Medical students inspired

University of Otago bachelor of medical science honours students (front from left) Campbell Heron, Hugh McHugh, Tim Foster, (back from left) Ryan Hill, William Blackburne, Isaac Tranter-Entwistle (all aged 21) and Nick Erskine (23). Photo by Peter McIntosh.

Prof Peter Crampton, the University of Otago pro-vice-chancellor, health sciences, told Otago medical science honours students yesterday that richly rewarding careers awaited them in medical research.

These medical students have opted to take time off from their undergraduate medical studies to pursue a year of intensive research for a bachelor of medical science honours degree.

Prof Crampton announced a series of awards and scholarships for the medical research students at a function in their honour and wished them a ''fantastic year, with lots of fun''.

Research provided the foundation for future new medical treatments - ''they're created through research'', he said in an interview.

It was crucial for some medical students to gain a taste of advanced research before they rushed ''headlong'' into their future clinical careers.

''And they've got this wonderful challenge ahead of them.''

Some of those students devoting themselves to a year of research would also be future doctoral graduates, future senior medical researchers and future Otago faculty of medicine staff, Prof Crampton said.

The following scholarships and awards have been made to Otago BMedSc (Hons) students this year:Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust Research Award in Medical Sciences, $8000, Caitlin Batt, Christchurch, Nicholas Erskine, Isaac Tranter-Entwistle; Tassell Scholarship, $8000, Timothy Foster; Alastair Burry Scholarship, $5000, and A.F.J. Mickle Scholarship, $600, Crystal Diong; L.F. Hall Scholarship, $5000, Ryan Hill; Faculty of Medicine Scholarship, $5000, Morwan Bahi, Lauren Barnett, Ryan Barber, William Blackburne, Sarah Cashen, Jared Corbett, Campbell Heron, Barnabus Hyland, Hugh McHugh and Arden Roberts.

- john.gibb@odt.co.nz