9 May 2007

Medical art prize awarded

A collection of words, images and music inspired by working at a medical centre in Blairgowrie has been picked out as the winner of the first Art of Rural General Practice Award, given by the University of Dundee Medical School.

Fifth-year medical student Tafadzwa Zvandasara, who had spent two months attached to doctors at Ardblair Medical Centre in Blairgowrie, will be handed her prize today (Wednesday May 9th) at the annual conference of the Tayside Centre for General Practice at Hilton Dunkeld House, in Dunkeld.

Tafadzwa's work is a collection of words, images and music looking at the challenges and joys of working in a rural community, brought together in video format.

The Art of Rural General Practice Award is awarded to the fifth-year medical student whose piece of submitted creative work is judged to best capture the essence of rural general practice.

The Medical School at Dundee has a long history of understanding the importance of the contribution of medicine to rural communities. The medical school has for some time also ensured that medical students receive the opportunity to experience working in rural communities. The department of General Practice is at the forefront of rural teaching and uses a network of GP tutors throughout Scotland and the islands to help deliver its course, with each student spending between one and three months attached to a rural General Practice. The students rate the experience very highly indeed with many stating the intention to return and work in a rural community once qualified.

"The students have often commented that practicing medicine in a rural setting is as much an art as a science and many have already written about their experience or produced paintings or photos," said Dr Cathy Jackson, of the medical school's department of General Practice, who helped establish the new award.

"Dundee also has a background of exploring the art of General Practice - former Department head Prof John Bain, now retired, having produced a beautiful book " Single Handed" which captured the essence of remote and rural single-handed general practice in Scotland in both words and photographs."

At the beginning of the academic year, the students were invited to submit a piece of work in any medium which reflected their feelings or observations while working in their rural attachment. The entries received demonstrated the breadth and depth of talent within the medical school and include screenplay, musical composition, poetry, paintings, pottery, photography and many other forms.

The entries were judged by internationally renowned artist and sculptor Tony Morrow and Russell Reid, past chairman of the Scottish Daily Newspaper Editors' Committee and former editor of the Sunday Post.

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