Photo opportunity: 1.15pm, Thursday 4 December, Royal College of General Practitioners (Scotland), 25 Queen St, Edinburgh.
Celebrated photographer Rosie Donovan will tomorrow (Thursday 4 December) be awarded an honorary fellowship from the University of Dundee at the opening of her exhibition Single Handed documenting the lives of GPs across rural Scotland.
The title of Honorary Fellow of the University is being awarded in recognition of her contribution to the wider appreciation of the role of rural GPs.
Rosie Donovan is a Glasgow-born photographer who lived in Canada for 30 years. The book accompanying her work, also called Single Handed, was co-authored by Professor John Bain who retired last month from the University of Dundee's Tayside Centre for General Practice. Together they recorded the lives and work of some of the remaining 200 single-handed GPs in Scotland.
Rosie and Professor Bain have now kindly donated the photographic and sociological study to RARARI (Remote And Rural Areas Resource Initiative) to inspire and inform future generations of Scottish GPs. The show will be opened by Dr Mac Armstrong, Scottish Chief Medical Officer.
Professor Bain said, "I am delighted that the exhibition is now on permanent display. It is very important that we recognise the importance of single-handed doctors who do not often receive the thanks that they deserve."
Single Handed consists of 47 photographs of the doctors, set against some of Scotland's most beautiful landscapes. The photographs are accompanied by texts, which tell a story of commitment and dedication that these physicians have to the remote communities who inhabit the islands and rural areas of Scotland. Striking black and white photographs portray a unique group of individuals clearly at home in their stunning locations.
Rosie said, "I went into this project without any understanding of rural medical practice. After six months travelling around the remote areas of Scotland, I came away with a tremendous insight into their work and an admiration for their selfless dedication to the people in their communities. They took me into their homes and shared their life stories with me. Many of them became friends and we still keep in touch."
Sir Alan Langlands, Principal of the University of Dundee, said "Single Handed has cast an illuminating light on the lives and lifestyles of GPs in some of Scotland’s most remote rural areas. It has been well received by a wide range of audiences."
Dr Mairi Scott, Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners (Scotland), said "We are delighted to welcome the exhibition to our offices in Edinburgh and to give the collection a permanent home."
The response from medical professionals across the world has been phenomenal. Rosie travelled to Canada, Wales and Spain with her exhibition and photos. Norwegians and Australians were so impressed by the exhibition and book that they have started similar projects.
Rosie explained, "Talking about remote and rural medicine has become part of my life - but the problem of recruiting new doctors to remote areas remains.
I hope my exhibition will encourage young medical students to think of this as a desirable way of life, living and working in some of the most beautiful places in Scotland."
A lot of the GPs have since retired or moved out of general practice and in many ways the venture has become a self- fulfilling prophecy, recording a way of life before it disappears.
Editors' notes
Rosie will be presented with her honorary fellowship on Thursday 4 December at 12 noon at RCGP Scotland, 25 Queen Street, Edinburgh by Sir Alan Langlands, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee.
After art school Rosie Donovan studied photography at the University of Western Ontario. She is a passionate observer of people, capturing the essence of her subjects, meticulously posing them to reflect their personalities, lifestyles and interests. She works exclusively in black and white, using available light. Conducting in-depth interviews with her subjects has handed a sociological component to her work.
Rosie's exhibitions have toured extensively. Major venues include The Canadian Museum of Civilization, The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall (for Fotofeis), The Canadian Embassy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow. She has two books of photography published, Ex Patria and Single Handed.
Rosie has been invited by Prof James Dunbar of Flinders University in Australia to do a similar project about outback, rural doctors.
RARARI are running new training courses in rural areas to encourage GPs into this kind of post.
By Esther Black, Press Officer 01382 344768, out of hours: 07968298585, e.z.black@dundee.ac.uk