ROMANCE IN HOSPITAL

Evening Star, Issue 21810, 28 August 1934, Page 7

ROMANCE IN HOSPITAL

GIRL'S ELEVEN PRIZES

PROMISING MEDICAL CAREER

A twenty-three-year-old doctor, Miss Jessie Houghton Browne, listened on July 11 .to a long recital of her successes at the annual prize-giving at the London (Royal Free Hospital) School of Medicine for Women. As Miss Browne walked back to her seat bearing the many prizes and certificates presented to her by the ViceChancellor of London University, the applause of her fellow-students rang in her ears. But her eyes sought only those of a tall, sun-bronzed young man seated among the audience. The young man was Dr Norman C. Parfit, son of Canon and Mrs J, T, Parfit, of Maidenhead. They are to be married soon. It is a romance which began and blossomed to an engagement in the prosaic walls of the Royal Free Hospital. Miss Browne received the Gwendolen Lynn prizes for medicine and .surgery, the Evans prize for obstetrics, the prize for forensic medicine and toxicology, the Riehardson-Kuhlmann prize in senior subjects, the dean’s medal for skill in clinical medicine, and certificates for opthalmology, public health, diseases of the car, nose, and throat, children’s diseases, and dermatology. , ~ This clever young woman won the London University gold medal for the M.B.’s examination in May, being adjudged the most brilliant of both the men,and women candidates taking the examination.

“ Our marriage will not be allowed to interfere with career,” said Dr Parfit afterwards. “ Her talents are not going to be wasted. She is going to play quite as big a part in medicine as I myself am likely to.”