Reunion roundup
Reunions held in 2011: Class of 1981 reunion
11 - 13 November 2011
By: Martin Brossy
Ruth Alberts, Sean Baumann, Ian Bell, Geoff Braatvedt, Martin Brossy, Hilary Kaube, Robbie Buck, Kevin Camden-Smith, Mohamed Chhaya, Anthony Chilton, Marc Chimowitz, Donovan De Villiers, Rodney Ehrlich, Cathy Fraser, Dawn Garisch, David Gotlieb, Geoff Hacking, Charles Helm, Richard Henry, Alan Hill, Andrew Hooper, Lynne Keeton, Shelley Kibel, Peter Kraus, Stuart Patterson, Eleanor Potter, Theo Rai, Keith Rasmussen, Lawrie Reznek, Charlie Roberts, Bert Rokebrand, Lesley Russell, Raoul Scholtz, Cindy Shepherd, Vincent Silva, Ingrid Skakal, Helen Stubbings, Darryl Vine, Mark Wates, Carl Wicht.
Academic Meeting Programme:
General Practice in New Zealand - Ruth Alberts
Nurturing Creativity in Doctors - Cathy Fraser
The Golden Ellipse - Charles Helm
Bad Science - Martin Brossy
Changing Minds - The Kneejerk and the Pause - Dawn Garisch
Psychosomatic Rehabilitation in Germany - Ingrid Skakal
Obesity in New Zealand - Causes and Cure - Geoff Braatvedt
The Art of Rheumatology - Dave Gotlieb
Identifying the Source of Pain in Patients Waitlisted for Total Knee Arthroplasty - Richard Henry
Living and Dying - Experiences at Hospice - Shelley Kibel
Medical Communications - Hilary Brumberg
Losing the Art - Raoul Scholtz
Raoul Scholtz
Following the success of the 2001 and 2006 reunions, classmates demanded a third (2011) and have started murmuring about a fourth! (2016). Once again regulars blended with newcomers to ensure a nostalgic and memory-filled weekend of action, fun and friendship.
We started early on Thursday, 10 November with afternoon golf at Royal Cape as guests of Dave Gotlieb and left behind many bruised and battered trees full of golfball holes.
On the Friday morning, we all met up at the MAC Club to register then trekked up to the wonderfully revamped Transplant Museum in the Grand Old Lady building. This was well worth another visit and should be a "must" see for any medical tourist to Cape Town. Indeed it is fair to say that we all owe a great deal to Chris Barnard for firmly putting Groote Schuur and Cape Town on the world medical map (no disrespect to many other fine Cape Town researchers). Back to the MAC Club for lunch and then off to the District 6 Museum in town ... also very interesting and a reminder of the hardships that fellow South Africans suffered before and during the years that we studied at UCT, and beyond. Last up on Friday was the Cocktail Party at Medical School, with some beloved teachers and recognition of the hard work they put into us with mixed success. This time the invitees included Boet Dommisse, Ashley Robins, David Dent, Arderne Forder, Herman De Groot and Wayne Derman kindly represented UCT Medical School. Tributes were paid to several classmates no longer with us and others who are in medical trouble.
The Saturday morning "Academic Meeting" is probably the highlight for many as the presentations were, without exception, of such quality, amazingly varied and so interesting that classmates did not want to stop. Dave Gotlieb and Raoul Scholtz chaired the 2 sessions most ably. Discussions continued over lunch and some drinks in the Waterfront that afternoon. The Gala Dinner featured Maurice Kibel singing 4 favourite medical "ditties/ballads" with Steve Reid on the piano - hugely entertaining and well appreciated! The bar kept ticking over at a similar rate to the Pig and Whistle in the late 70's.
Sunday morning energy bunnies walked in the early morning mist on the mountain above Kirstenbosch with Mark Wates before we all rendezvous-ed in the Gardens with a lovely picnic to bid each other farewell.
We all have an enormous debt of gratitude to our 6 golden years at UCT and Groote Schuur Hospital and it is worth bearing in mind when remembering our medical roots. Classmates appeared to have a genuine pride and bond which is quite unique and special. I can only encourage those who did not join in to seriously consider a weekend unlike any other, at our next reunion in 5 or 10 year's time.
Best wishes to you and your families, the caterers and all the staff at the various functions, siyabulela.