24 March 2008

Medicine men go wild in Dundee

Television’s 'Medicine Men Go Wild' will pass on the benefits of their experiences in some of the world’s most remote regions to students in Dundee this week.

Brothers Christoffer and Xand van Tulleken, from Channel 4’s `Medicine Men Go Wild’ series will be among the speakers at the the 11th Annual Medical Students' Council Symposium, an annual event organised by Dundee Medical Students’ Council.

The symposium, which takes place on Wednesday March 26th at the University Medical School at Ninewells Hospital, traditionally covers a topic which is not include in the regular medical curriculum.

This year’s topic is Tropical Medicine, which made the inclusion of the van Tulleken brothers a natural choice to be invited to speak.

"Christopher and Xand have seen first-hand how people deal with health issues in the most remote places, and it will be great to hear from them," said medical student Hilde Sellevoll, one of the symposium conveners.

"I’m sure their talk will be fascinating, as will the others we have lined up. We have a full programme of high-profile speakers, including leading experts from the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine."

The event is being held in Lecture Theatre 1, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School. It is open to all students from Dundee as well as medical students from other Universities.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) was founded in 1907 and today it is a multi-disciplinary society whose focus is on international health as much as on classic tropical diseases. "The mission of the Society is to promote and advance the study, control, prevention and treatment of tropical diseases, to facilitate discussion, exchange of information and promotion of the health of those affected by tropical diseases." From www.rstmh.org//

Christoffer and Xand (Alexander) van Tulleken Of mixed Canadian/British descent; the brothers' love of the great outdoors was developed through childhood in the Canadian north. Both decided to become doctors, and went to Oxford University together. While at medical school, the brothers travelled to distant corners. Chris went to Vietnam to work in a surgical hospital, and in his final year travelled to Vanuatu in the Pacific. As for Xand, in his final year he travelled to Guyana in South America and spent time living with a remote tribe in the forest.

Their fascination with adventure continued after qualifying. In 2004, Chris took part in a televised team race to the magnetic north pole. He then became a doctor on an expedition to Greenland, which was also filmed by the BBC. Meanwhile, after specialising in tropical medicine, Xand applied for a job working in the conflict in Darfur and he went to work in the refugee camps of Sudan with Medecins du Monde.

On Xand's return from Darfur, Chris told him his idea of making a documentary series about the health of people in remote places and so the brothers began their journey to become Medicine Men.

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