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RGS SIXTH FORM MEDICALS STANLEY ASHMAN
RGS SIXTH FORM MEDICALS THE EARLY DAYS
BY STANLEY ASHMAN (41-52)
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Having successfully negotiated the O Level examinations, or School Certificate, as they were called in my days, the choices for those continuing at School were to enter the Arts, Science or Medical Sixth forms. Those opting for the Medical Sixth were the boys (RGS in that era being an exclusively boys’ school) who wished to follow a career in Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary surgery. In addition to RGS boys, I recall, the class was occasionally joined by pupils from other schools, which did not offer courses leading to medicine.
The 2015 Penrith Reunion. Stanley in the front row, fourth from right T he course of six terms duration consisted of Chemistry, Physics, Botany and Zoology. After the first three terms, the Subsidiary School Certificate (now A Level) was taken in Physics and if successful, the subject was discontinued. The latter three terms were devoted to those remaining three subjects alone. There was also a weekly lesson conducted by the Headmaster, Mr Mitchell after 1948 until I left school, when all manner of subjects from politics to philosophical matters and what might be described as ‘lifesmanship’ was discussed in groups. In addition, it was expected that the Medicals should take part in other school activities such as sport, intellectual games like Chess, the Debating Society, the Combined Cadet Force and others.
From the 1940s to 1950s the Chemistry masters (their title in those days!) were Charles George and David Layton (49-60); Physics was taught by George Dean (24-67); Botany and Geology by George Pallister (26-66). These men were all talented teachers and when examinations came along, success was assured if you had a perfect knowledge of Mr Pallister’s notes. Botany and Zoology took up a large part of our time and was taught in the building on the south side of the school field, also housing the Woodwork and Metalwork classrooms, as well as Donald Meakin’s (24-65) Geography classroom. Next to this large block was the Rifle Range, the base of the CCF. These buildings were swept away to allow for construction of the City Centre by-pass.
The Zoology course consisted of a study of all forms of animal life from the lowly amoeba, via vertibrates and invertibrates to mammals and it was then that we learnt how to dissect everything from cockroaches to fish and finally mammals in the form of rabbits and cats. Botany involved the study of plant life and preparing microscope slides. At the end of our course, we were entered for the Higher School Certificate. This consisted of written and practical examinations in all three subjects. Mr Pallister always assured us that it was impossible to score nothing in his subjects as you could always draw whatever you saw down the microscope and for which you would be awarded some marks!
Early in the final year, applications for entry to medical, dental or veterinary colleges were made. We were free to apply to any of the universities, but most of the RGS pupils applied for the local Medical School, the University of Durham (at Newcastle) and now integrated into the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Interviews followed at the college when the usual questions were posed: ‘why do you want to become a Doctor?’, ‘what are your hobbies and why?’ and other such conundrums, inviting one to invent ingenious answers which would mark one out as a potential asset to your chosen profession.
If you were able to impress the Interview Board that you were suitable material for the Medical School, you would be offered a place, depending on your examination results, for entry into the second-year course there. There was a first-year course where students took an examination equivalent to Higher School Certificate. These students were drawn from institutions where no basic science course was available. This test was called ‘First examination for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery’ (MBBS). This exercise was also available as an external examination to pupils (like us) who were taking the Higher SC. Mr Pallister always recommended we sit this test to give us experience and just in case anything did go wrong with the HCC! These examinations were taken in June, with the results published in August and the successful candidates would go to the second year of their chosen course in October. I have often heard the RGS referred to as a ‘doctor producing factory’ and certainly there always seemed to be a goodly number in our class, as I recall around 20-25. We who followed this route to a career had the impression that we were taught by dedicated men who had our interests at heart and I myself have felt a lifelong gratitude for my introduction to what I have always found a most rewarding profession.
We who followed this route to a career [medicine] had the impression that we were taught by dedicated men who had our interests at heart and I myself have felt a lifelong gratitude for my introduction to what I have always found a most rewarding profession.”
