In honour of the late Dr Donald Dean, Canford continues to provide annual funding to support Old Canfordians undertaking their medical electives. The award recognises Dr Dean’s lifelong commitment to medicine and global health, during which he helped develop medical services internationally, including in Nigeria and Kuwait. Further details about the award can be found here.

This year, OC Rachel Ko S20 was a recipient of the award and shares her experience from her elective placement in a small fishing vilage in Peru: 

"As part of my final year at the University of Bristol, I was fortunate to spend a month in Lobitos, a small fishing village in the North of Peru working within the healthcare team at the local ‘Posta de Salud’ as part of the EcoSwell medical internship.

After a sunrise surf at Playa Lobitos and a delicious breakfast cooked by Meche we would walk through the village to the Health Post. There we worked alongside the amazing staff – Luisa (the highly skilled & compassionate head nurse who runs the post) and Genesis (a paediatric nurse trainee) – to support consultations for the residents. We assisted in taking patient histories and carrying out basic diagnostic tests, encountering a wide range of conditions from viral infections, asthma and diabetes to appendicitis, pyelonephritis and menorrhagia.

We were supported by our translator (and budding artist!) Junior who not only helped to breakdown our Spanish language barrier, but who also cultivated a meaningful cultural exchange, sharing insights into local life, traditions, and perspectives that enriched our experience far beyond what we could have learned on our own.

After lunch and a refreshing dip in the sea, we worked alongside the Public Health team to support their research in their campaign on iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). IDA is a significant public health challenge in Peru that unequally affects rural communities. As part of the initiative, EcoSwell distributed ‘Lucky Iron Fish’ to families in the village to incorporate into their cooking and help increase iron intake. To support this research, we spent afternoons visiting households, collecting finger-prick blood samples and analysing results alongside existing data to assess trends in IDA prevalence.

Alongside this, we also contributed to local public health outreach initiatives, visiting primary schools to assist with TB screening and vision testing. It was a privilege to be fully integrated into these teams and so warmly welcomed by the community - their appreciation was a powerful reminder of how small acts of care and connection can have a meaningful impact.

Time spent in Lobitos provided an eye-opening experience in rural medicine. We faced challenges such as limited resources and the absence of electricity or running water in the health post, reinforcing the importance of strong fundamental clinical skills and the ability to adapt without reliance on technology.

What I had expected to be a straightforward medical elective became something far more impactful. I developed a deeper appreciation for what genuine collaboration with a community entails, and for how sustainable, integrated healthcare is delivered in practice. It also made me reflect on how fortunate we are in the UK.

I am extremely grateful to the Donald Dean Award for making this experience possible and for enabling me to contribute, in a small way, to such a remarkable community."