true blue Newsletter of the Friends of St George’s

• First Botswana Issue 15 commencement • ceremony November 2012 St George’s celebrated the graduation in May of more than two dozen Batswana students at the Gaborone • International Convention Centre in Botswana. The graduates from the commitment to Botswana schools of medicine, and the rest of Africa as SGU veterinary medicine and the helps reverse the damaging graduate studies programme medical brain drain that were awarded their degrees affects the continent. Two at the fi rst commencement agreements between the ceremony to be held by the Government of Botswana and University outside Grenada or SGU were signed to celebrate the United States. the 21st anniversary of their Batswana graduates from SGU celebrate the awarding of their relationship. The agreements degrees in Gaborone. The ceremony also marked pledged SGU to broadening the 21st anniversary of SGU’s access to Batswana students strong and long-standing and supporting the relationship with the development of medical Editorial Government of Botswana. education in Botswana. Chancellor Charles R. Modica SGU has had 359 graduates said: “We’re delighted to from 27 African countries – This has been a very special year in the recent history be able to celebrate the including 108 from Botswana of the United Kingdom. In February, 60 years ago, hard work of our Batswana – and these numbers are set graduates and to be able to Princess Elizabeth returned to our shores from Treetops to increase as 181 students in Kenya as the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign honour our alumni here”. from 15 African countries The Chancellor also are currently studying at the states and their territories and dependencies as well as reaffi rmed the St George’s University. the head of what has developed into the 54 member .

Commonwealth Secretary-General It is therefore highly appropriate that St George’s University, Grenada, should offer 60 scholarships across a range of to launch Commonwealth disciplines – one for each year of Her Majesty’s reign – and that this will be announced by the Secretary-General of the Jubilee Scholarships Commonwealth, Kamalesh Sharma, at a reception hosted Now in its 36th year, St George’s University is a centre of by Baroness Howells of St Davids, at the Commonwealth international education and draws its students and faculty Parliamentary Association this month. from 140 countries. The University has graduated nearly The student body at St George’s University has become 12,000 physicians, veterinarians, scientists, public health highly representative of our multi-cultural Commonwealth and business professionals. It also has a strong relationship in recent years, having accepted just over 5,000 students with the Commonwealth. Currently, 2,139 students from from Commonwealth countries. Indeed, at this very time, we Commonwealth countries are studying at the University have strong student representation from Commonwealth with 3,233 having graduated. countries – including developing countries – taking part This is the second occasion on which St George’s University in the UK’s clinical programme as part of their medical has offered Commonwealth scholarships – the fi rst in 2006 to degree course. These include students from our University’s commemorate the University’s 30th anniversary. homeland Grenada and also from Barbados, St Vincent – as Now 60 scholarships (with an estimated total value of $3.5 well as Botswana, where St George’s University has a special million) will be awarded – one for each year of the Queen relationship (see main story). as . These break down into Our UK clinical programme continues to grow – with record 10 studying at the School of Medicine; 10 for veterinary numbers of student weeks. medicine; 10 for Masters of Public Health; and 15 each for arts and sciences and Masters of Business Administration (MBAs). In order to accommodate the growing medical student body, The 60 scholarships – with preference being given we have expanded the number of NHS affi liated hospitals in to developing countries and small states our programme. of the Commonwealth – will be full tuition scholarships. Very soon, we look forward to receiving a new wave of Jubilee Commonwealth scholars – who will never forget the Those who apply for the scholarships opportunity afforded to them by St George’s University. must agree to return to work in, and contribute to, their country of origin. Rodney J Croft MA MChir FRCS FACS Dean of Clinical Studies UK Mr. Kamalesh Sharma, Commonwealth Secretary-General

True Blue no 15.indd 1 12/11/2012 08:59 Friends of St George’s Dr Peter Bourne • Mrs Vanessa Bourne • Sir Kenneth Calman • Mr Rodney Croft • Mr David Jessop OBE Baroness Hanham CBE • Baroness Howells of St Davids OBE • Sir Jim Lester DL • Professor Sir Malcolm Macnaughton Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior • Sir Kenneth Stuart • Mr Jonathan Taylor • Lord Walton of Detchant Mr Bowen Wells • Professor Ian McConnell • Lord Sheikh of Cornhill in the City of London

The Royal (Dick) School SGU veterinarian swims of Veterinary Studies at Edinburgh University and the English Channel swam the Channel to raise money for two charitable organisations which help “SGU is the best thing that ever finance treatments for pets whose owners cannot happened to me” afford the treatment. “I’ve loved the career ... says Dr Brittany braved the 21 miles of open path I’ve been on from King, who graduated water that separate Britain the moment I started from SGU’s School of and France. Only 1,400 at St. George’s,” Veterinary Medicine in people have ever managed Brittany said. “I love 2010. “The professors the feat – more than twice veterinary medicine The new intake of the Keith B. Taylor Global Scholars are incredible and as many people have and I love that the Programme at the White Coat ceremony at Northumbria so supportive, and it climbed Mount Everest. animals we treat give University in August give their professional commitment, doesn’t matter what so much love to their acknowledging their “responsibility to continue the your dreams are – SGU Dr King is no stranger to owners on a daily basis”. pursuit of knowledge and understanding until that day supports them. SGU set pushing herself to the limit. when I will cease to be a practicing physician”. me up for life”. She’s run five marathons, Some 120 students have registered for the current completed an Ironman It is this positive outlook, programme, which teaches first year sciences at triathlon, and climbed imbued by her experience Northumbria before the students move to Grenada Mount Kilimanjaro, all to complete their pre-clinical training. at SGU, that helped before, during, or after Brittany swim the English successfully navigating her Channel. Taking a more way through veterinary than impressive 13 hours school. Veterinary exchange and 48 minutes, Brittany swam ashore in France on Brittany spent a year of programme 4 September 2012 having her course studying at Dr Brittany King

Two SGU alumni have established a unique exchange programme in which visits to each other’s practice Dalai Lama Fellow promotes provides perspective on their facilities’ effectiveness in treating patients. public health in Dr Heather Douglas, a 2006 graduate of SGU’s School of Veterinary Medicine, and Austin P. Kirwan, who is Assistant The Dalai Lama Fellowship (DLF) is a unique global programme to guide social Dean for UK Clinical Affairs, met as they completed their entrepreneurs and deepen their effectiveness with yearlong Fellowships and MBA residency in Grenada in 2011. They continued their a project grant of up to $10,000. One of the pioneering fellows in this highly collaboration by organising visits to their respective competitive programme is Joseph Byonanebye. veterinary practices in the USA and UK. Joseph graduated with a to promote sustainable home Department of Dr Douglas visited Mr Kirwan’s Barn Lodge Veterinary Hospital, which has four locations in North West England, Masters in Public Health environmental Preventive Medicine and spoke of her experience: “I think this exchange has from SGU in 2009 before conservation in the and Public Health at given me a more global view of veterinary medicine, and going on to complete his country. St George’s University. the ability to integrate more than one point of view into my DLF in June 2012. He now works for practice is priceless”. In a move that SGU the grassroots NGO Dr Douglas was particularly impressed by Mr Kirwan’s fluid is keen to support in Conservation Through system from check-in to the appointment’s completion that its commitment to Public Health (CTPH) enhanced the clients’ experience and left ample time to the Commonwealth, which promotes learning meet with patients who required longer visits. “I couldn’t Joseph chose to work on family planning, believe he had five-minute appointments, but he was able in his home country of sanitation and hygiene, to provide great patient care in five minutes,” she said. Uganda and launch the environmental health, The exchange programme then saw one of Kirwan’s Compassion in Action nutrition and wildlife veterinary nurses visit the Douglas Animal Hospital in Youth Project which conservation. Osseo, Minnesota. Exchanges are planned every six targeted primary school Joseph dedicates his months and they both recommend that similar schemes be children around the award to CTPH, the Dalai encouraged for other SGUMBA students. Bwindi National Park Lama Fellows and to his Joseph Byonanebye

New Associate Chair of Medicine UK For further information please contact: Patrick Orr Sallyanne George Dr Arla Ogilvie was appointed the Executive Director, UK Trust Executive Assistant to the UK Dean new Associate Chair of Medicine UK Raitt Orr and Associates St George’s International School from 1st July 2012. Ground Floor, CAN Mezzanine of Medicine, Grenada 49-51 East Road, Old Street UK Head Office Published by Dr Ogilvie is a Consultant Physician London N1 6AH Kingdon’s Yard, Parchment Street Raitt Orr and specialising in Diabetes and Winchester Tel: +44 (0) 20 7250 8288 Associates Endocrinology based at Watford Hampshire, SO23 8AT e-mail: [email protected] on behalf of General Hospital and has been the Tel: +44 (0) 1962 850 650 the Friends of undergraduate tutor there since 2002. Fax: +44 (0) 1962 850 567 e-mail: [email protected] St George’s.

True Blue no 15.indd 2 12/11/2012 08:59