Islander tops medical class

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 24

Islander tops medical class

PA i ~ Auckland An impoverished Solomon Islander, spurred. to study medicine when his father died of cancer, has topped; his class at the Auckland University School of Medicine.

Mr Peter Poon received an awarid for the best over-all j performance in the first three (non-clini-cal) years of the medical: degree: ■, ' I' i . • 1 Only one B-plus mark in three years of study ; prevented Mr Poon’s being deemed a straight-A student , ! He won the Eric Hector Goodfellow i Memorial Prize, awarded annually! for the most [distinguished academic performance in the human biology course. Medical students must complete this degree! before i continuing their studies. r , ! • ; 'I

Mr Roon came to the: medical school on an Official . Development Assistance Programme Scholarship, which is administered by the i Zealand Ministry: of Fcp-eign Affairs, -j , jThej differences between/ New Zealand and the Solomon Islands were tremendous, he said. |I. ,?T found New, Zealand foreign at first, and ,1 still do not feel at hbme, but am not homesick,” Mr Poon said. ,| ! ■[ I Re isaid his father left school at Standard j 3, while] his mother never had a formal education.! iMrtPoon was, born in Honiara and brought lip by an uncle and an ai|nt after his parents divorced. His father died in 19811., |He i plans to return to the Sdlorrions when he rias completed his training. [ j