influx of impressive freshers. The start of term was opened with the Mingle which was well attended by oldies and freshers alike. Society weekend away this year took us to Southampton and the special people there did not disappoint. The hostel shower doors with interestingly levelled holes never cease to amuse the childish minds of society. Rehearsals during the daytime were balanced out with drunken evening fun. A particularly stunning fail was that of one of Music Society’s finest duos, Rahul and David Lester who, whilst running at 4am to a kebab

if you have missed out this time. If you are interested in becoming a Friend of Music Society or for more information, please contact the Chairman Lydia Pearson at lydia.pearson09@imperial.ac.uk or visit the Music Society website at www.imperialcollegeunion.org/medic/music.

Lydia Pearson, Chair

Clubs & Socs

diving in open water for the first time.

We owe a large thanks to the St Mary’s Association who have kindly provided us with a grant to buy new equipment. This allows us to provide free kit hire to our student members, so everyone is

SUB AQUA

Following a troubling time with the possibility of our club being merged, I am pleased to report that Sub-Aqua has come back fighting! We had a number of successful training trips over the summer months.

We ventured to Swanage, Weymouth and other exotic locations where sun-cream was obviously essential! Joking aside, I am proud to announce that many of our students managed to qualify at a variety of levels ranging from the most basic to more advanced qualifications.

This term, with both a large fresher intake and older years, we have begun weekly training. We are also looking forward to the upcoming trips at the wondrous Stoney Cove, where some of our students will experience scuba

extremely grateful. We hope to follow up this flying start with new members, more qualifications and diving fun for all!

Michelle Gatter, Co-Chair

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22 ICSM Gazette

some thoughtful and entertaining speeches, many students felt that they could now see light at the end of UCAS. Furthermore at the recently concluded Charity Week, MM took the spoils by winning the Battle of the Societies. David Cameron has asked Muslim Medics how they are still able to put on an Alumni Dinner this year

MUSLIM MEDICSIt is estimated that Muslim Medics has saved the NHS 6 billion pounds through its free education service for ICSM students. According to a meta-analysis conducted by Prof Meeran “cramming” can be eradicated through taking adequate precautions, namely MM tutorials once a week. Most of the 6 billion saved was reinvested into Arabic food for the MM Freshers Mingle. Also attending the event was a piñata which left with severe injuries. Scenes emerged of the MM community proceeding to loot the bags of sweets obtained from the piñata. Muslim Medics has also been applauded recently for its visionary conference which attracted hundreds of school students now addicted to Pot.Med. After

despite the financial crisis. MM chose not to comment about its finances, however if the event goes well they indicated that they may bail out the Eurozone economy....

Samee Siddiqui, Vice President

by Terry Pratchett; there will be flying dragons and men in togas (or skirts…). Running from the 23rd-26th November, it is definitely not a performance to be missed.Talking of men in skirts (see what I did there…), our Main play this year will be the absolute classic ‘Some Like it Hot’. Auditions are to be held end of December, and there is already much debate

DRAMA

The Drama Society has already had a fairly active term, given that it is only November. This year, the ever popular Freshers plays became part of Drama Freshers’ Week which included the customary Freshers’ meal, karaoke and a new idea: Drama Q&A, an opportunity for freshers to find out about Backstage and Tech. Autumn play this year is ‘Guards! Guards!’, directed by Rhys Davies. It looks set to be a great performance, with a balance of oldies and a lot of fresh talent from younger years. Based on the novel

as to who shall be playing the classic roles of Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe.For any more info on what will be happening, or to ask any questions about how to get involved, please email icsmds@gmail.com

Robyn Jacobs, Chair

alumni

ICSM Gazette 23

alumni

Dear Members,

The Association is, as I write, still rocked by the press reports of the imminent closure of St Mary’s and development of the site to build 3000 flats. The effect on the Association along with everyone and everything else does not need to be stated. You may have seen the denial by Imperial College Healthcare Trust admitting that they had carried out a tender process with architects offering ‘a really broad brief’ but there were no plans to close St Mary’s Hospital. What were they doing then? The Chief Executive Officer, Mark Davies emailed all staff saying the story was highly inaccurate which had the potential to unsettle us from our priority of delivering the very best patient care. He said it was a political move in the context of the Health and Social Care bill which was due to be debated the next day and that the press were running stories that were potentially not true. Many of us have wondered what the word ‘potentially’ means. After all, none of us would be surprised if the Executive of an institution such as Imperial, when faced with a £100 million deficit, looked at all possibilities. Running three main sites is difficult enough and when the Charing Cross needs a lot of money spent on it to meet fire regulations, St Mary’s, being

St Mary’s Hospital Association Newsletter

a prime site for commercial and residential property, is bound to be in the spot light. At the moment, no one is reassured and this is bound to filter down to the students. All we can do is reassure them of our support and commitment to continuing it, whatever and for that we need the support of our membership. We are heartened by the interest and offers of support to do anything they can from our membership. We are particularly grateful to Robert Fleming for voicing his intent to do anything he can to save St Mary’s.

Which brings me to the saga of the Portraits of the distinguished Mary’s consultants which were removed from the Boardroom. They are now hanging in the Sitting Room, to be known as the Heritage Room and they look good although they are, on the whole a bit big for the space. But we do acknowledge and are grateful to the Imperial Healthcare Charity and the Arts Committee for creating this space and I think we and they would welcome ideas about how it can be used more. We have recently been heard described as being obsessed by history – yes that’s exactly what we are and we worry that those who are not are doomed to repeat the errors of the past! We would like to see more of St Mary’s Heritage

in this room. The question of Sir Alexander Fleming’s portrait is now resolved with an agreement to hang it in the entrance to Norfolk Place – or possibly the Cambridge Wing. There are problems with the mechanics of hanging it I understand, but we welcome the initiative and look forward to it hanging in a place of prominence. Someone pointed out to me recently that if we were in America, you would not be able to move in St Mary’s without tripping over some reminder of Fleming! Quite right!

We keep going! We have a steady trickle of new members and again we exhort all those who have benefited from our support join the Association when they qualify. To our more senior members we gently remind you of the possibility of a legacy – see the form below. We are sad to report the deaths of Hugh Dudley, Professor of Surgery, and Peter Richards, who did so much for this Hospital and Medical school. We extend our sympathies to their families.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the AGM on Tuesday 24th April 2012.

David Hunt, St Mary’s Association President

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St Mary’s Hospital Association

REMINDER:Would anyone still paying their subscriptions to St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School or Imperial College, please cancel that standing order and complete the form below. If you know of anyone who would like to join, please let them see this form.- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Please return to: Mr Kevin Brown, Archivist, Mint Wing, St. Mary’s Hospital, Praed St., London W2 1NYemail: kevin.brown@imperial.nhs.uk

To the Manager

Bank________________________Bank Address___________________________________________

____________________________A/C No._______________________Sort Code_________________

Please pay the NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK plc. Marble Arch, Connaught Street Branch, London W2 1PG (60.16.10) for the credit of ST. MARY’S HOSPITAL ASOCIATION (21857873) the sum of twenty pounds (£20.00) every 1st October, commencing October 2009, until further notice.

Title________Full Name______________________________________ Years at St. Mary’s_______

Address___________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________Post Code_________E-mail_____________________

Signed____________________________________________________ Date______________________

Chairman: Mr David Hunt FRCSVice Chairman: Professor Averil Mansfield CBE ChM FRCSSecretary: Mr Kevin Brown MATreasurer & Grants Secretary: Dr Michael Clarke FRCP

Please return toMr Kevin BrownArchivistSalton HouseSt Mary’s HospitalPraed StLondon W2 1NY email: Kevin.Brown@imperial.nhs.uk

St Mary’s Association Registered Charity No: 1066742

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ICSM Gazette 25

If you would like to include a legacy to The St Mary’s Hospital Association in your Will, we would be very grateful if you would complete and return this form. The information will be treated in the strictest confidence. This is simply a statement of your present intentions

Strictly Confidential I intend to include a legacy to The St Mary’s Hospital Association

Name_______________________________________________

Address______________________________________________

Post Code____________________________________________

Telephone____________________________________________

Email________________________________________________

Signature__________________________ Date_______________

Name and address of Executor______________________________

Please send/email to: Kevin Brown, Archivist, St Mary’s Hospital, Praed St, London W2 1NY.Kevin.Brown@imperial.nhs.uk

Legacy Intention Form

CONFIDENTIAL

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26 ICSM Gazette

1. Minutes of Executive Committee held on 26 October 2010 and AGM held on 3 May 2011

Agreed.

2. Matters Arising from Minutes of AGM on 3 May 2011

3.1 The deficit of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust has subsequently risen to £100 million. Threats of the closure of St Mary’s which had been reported in the press had been firmly denied by the Trust. There was a general feeling among the members of the Executive Committee that St Mary’s Hospital needed more political support than it currently enjoyed to ward off any future threats that may arise

3.2 There had been no success with attempts to get the portraits of St Mary’s staff restored to the Board Room. A comment by a member of the Arts team that St Mary’s was ‘obsessed with history’ indicated that there was no understanding of the Association’s motivation in campaigning to have the original portraits reinstated in the Board Room. The portraits of Professor Charles Pannett, Lord Porritt and George Pinker, together with a painting by Anna Zinkeissen of a St Mary’s nurse now hung in the Sitting Room. The Imperial College Healthcare Charity had not yet decided on a new location for the portrait of Sir Alexander Fleming, though Kevin Brown had suggested the entrance

St Mary’s Hospital Association October Meeting Minutes

to the Clarence Memorial Wing as a suitable, prominent site.

3.3 The Imperial College Healthcare Charity had indicated that it would consider applications for elective funding on the basis of specific project proposals rather than guaranteeing to fund a set number of electives that would have enabled the Association to reallocate the money it currently gives for electives to supporting other areas of student activity. The Students Union has been looking at income generation and how it allocates its funds. So far the main impact of the cuts of funding from the Charity has been on elective awards.

3.4 It was agreed that, on account of the different objectives and character of the Association and the St Mary’s Hospital Development Trust, there would be no benefits from a merger at this time.

3.5. Concern was expressed that Paediatrics at St Mary’s had not been informed of the money raised in Rag Week for the Imperial College Healthcare Charity to be used for the benefit of the Paediatrics Department at St Mary’s.

4. Grant Applications and Awards

4.1 A grant of £318 had been made to the Water Polo Club since

the Annual General Meeting.

4.2 The Badminton Club was awarded £200 towards equipment and facilities hire.

4.3 Clubs and societies were encouraged to apply to the Association to foster extra-curricular activities and encourage participation in sport, music, drama and other recreations. As a condition of such grants, a report, making acknowledgement of the support received from the Association, should be written for the Gazette by recipients.

4.4 The St Mary’s Association Scholarships had been awarded as follows:

Dr Harold Edwards Scholarships: Radhika Bhanot Chetan Mehta

Sir George Pinker Scholarships: Anna Craig-McQuiade Aaron Dehgan Hannah Barnsley

Dr Cockburn Scholarships: Jalpa Kotecha Vinothini Manivasagam

4.5 Elective grants had been awarded to Michael Hewitt, Thomas Marjot, Colleen McGregor and Adam Dennis. Thank you letters had been received from Michael Hewitt, Colleen McGregor and Thomas Marjot.

4.6 The Football Scholar is Kevin Buell.

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ICSM Gazette 27

4.7 The 2009 Football Scholar was David Hillier

4.8 The Drama Scholar was Laura Guy.

4.9 The names of the Cockburn Rugby Scholar and First Year Prize winners were yet to be announced.

5. Report of Gazette Editor

5.1 Oliver Gale-Grant reported that there was now a single editor and that he would continue to serve in this role.

5.2 Barry Paraskevas had replaced Robin Touquet as Honorary President.

5.3 The online edition of the Gazette had proved successful and also saved money at a time when funding for the Gazette had been reduced by £2,000 this year.

5.4 Alumni were being urged to contribute articles for the Gazette.

5.5 David Hunt had written an obituary of Professor Hugh Dudley, Professor of Surgery 1973-1988, who had died on 28 June 2011.

5.6 It was proposed that Alasdair Fraser and Oscar Craig might write an obituary of

Professor Peter Richards, Dean 1979-1994, who had died on 29 September 2011, for the ICSM Gazette as they were writing an obituary of him for the BMJ.

6. Report on ICSM Alumni Association

6.1 Laura Wilkinson reported that recruitment among the final year had been successful, a website was in the course of development and that the ICSM Alumni Association was making grants to clubs and societies, for electives and towards tours and conferences.

6.2 The ICSM Alumni Association AGM would be held on 1 November 2011 in the Sir Alexander Fleming Building at South Kensington.

7. Report of Student Union President:

7.1 Suzie Rayner presented her first report as Student Union President, thanking the Association for its continued support.

7.2 She reported that the Students Union was attempting to meet the loss of funding from the Healthcare Charity through attempts to find sponsorship. Domino Pizzas had sponsored the recent Freshers’ Fortnight.

7.3 The Students Union website was being redesigned.

7.4 Student common rooms and facilities at St Mary’s Charing Cross and South Kensington were being renovated.

7.5 Sport Imperial had been supportive of maintaining the distinct identity of the medics’ sports clubs.

8. Any Other Business

8.1 A grant of £1,000 was made towards the salary of the Assistant Archivist, a post funded by the St Mary’s Development Trust (as agreed in principle at the Executive Committee meeting of 26 October 2010, 9.2)

8.2 The Archivist was granted £200 for refreshments at this year’s Christmas Lecture on the ‘Unknown Mary’s Man’ to be held in early December. Association Members would be invited.8.3 The Light Opera Society production of ‘The Producers’ was to be held at the Oratory School, 5-10 December (Consultants’ Night, 8 December).8.4 The Drama Society Autumn play, Guards, was to be held 23-26 November 2011 and the main play was to be Some Like It Hot, 14-17 March 2012.

Thanks to Kevin Brown for providing these minutes

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LettersThankyou Letters to the St Mary’s Association for Elective Support from Final Year Students

Mr Kevin Brown,

I am writing to you to express my thanks for being awarded £500 by the St Mary’s Association, to help cover the costs of my Medical Elective. It is incredibly generous of the Mary’s Association to recognize my contribution to the life of the Medical School with such a generous financial reward.

Beginning in November, I am due to undertake an elective placement in the Philippeans in a large public hospital about a hundred miles south of the capital Manila. I have arranged to participate in a range of clinical work but with a specific emphasis on Paediatric Emergency Medicine. I am greatly looking forward to the experience and I assure you that the money you have given will be put to good use in ensuring I get the most out of my ten weeks overseas.

Both of my Parents and my Grandfather trained at St Mary’s and I would like to add what an honour and privilege it is to have been awarded the money from your Association.

I would be very grateful if you could forward my thanks onto those responsible for considering my application.

Kind Regards

Tom Marjot

Dear Mr Brown,

I would like to thank you and the St Mary’s Association for awarding me the School of Medicine Elective Travel Award. It is an honour to receive this award and it will certainly make a great contribution toward the costs of my elective.

I plan to carry out my elective in Uganda at Mulago Hospital. Mulago Hospital is situated in Kampala and is the largest hospital in Uganda, with more than 1,500 beds. It is well known for its research and is a teaching hospital for Makerere University College of Health & Sciences. I have a confirmed placement under General Surgery with a rural rotation taking place in the middle of my placement.

During my elective I aim to develop my clinical skills (incl. history taking, examination, reasoning skills and diagnosis), be competent in planning the management of a patient, be resourceful with limited facilities, develop basic procedural skills (medical & surgical), participate in outreach work/healthcare initiatives set up by the hospital to reach out to the wider community.

I am very much looking forward to my elective and with the hope of working in a developing country in the future, I know it will benefit me greatly.

Kind regards,

Colleen McGregor

Dear Mr Brown, My name is Michael Hewitt and I am one of the recipients of the St. Mary’s Association Elective Awards. I am emailing to say a massive thank you to yourself and the St Mary’s Association for the award - I am ecstatic and honoured that I was deemed worthy to receive the award. The £500 will go a long way in helping fund my elective. I shall be spending 7 weeks doing Internal Medicine at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital in Samoa this September. I am excited to not only see a different part of the world, but also a completely different perspective on health care compared to the UK. I would appreciate it if you could pass on my thanks to the rest of the committee. Best wishes, Michael Hewitt

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ICSM Gazette 29

LettersBy request - Daphne Glynn on her time with the St Mary’s Art Committee

As former chairman of St. Mary’s Hospital art committee, I have been asked to write a piece about the collection, and how it grew to over six hundred original works when I retired in 2010, which were valued at just under a million pounds. The newly constituted committee has inherited a splendid art collection. It was acquired from many sources including gifts, purchases and loans. The loans came from Paintings in Hospitals and the Hayward Gallery. We were extremely grateful for a grant from the Special Trustees. At no time was any NHS money used.Our committee was started in 1985. John Weeks, the architect of the QEQM was greatly involved at that time as was the art critic Richard Cook. I started working

with Judith Hilleson and for quite some time we did not even have an office, just a small desk tucked away in the corner of the hospital. However, thanks to the energy and expertise of the committee our outfit grew. We were fortunate to have Lady Harriet Bridgeman, of the Bridgeman Art Library, Dr Wendy Baron, a director of the Government Art Collection and Dr Richard Lancaster, a consultant at the hospital and former art committee chairman as members, to name just a few. Later, Manuela Janz joined Judith and me as a part-time paid curator. Then, we were on our way! Still later Vikki Slowe joined us in our now comfortable office space. We carried out the hanging of pictures (constant re-hanging due to hospital refurbishments), supervised repairs, framing and a multitude of other tasks. It was always all hands on deck and I must say great fun. There was also a small sub-committee who searched for new work that the

main committee could then look at with a view to purchasing.The highlights of the collection are by Patrick Caulfield, Eduardo Paolozzi, Patrick Hughes, Donald Hamilton Frazer, Philip Sutton, Sandra Blow and Mary Feddon to name just a few. I think my personal highlight is the two floors we have of mural by Bridget Riley. She has become a good friend, maintaining a close interest in the restoration of the work which has been superbly executed by Kate Lovegrove. Riley’s corridors are a delight.The hanging of the work has at all times been done in close collaboration with the hospital staff. We felt it was as much for their benefit as the patients and visitors. Our purpose was to bring a little pleasure and brightness to all at St Mary’s. I very much hope I and the committee succeeded in this respect. Certainly we enjoyed the work.

Daphne Glynn

CHRISTMAS LECTURE 2011You and your guests are invited to a lecture at St Mary’s

On Tuesday 6th December at 5.30pm

The Unknown Mary’s ManKevin Brown

Trust Archivistwill talk about the stories of some Mary’s men (and women) of the early twentieth century who have led interesting lives but who are now not so well known. It raises the question of

what qualities mark out Mary’s Men.

Venue: Bannister Lecutre TheatreMedical School Building

St Mary’s CampusNorfolk Place

London

RSVP: Robert McClearyAssistant ArchivistTel: 020 331 26739

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Obituaries

Peter Richards

Peter Richards came from a Senior lecturer post in Medicine at St Georges in 1979 at the early age of 43 to be Dean of St Mary’s Hospital Medical School and a Professor of Medicine at the hospital. He held the post for the next 16 years and thus became the longest serving dean there since the late Lord Moran who reigned supreme for 25 years. In common, although from different generations, both believed in a student centred school. Richards insisted that students, not teachers, set the atmosphere of a medical school and this, together with responsibility, encouraged them to grow spiritually and socially as well as academically. He expected that this would result in their keenness, energy and idealism persisting long into their medical careers. With student selection he looked for those who showed character and interests as well as academic achievement, although Lord Moran had gone further, certainly in the eyes of some other London deans, to show a slight bias towards rugby players! Professor Richards time as dean was one of progressive change in the size and status in

the London teaching hospitals and their medical schools. The days had gone when the deanship mainly concentrated on the smooth running of the school and instead started to become a post where an ability was needed to participate successfully in the cut and thrust of university and NHS policies. Shortly after his arrival he was faced with the publication of The Flowers Report on the future of London medical schools. This resulted in him being forced into a long battle with the University who wished to close St Mary’s in favour of The Middlesex Hospital Medical School. He managed to get a Committee of Enquiry set up which finally adjudicated in favour of St Mary’s. In later years he was astute enough to see that the future of the London medical schools lay in multi faculty colleges and he made sure that St Mary’s joined early with Imperial College. At first all seemed to be successful with little change but gradually Imperial decided to expand further and brought in Charing Cross Hospital Medical School as well as other hospitals with teaching and research facilities such as The Royal Postgraduate Hospital at Hammersmith. This resulted in the inevitable decline of his own medical school and to some extent the hospital departments as well. In later years he acknowledged that bigger was not always better and that the leviathan-like status of present hospital and school trusts was probably too large.His charismatic but quiet personality was respected and admired by students and colleagues and his success as a dean was illustrated by the fact that by 1986 one quarter of students applying to medical schools in Britain listed St Mary’s as one of their choices. He wrote numerous articles for the national

press and medical journals, mainly on the NHS and medical education. For the latter he combined with his long term colleague, Prof Chris MacManus from UCH to write four books on the subject, including ‘Learning Medicine’, now in its 16th edition. Throughout his long term of office at St Mary’s he always found time to write a monthly Dean’s Column for the Gazette expressing his views on issues of the time. However the achievement of which he was probably proudest was persuading the BBC Horizon programme to do a television series called ‘Doctors to Be’, in which a group of students were followed from their initial interview through their undergraduate and postgraduate training for some fifteen years.After resigning from St Mary’s he became Director of Northwick Park Hospital for a short time before he was elected President of Hughes Hall Cambridge in 1998. Here he immediately set about making both its appearance and academic standards more attractive to students. His first task was to achieve planning permission and then raise the funding for a completely new building, the Fenners wing, overlooking the Cambridge cricket ground. It was completed within seven years. He also succeeded in obtaining a Royal Charter for Hughes Hall finally granting it full University status. This was achieved in 2005, the year he finished his Presidency. As well as these major accomplishments he somehow found time to chair the Professional Conduct Committee of the General Medical Council. Peter Richards had three daughters by his first marriage to Anne Marie Larsen. He remarried in 1987 to Carol Seymour. The little time he had for relaxation he devoted to walking and listening

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to music, both classical and jazz.Peter Richards b 1936 q 1960 St Georges MA (Cantab) MD PhD FRCP F Med Sci died Oct 3 2011.A memorial service will be held on the 28th Jan 2012 in Cambridge at the University Church of Great St Mary’s to be followed by tea and a music concert at Hughes Hall.

Alasdair Fraser

Hugh Dudley

When I heard that Hugh Dudley had died, I still felt an echo of that stomach churning anxiety that we as juniors felt on the Monday morning meeting. Held in the Clinical Lecture Theatre the Junior Registrars (really SHOs but called Registrars then) and the Housemen would present all the cases to the Professor. Dudley would sweep in like a comet with a tail of Assistant Directors, Senior Lecturers, Lecturers, Research Fellows, Visiting Professors and even Lab Technicians behind as we stood there praying we had everything ready and no result or report missing – which incidentally we had spent most of Sunday getting ready. And then the relief at the end having just about survived another session of intellectual bullets fired by Dudley, followed by a salvo from the Acolytes when he had finished. With Hugh Dudley’s passing

another of the extraordinary and exceptional characters of St Mary’s has gone.It was a harrowing and at times almost intolerable experience being trained by him. His principle was that of the Duke of Wellington in that if you could not stand the heat - get out of the kitchen, and there were those who couldn’t stand it and to them Dudley was merciless. But to those who stuck the course he was totally loyal – myself included, although I was always going to be ‘an orthopaedic surgeon’ which he said in a way as to suggest it was not quite intellectually acceptable. His backing was powerful and many owe their success to him. Later, as a colleague he became a firm friend – although he did not like the term as it implied intellectual compromise. Worst of all, he would ask me orthopaedic questions – I felt I was going through the FRCS again. But his commitments to teaching and getting us through the exams were second to none. He gave so much of his time and we learnt so much. Above all, in his clinical care he set the bar very high – too high, and we have tried to set ourselves a similar standard in our practices. It was, again like Wellington, a case of ‘train hard and play easy’. Like war, practising surgery is not exactly like playing but such standards make practising easier and much more enjoyable.Hugh Dudley was born in Dublin. He grew up in Yorkshire, going to Heath Grammar School, Halifax, and then to the Edinburgh Medical School where it became clear he would be a surgeon. He married his wife, Jean, the day after he graduated. He renounced his Irish citizenship so he could enlist, serving in the RAMC. He had his surgical training in Edinburgh and then as Senior Lecturer in Aberdeen. He was then appointed

Foundation Professor of Monash University at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne – something he described as being sent to the colonies having been driven out of Aberdeen following an unfortunate incident involving the shooting of a neighbour’s dog who been killing his ducks and destroying hi vegetables, something he always said would be the only thing he would be remembered for. Sadly, the event does always seem to be recorded. In fact it was an honour to be at the start of a new medical school and established him as a great teacher and innovator of research, particularly in teaching methods, something the Surgical Unit is world leading in today. As a result he was invited to come to St Mary’s to re-establish the name and status of the Surgical Department, something which he certainly did.Many have described Hugh Dudley as the cleverest man they have known. His brain, intelligence and intellect were exceptional and his was an example which was hard, if not impossible to follow. But it was his discipline which we will all remember – not only that imposed on us but himself. He would do two ward rounds every day. We had to meet him in his office at 5pm and go round the post-operative and problem patients. He would always be there, often until very late, reading or writing with a volume of the Oxford English Dictionary on a lectern beside his desk. We learnt many lessons from Hugh Dudley and I hope we have not forgotten them. We will not forget him.

Hugh Arnold Freeman Dudley CBE MB ChB ChM FRCSE FRACS; 1st July 1925 – June 28th 2011

David Hunt

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32 ICSM Gazette

With four-hundred classmates of varied backgrounds being an Imperial College medical student isn’t all that much of a defining feature, it’s an umbrella term. As a first year I was bewildered by the tribal nature within the medical school. Five years later and I’m beginning to understand it. Lost in a sea of familiarly unfamiliar faces, we define ourselves in part by the clubs and societies to which we belong. Whether we choose them, or they choose us is uncertain and rowing, with a reputation for being the sport for people who can’t play sports, suited me perfectly. Each tribe has its own unique codes, customs, rivalries and rites of passage; perhaps the most formative of these is Tour.

On tour antics are all but guarenteed. Naturally, on return, rumours of scandals spread through the medical school like wildfire, evolving into tales of mythical stature. One only need ask the medical student who had the misfortune to fall asleep on a park bench on the last night of an overseas tour. Not only did he spend a night as a guest of the local authorities and miss his flight home, he returned to discover he had apparently been the victim of a corrupt local police force’s vice scam!

Reading my grandfather’s memoirs from his time as a medical student at St. Mary’s in the 1950s, it turns out that the concept of Tour might be older than we think. Dr. John Perry wrote:

‘At the end of my first term at St Mary’s, in December, 1953, I was selected for a Hospital rugby tour to France. Mr Dixon-Wright, an

Memoirs of Mary’s Men - On Toureminent but rather eccentric brain surgeon who accompanied us on the tour, sponsored the team. We were to play three games based on the town of Chambray, close to the Alps in the Northwest of France. It was my first trip out of the UK. I was the youngest member in the party and, being fresh from school it was a totally new experience for me, and my induction into the renowned misbehaviour of medical students.We crossed by ferry from Newhaven to Dieppe and travelled from there by rail for an overnight stay in a Paris, before continuing the next day on the long journey to Chambray.Dixon-Wright booked the team a table at a Paris restaurant followed by a revue show. The boisterous behaviour of the more experienced and ‘mature’ of my team-mates under the influence of an excess of wine was a revelation to me and set the mood for the rest of the tour. The restaurant meal was chaotic, but the waitresses appeared not to object, as they served. Dixon-Wright sat at the head of the table; speeches were made and songs were sung before we left for the theatre.Our party was very vocal and two acts in particular are etched in my memory since I had never seen anything like it before. In one an almost naked female had fans appended to breasts and buttocks which she gyrated in differing combinations of direction at increasing velocity to the accompaniment of a crescendo of music. In the other a bevy of scantily dressed ladies strutted the stage and then disappeared behind a screen in which large holes were cut, through which, in due course they thrust their

naked bottoms at us! Very daring in the 1950s.We lost all three of the games. They were played in front of large, very partisan crowds and it seemed that even if we were winning at correct full-time the game continued until the opposition was ahead when the referee would blow the final whistle!Each game was followed by an official reception in the form of a banquet and speeches accompanied by heavy drinking with the evening deteriorating into uproarious behaviour. Time was found for our party to tour two vineyards and to visit the cellars. I shall never forget seeing one of our older, ex-serviceman players lying on his back drinking a large quantity of wine straight from the tap of a huge storage barrel.The jollity continued on the way home. I happened to be in a carriage with veteran players on the way back from Chambray to Dieppe. Our hosts had given us each a variety of liqueurs and these were consumed in the course of the journey. During the ensuing, alcoholic horseplay our carriage window was broken. The guard stopped the train and the police were called but we were allowed to proceed after a severe caution.

When I eventually reached my home to spend the remainder of the Christmas holiday my parents were so worried by my appearance that the doctor was immediately called. I was a week in bed recovering!

Michael Field

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The Golden Jubilee reunion of St. Mary’s 1961 Graduates took place on May 21st 2011 at the Richmond Gate Hotel. Many spent the afternoon in the garden. This was followed by dinner in the

Reunion of St Mary’s 1961 GraduatesConservatory, and most stayed for bed and breakfast.. Old friends came from U.S.A., Canada , South Africa, Ireland and U.K. Greetings were received from Australia and Singapore.

Members of the year had been in the following branches of the profession:Anaesthetics, General Medicine, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Medicine for the Elderly, Hepatology, Physical Medicine, Thoracic Medicine, Child Health, Palliative Care, General Surgery, A & E., Cardiac Surgery, E.N.T., Ophthalmic Surgery, Orthopaedics, Thoracic Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Biochemistry, Haematology, Pathology, Radiology, NeuroRadiology, Psychiatry, Psychotherapy,and General Practice. Christine McAuley (nee Walsh)e-mail: dcmca@dcmca.plus.com

Call For Articles

Alumni - Please keep in touch!The Gazette welcomes all submissions from alumni - opinions, reports and obituaries are all appreciated by our

readers. Articles about the St Mary’s era are

warmly recieved by current students.To reach us: e-mail - icsm-gazette@ic.ac.uk

Address - ICSM Gazette, Student Union Office, Sir Alexander Flemming Building, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ

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34 ICSM Gazette

alumni

Dear Alumni, I hope you have all been well since our last update in the Gazette. Firstly let me introduce myself. My name is Laura and I will be taking over from Ola Markiewicz for the 2011-12 academic year as Alumni and Careers Officer on the Students’ Union and chair of the Alumni Association. I’m sure you’ll all agree Ola has done a fantastic job this year and I just want to say a huge thank you to her for it. We have been very busy here since our last update, as you may have noticed from receiving your Gazette electronically, the Alumni Association is going green! This year we are trying to do our bit and moving electronic. You will receive your Gazette straight into your inbox every term along with the Alumni Newsletter and discounts. At the beginning of July, the Alumni Association held a ‘Back to Med School’ Reunion Bop for the Charing Cross classes of 1992-97. At the Reynolds in true med school style, 250 doctors came back to their roots and a great night was had by all! Photos from this event will be available on the website soon. If you would like to organise a reunion for your year group please do not hesitate to get in contact and we can help you get in touch with people or with any organisation you may need. The Alumni Association had its Annual General Meeting at the beginning of November, which was a great opportunity to discuss our successes in the last year and plans for this year. After the success of last year’s grants it was decided to double the amounts given in both the Electives Grant and Clubs and Society grants. I think you’ll agree that it is great to see the funds of the Association being put to good use. As ever, we’d love to hear what you are up to - are you getting married? Expecting? Got a new post? Had a year abroad? In addition, if you have any suggestions for the articles you would like to see in the Gazette, or you would like to write an article, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at chair@icsmalumni.org or the editors themselves at icsm-gazette@imperial.ac.uk, as we are always looking for ways to improve your Gazette. Stay in touch! Laura Wilkinson ICSM Alumni Association Chair 2011

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An elective – same same...but different

For those of you who have their elective planned out, knowing about my travels will be scarcely helpful and will only briefly shorten your bus/tube journey, however for those who are still undecided, this may just help you with some ideas.

My elective travels took me to Cambodia in south-east Asia, a country still pulling itself back onto its feet after the horrific genocide 36 years ago. You can barely see an area outside the city centre that hasn’t been hit by the events in the 70’s, making it a fantastic place not only to do an elective, but some charity work as well.On arrival, to be honest I shat myself a little bit. We were taken to the outskirts of the capital city, with barely anything resembling normal civilization, with our rooms only containing a rail, a bed and a fan. Needless to say after a couple of days we got used to it, and had a brilliant experience. It transpires that in Cambodia there are no diagnoses, only symptoms. Patients would therefore be clerked into hospital with “abdo-pain” or “melaena”, rather than anything halfway meaningful. Whilst the medicine wasn’t great, it was the best they had, and it was encouraging to see the new students being taught in the hospital. There would be teaching most days from our head of internal medicine, who challenged our narrow view of how our species developed, declaring that whilst I came from a monkey...he came “from God”. Outside of these spurious Christian rants (at one point comparing me to

An Elective in Cambodiaa Communist as I was “without faith”), a lot of the teaching material was very similar to what you might expect in any lecture that we receive here.

We were situated in a private hospital in the capital city, and because of this there would only be a handful of patients in the hospital at one time (the largest cohort being 13). Disappointingly because of this, we got little exposure to medicine. But, and I’d recommend it to anyone, working outside with volunteer groups is the best way to get something out of your elective, and to see the country. We contacted a charity we knew and helped take clinics in the slum areas around the capital, consulting with patients, prescribing drugs, and dressing wounds, all in the midst of livestock and monsoon rain. We also spent many afternoons teaching English to local slum kids, who needless to say were awesome and we shall miss them plenty. These two organisations really added value to the elective, and introduced us to a lot of Khmer culture and food that we could never have hoped to find in a Lonely Planet.

Finally, a comment on the country as a whole, the place is brilliant and has pretty much everything you would want. Historic temples, perfect beaches, great scenery, and some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet can all be found within a few hours coach of the capital.

If you want more advice about a possible elective in Cambodia, feel free to email me at tiw06@ic.ac.uk, it’s a brilliant place, but probably avoid our hospital!

Thomas Whitehead-Clarke

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When most people think “elective”, Paris isn’t the first place that comes to mind. City of angry French people who refuse to speak English despite being able to? Or city of romance, elegant women in Louboutin heels, and moody beret-sporting artists? I decided to hop onto a Eurostar to find out what more the city has to offer than the Eiffel Tower and hordes of tourists. Armed with their equivalent of A-Z, a euro cashcard and enough PG Tips to last two months, I really hoped that I would remember my fluent childhood French once there. For that cliche is true: not being able to speak semi-decent French automatically puts you in the “tourist” box. Apart from that, arranging an elective in Paris was remarkably painless. A fair amount of paperwork had to be completed (in French!), but there were absolutely no costs to the placement itself. Accomodation proved to be much more difficult; Paris is a fairly small city compared to London, and finding temporary

An Elective in Parisaccomodation is a challenge. I eventually only sorted mine once in Paris, renting a room in a house full of students in a quiet suburb where one neighbour had a sheep in his front garden and another had a very noisy henhouse. The medicine was much better than I expected. Hopital Necker is mainly a paediatric hospital, with a specialist obstetric centre (my elective) that deals with the county’s most high risk pregnancies (and takes the very complex cases from French colonies such as Tahiti and la Reunion). It is also the French centre for foetal medicine, particularly dealing with twin-twin transfusion pregnancies and some very very strange foetal surgery. Twin twin transfusion syndrome is where a blood vessel connects the twins, with one fetus becoming severely polycythaemic and one anaemic with IUGR. The only way to save both (or even one) is through laser surgery of the pathological vessel, which is what it says on the tin: insert a laser probe into the amniotic cavity, cut

off the connecting vessel and hope the fetuses don’t suddenly decide to get in the way of the beam. One of the best operations was when a twin grabbed hold of the laser probe at the end of surgery and it took some fairly determined tugging from the surgeon to get it back, all witnessed on the ultrasound probe placed on the mother’s abdomen. It is worth mentioning that that pregnancy was at 19 weeks’ gestation, which does raise some uncomfortable questions about the legal age limit for abortion. Similarly, there were days when in the morning staff handover, there would be a 32 week pregnancy being terminated for treatable conditions such as Tetralogy of Fallot, while next door the neonatal team was standing by to try save another 32 weeker born preterm. I also met a number of local medical students, who found my cheese & onion fantastic. The attitude to medical students there is quite different; they are expected to

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act as scrub nurses in theatre, are paid 200 euros a month for clinical years, and work half-days in hospital, attending year-wide lectures in the afternoons. Hence there is virtually no teaching in the clinical setting, and there are no practical exams at all throughout the six years. They found the concept of OSCEs and PACES rather entertaining as a result! Culture is almost synonymous with Paris. However, there is much much more to the city’s art than the Mona Lisa. I found the Louvre far too big and full of loud

angry tourists with screaming children to really enjoy it. Instead the smaller, quieter museums were what won me over. I also spent many afternoons half asleep in a park (all with free wifi!), topping up my tan. Even someone who has only visited Paris very briefly has realised how central a role the Seine plays. Virtually every museum, shopping district or restaurant quarter is located somewhere along the banks, or within walking distance. The river takes on a different character during summer nights, with couples dotting the cobblestoned

banks, little cruise boats lazily trailing the water, while small groups of street performers hold court outside Notre Dame. Another place that completely won me over is the famous bridge painted by Claude Monet in Normandy; the area has been preserved exactly as he depicted a century ago, and is definitely worth the hour’s cycle along the countryside to get there. I found 8 weeks living in Paris a very different experience to my previous “touristy” visits there, and genuinely got a feel of what it would be like to work and live in France. I would recommend Paris to anyone who has a decent grasp of French, likes fresh bread, coffee and wine, and is prepared to be ridiculed by absolutely everyone for putting milk into tea. Be also prepared for a complex metro system that made me miss my oyster card sorely. Other than that, Paris is a beautiful city, and French people are really quite friendly. Promise!

Anju Phoolchundanju.phoolchund06@ic.ac.uk

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Art

The Tomb of the Unknown CraftsmanGrayson Perry Exhibition

On display at the British Museum until 19th February 2012

Part-gallery, part-museum, part-window into a delusional artist’s mind; however you want to classify the Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman it definitely is a unique museum experience. Over the last 2 years, Grayson Perry has been collecting anonymous works from the British Museum vaults and creating his own to compliment them. The result is a disjointed collection of jugs, statues, tapestries and shrines which are only linked by Grayson Perry’s narrative, loosely based around his life philosophy. It is skilfully done. His unique world-view revolves around his childhood teddy-bear which he has immortalised in this exhibition as the saviour of worlds, peace-bringer and general guru. His image recurs throughout some of the pieces and stands as the only visible sign that some ‘artefacts’ aren’t genuinely from the roman empire and are in fact Grayson Perry’s form of tribute that he places next to the originals. His descriptions of the process of creation are interesting and rarely seen in museums or art galleries. They prove him to be a skilled craftsman, but the experience shows him to be a skilled curator. If not a bit mental.

Matt Rinaldi

Culture BitFollowing requests - here is a page about things that will make you cool.

Music

Neighbourhoodsblink-182

Blink-182 have finally released their album “Neighbourhoods” after much delay. Reactions have been mixed from those expecting more of the masturbation and fart jokes littered throughout their debut albums. Fans of their self-titled album will be pleased to see that the lyrics continue to take a cryptic twist to match the darker music they’re producing now. They sing of “ghosts on dance floors”, how “love is dangerous” and warn us not to be “caught by helicopters blades” (like we need to be told?). Stand-out tracks are Heart’s All Gone, where Mark Hoppus manages to stay in tune over a true balls-to-the-wall punk beat, and This is Home where the band show how their song writing has matured. It’s not all emo nonsense however. The track Wishing Well grants audiences the “la da dee da” chorus so fun to sing along to and is reminiscent of All The Small things. Throughout, Travis holds his own and shows how punk-drumming in the 21st century should be despite his band-mates apparent departure from the genre. Whilst traditional fans may be disappointed with the change of direction, it is refreshing to see them incorporating their side-project’s sounds into the three-piece we all love.

Matt Rinaldi

Film

The RoomTommy Wiseau2003

Put quite simply, Tommy Wiseau’s ‘The Room’ is the best film ever made. It’s easy to say that it’s also the worst, but I think that’s grossly unfair. If the measure of a film’s worth is entertainment value then ‘The Room’ has it by the bucketful. Coming from somewhere between Belgium and outer space, Wiseau has drawn on his doubtlessly vast life experiences to pen and direct the most unintentionally hilarious movie ever. The acting has to be seen to be believed, plot holes make the Grand Canyon seem like a pavement crack and the dialogue is akin to a 6 year old’s ‘What I did on my summer holiday’ assignment. Yet far from being hard to watch it’s endlessly fascinating. I find myself pouring over footage to find hidden gems as if it were a David Lynch film. Some ‘great’, bad movies are impossible to get through and I lasted only 4 minutes into ‘Birdemic’, but I still thoroughly enjoyed my 4th viewing of ‘The Room’. There is even a ‘Rocky Horror’-esque screening in the Prince Charles theatre every few weeks which is a great night out for tuxedo and spoon enthusiasts (all will be clear on viewing). Soon to be released on blu-ray, it is an undeniable masterpiece and this reviewer cannot recommend it enough.

Tom Phillips

icsm-gazette@imperial.ac.ukwww.icsm-gazette.co.uk