MEDICAL MEDALLIST

Pauline Barrow, widow of consultant gastroenterologist Orrin Barrow, visited the UWI Museum and we took the opportunity to get some background on this iconic musician-doctor whose medical medals are now in the UWI Museum collection.

Dr Barrow was the first student of the young University College of the West Indies (UCWI) to sweep several clinical medals and win the University of London Prize Medal when he graduated in 1964. The performance was lauded in the minutes of the University Senate. Until it became independent in the late 1960s, the U(C)WI degrees were granted through a special relationship with the University of London, which also granted degrees in Britain and several of its colonies or former colonies.
Dr Barrow was known as a brilliant student but one whose first love was actually music, and his desire to arrange and perform often drew him away from his studies. In consequence it took him longer than usual to pass his final exams – but when he passed, he did it in style!