A Zambian Reunion

On August 28th 2011 a funny thing happened. I found myself in the middle of Zambia having a drink with two Old Novos.

It was a warm African night with a pleasantly thundering background noise. Dinner had been a boisterous affair with novel food and plenty of wine, it had been a long journey to Zambia and everybody was letting their hair down (although possibly not me, as evidenced by the photograph). This was the first night of the International Society for Craniofacial Surgery’s Biannual Conference at The Royal Livingstone Hotel, overlooking Victoria Falls. It was my first international conference and I was keen to get to know as many people as possible, especially the celebs… me (junior doctor) to Mrs Dunaway (my consultant’s wife): “Do you know who that chap over there is? The one from The BBC documentary?” Consultant’s wife: “Well of course, that’s David Johnson, let me introduce you.” Thus ensued a quick discussion re: regional accents and before too long we arrived at the outstanding conclusion that we had both been at the RGS. Made even more exciting by the fact that the registrar I had travelled with, and who I had conducted research with over the last few months happened to also be an ON, Chris Abela (84-94). Within 20 minutes The School Song was being belted out, much to the surprise of the other attendees. Fortiter defendit!

The three Old Novos in question are:

David Johnson (78-85) MA (Cantab) BM BCh (Oxon) DM (Oxon) FRCS (Plast) is a Consultant Plastic, Reconstructive and Craniofacial Surgeon in the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

After graduating from St Catharine’s College, Cambridge University with a First Class Honours degree in Medical Sciences in 1989 and Christ Church, Oxford University in Clinical Medicine in 1992, David went on to complete general surgical training, becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1996. Three years research into the molecular biology of craniosynostosis lead to a Doctor of Medicine Degree from Oxford University in 2001 and a Hunterian Professorship from the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Plastic surgery training took place in London, Salisbury, Oxford and Adelaide before taking up his Consultant Post in Plastic, Reconstructive and Craniofacial Surgery in the Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust in 2006. On Wednesday 4th May 2011, BBC2 aired the first of a new three-part series, Children’s Craniofacial Surgery. This remarkable series followed children with craniofacial malformation and the Oxford Craniofacial team’s work to correct them. Chris Abela (84-94) MA MB BChir (Cantab) FRCS (Plast) is a Senior Registrar in Plastic Surgery at Imperial College, London.

Chris graduated from Trinity College, Cambridge. He was proud to return north and completed basic surgical training at the Yorkshire School of Surgery. Higher surgical training was undertaken in London with a fellowship in paediatric craniofacial surgery at Great Ormond Street, during which time he was privileged to be part of the team that successfully separated conjoined twins. Chris has recently attained his fellowship to the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

William Breakey (98-03) MBBS, BSc is a Senior House Officer at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne.

I left RGS thinking that I was going to be an artist; a one year art foundation course at Newcastle College was followed by a fairly rapid change of heart, nine months travelling and a successful application to study medicine at Imperial College London. I graduated in 2011 and moved back to the North East to work at the RVI. I met Chris whilst doing an attachment at Great Ormond Street and he has steered me in the right direction from there. I have secured a two year plastic surgery themed core surgical training job, again in the North East and hope to follow this with a period of research and formal plastic surgery training, which if I’ve timed it right will finish just around the time of David’s retirement…!

Thanks David, thanks Chris!

By William Breakey (98-03)

Pictured L to R: David Johnson (78-85), Chris Abela (84-94) and William Breakey (98-03).