Kieran Beattie
For most medical students studying at Aberdeen University, the only threats to health and safety are irate gulls, hangovers and catching a cold after getting caught out in the rain of the Granite City.
But four medical students from the university instead spent much of their last semester enduring swarms of mosquitoes, avoiding lurking crocodiles and piranhas while navigating rainforest rivers, and sweltering in the 40C temperatures of the Guyanese jungles of South America.
John Mitchell, 24, and his plucky team of adventurers Will Paine, 20, Bryan Dunsmore, 21 and Genevieve Marsh-Feiley, 21, were given a grant by the Scientific Exploration Society – which funded the expeditions of celebrated explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes – to conduct pioneering medical research with the native tribes of Guyana.
The £5,000 grant enabled the team to spend a month in the former British colony working with around 200 indigenous people to investigate the impact the availability of sugary and high fat western foods have on the health of those who have never been exposed to it before.
Guyana, located to the east of Venezuela, has in recent years become of great interest to the world of medical and nutritional science as thousands of its native people – the Guyanese Amerindians – migrate from the depths of the tropical country’s jungles and into its increasingly populated and westernised cities along the coast.
The four students spent their time travelling around various villages situated along the region’s many rivers, examining how junk food, fizzy drinks and other negative influences from the modern world have influenced the health of the local people.
Along the way, the group were tasked with traversing huge swathes of thick rainforest routes, baking-hot savannas and dealing with all-too-frequent vehicular breakdowns.
Mr Mitchell, the leader of the expedition, said: “The purpose of our trip was simple, to assess the health of the indigenous Guyanese population, and to determine if they are at risk of Western lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
“We were four medical students from Aberdeen University, with just over two years of medical training, and armed with nothing more than basic measuring equipment.
“With each new day, our routine became more established – wake up, collect data in the morning, and collapse in the afternoon when it was too hot to do anything else.”
While carrying out their work gauging the health of locals, the four young students also found time to help educate the Guyanese children, and spend time at church.”
Mr Mitchell added: “Healthy eating lessons at the primary school and appearances at Sunday church services meant that we were soon widely known throughout the village. This resulted in a large influx of participants, taking us well over the 150 mark.”
The adventurous youngsters, who are now collating their data from their expedition, also created a short documentary of their journey which can be viewed on www.pressandjournal.co.uk
