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As part of the legacy of the late Dr Donald Dean, Canford is able to offer funding each year to support up to two OCs embarking on their medical elective.
Dr Dean was born in Manchester in 1927. After the early death of his parents, he was raised by his aunt. With her help he was able to attend grammar school and university, graduating in 1953. Dr Dean’s career took him all over the world. He was a medical doctor for the British Petroleum Company, helping to create hospitals and medical services in Aden, Nigeria, Trinidad, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. After retiring as the Senior Medical Officer for BP he became the Chief Medical Officer at the Chamber of Shipping. He was later awarded a Fellowship of the Faculty of Occupational Medicine (FFOM) to recognise his significant contribution to the practice of occupational medicine in tropical countries.
Please see below for quotes from a selection of OCs who have been granted the Dr Donald Dean Medical Award.
HOW TO APPLY
Old Canfordians are invited to apply for the Dr Donald Dean Medical Award which carries an honorarium of up to £1,500. In order to consider your application, the committee* would like to see:
The successful applicant will be asked to write a 500 word report/article at the conclusion of their elective (with the option of publishing it in the OC magazine, Society) and also return to Canford within one year of completing the elective to talk to Canfordians about their experience.
Email applications are encouraged and should be sent to the Community email with the subject: Dr Donald Dean Medical award.
Applications for 2025 should be received by 9th November 2025 and the award will be announced by 23rd November 2025.
*The committee will be made up of a representation from the Governing Body and the Headmaster.
"Unlike the UK, any test that is needed in Kompiam needs to be done by you, as there’s nobody else to do it! I had to learn quite quickly how to take my own chest x-rays and develop them manually in a dark room, and also conduct basic blood tests at the bench in the laboratory. Usually these tests are done using specialist technicians, and automated machines in the UK. This was a phenomenal experience and was a lot of fun."
James Taylor M11, Kompiam District Hospital, Papua New Guinea
"This opportunity has enabled me to see diseases and issues I wouldn’t have otherwise encountered in the UK. In addition to Dengue, we regularly saw trauma wounds from machetes and guns. These kinds of wounds resulted in severed nerves and complicated bone fractures that had long term impacts. I was lucky enough to be helping in reconstructive surgeries to repair these issues. It has also highlighted how damaging an inequitable healthcare service can be and how fortunate we are to have the NHS which strives to provide equal access and free healthcare."
Hermione Jemmett B16, St Lucia
"Witnessing and being a part of such raw and distressing situations was quite eye-opening and taught me how safe and sheltered working in a hospital is, where there is adequate amounts of space and equipment that is easily accessible. Whereas in prehospital care, you have new obstacles to overcome, for example, diverting pedestrians, traffic and press camera operators away from a patient hit by a bus at 7:30am in the middle of the business district."
Joshua Doherty L13, Brisbane, Australia
"Belize suffers with a lot of obesity, as fast food and fizzy drinks are cheaper than a healthier alternative. This means that the population have some of the highest incidences of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. A lot of the rural trips were spent screening for these conditions. Thanks to the Dr Dean Award I was able to donate two blood pressure cuffs, and a blood sugar reader to the team."
Imo Young M18, San Ignacio Community Hospital, Belize
