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Scholarships and Awards

Cockburn Scholarship

Cockburn Rugby Scholarships were set up in memory of the late Dr. H.D. Cockburn M.C. Dr Cockburn qualified from St Mary's Hospital Medical School in 1939 and played rugby for St Mary's, Richmond, Middlesex County and the Barbarians. Dr Cockburn was also Medical Superintendent of St Mary's Hospital from 1954 to 1979. He was also responsible for the health and welfare of all the medical students and nurses.

The Cockburn Rugby Scholarship is worth £1,000per year, and is awarded to recipients for their first 3 years of education at The Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College, being are awarded retrospectively at the end of each season (May). During the three-year period the holder must be registered for the National Leagues with Imperial Medicals RFC - receiving coaching from Keith Green (England Students) and Kevin Bell (Richmond Rugby Club) - take a full part in the activities of the Club, and be injury free at the start of each season, or shortly after, for the CRS to proceed. Discretion is given to the selection panel to review players' circumstances and their contribution to the club, subject to appropriate medical reports, together with a review of each completed season (CRSs may be for 1 or 2 years only at the discretion of the panel).

The CRS panel may award additional scholarship(s) to any outstanding player at the start of any one season for any period of up to 3 years, as a reflection of that player's leadership ability.

Requirements

Completion of the application form - see below - detailing relevant Rugby achievements plus leadership, ability and commitment. A reference from the applicant's most recent coach may be requested.

Selection

A shortlist is be drawn up & reviewed by the CRS panel. The panel is made up of officials of Imperial Medicals RFC including: The CRS Co-ordinator, The President, The student Club Captain, The Director of Coaching, The Vice President St Mary's, The Vice President Charing Cross together with the Treasurer of St Mary's Hospital Association. CRSs will be awarded to players who, in the judgement of the panel, will make the largest contribution to Imperial Medicals RFC.

Candidates from Oxford and Cambridge Universities, for direct entry into Year 3 of the medical course, are considered by the same process in any one-year (up to M.B.,B.S.). The panel may, at their discretion, award two CRSs to freshers in any one-year, or split the scholarships into two. The coaches will review applicants during their first season. Mature students are encouraged to apply. CRSs, first awarded May 2002, are open to men and women.

The successful applicants for CRSs will be announced at the end of each season at the annual RFC Dinner held in May (i.e. 2007 for the October 2006 entry), receiving the first £1,000 then. This is to ensure new players are given best opportunity to demonstrate their worth. Second Payments of the Cockburn Rugby Scholarship are to be made at the end of the season after the last match. Holders of the Cockburn Rugby Scholarship MUST go on the Cornwall Tour, unless they give to Mark Kenny in writing 'well founded personal reasons' for not going. Letters to Mark Kenny must be sent before Cornwall Tour has happened. If a Cockburn Rugby Scholar does not attend Cornwall Tour and has not given 'well founded personal reasons' then NO second payment will be made.

CRSs are only tenable for those students registered as full-time undergraduate students with The Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College.

For application to the scholarship email: mark.kenny@imperial.nhs.uk

Previous Winners

Ian Kenyon Award

This award, worth £500, is also awarded each year at the Imperial Medicals Annual Rugby club Dinner. All players at the club are eligible for the award, and there is no application procedure. It is awarded to the person deemed to be the 'Most Unselfish Player in the Club'. The award is given in memory of Mr. Ian Kenyon, a great 'Mary's Man' who sadly died from the long term effects of a stroke in 2004.

Mr. Kenyon was born on 24th April 1919 and qualified FRCS M.Ch. at Glasgow University in 1942. He worked for many years as a Consultant Vascular Surgeon at St. Mary's Hospital, where he contributed greatly to the growth of the specialty through important scientific investigations, which were published in the surgical literature. The subjects included surgery on aortic aneurysms on carotid artery stenosis, on renal transplantation and many other aspects of this developing speciality

Aside from Surgery, he had two major interests, the first was in rugby and he became the President of the St. Mary's Hospital Rugby Club for 4 years and is greatly revered and remembered today for that contribution to St. Mary's life. The second was in model steam trains and he built a railway track around the five acres of his garden where he and his friends could be entertained.

He was the eldest son of a Glasgow General Practitioner and his mother had been a Queen Alexandra nursing sister on various hospital ships during the Galipoli campaign. Ian was only 13 years old when his father died, thus becoming head of the family. After Glasgow Boys High School, he went on to Glasgow University to qualify as a doctor and soon after joined the RAF. He saw service in the Middle East and left the forces as a Squadron Leader. During this period he developed an interest in surgery and on return to the United Kingdom he moved to London and the Paddington Hospital to further his surgical studies.

It was at St. Mary's that he became assistant to Professor Charles Rob, developing thereby his interest in Vascular Surgery. On the retirement of Sir Arthur Porritt he became a Consultant and remained at St. Mary's until his own retirement. His contributions to Vascular Surgery were undoubtedly ahead of their time. How to manage the aortic dissection was set out clearly in Kenyon et al. in 1980 and that is basically how it is managed currently. He was interested in hypothermia, particularly with regard to renal transplantation, but also in relationship to carotid endarterectomy. He particularly enjoyed meeting other surgeons from the international community of vascular surgery.

In the early 1980's he became President of the Vascular Surgery Society of Great Britain and Ireland and held a very successful meeting at the London Zoo. It was due recognition of his most important place in the vascular surgery hierarchy and it was my privilegeas his relatively new colleague to act as his local secretary for this meeting.

He was a softly spoken, quietly gregarious man with kindness in his heart and a twinkle in his eye. He never spoke ill of anyone and this is our lasting memory of him. He is survived by his wife Elaine and a sister in New Zealand.

Previous Winners

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