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Dr GREGORY JOHN LYDALL, UK Representative: Rural Health Initiative
Greg Lydall was born in Cape Town, South Africa. He studied Medicine in the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, and worked at hospitals in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Pholokwane. He considers himself privileged to have turned 18 in 1993, and thus vote for the first time in the first democratic elections in 1994. At university he was President of the Medical Students' Council and very involved in student government during the early post-Apartheid years. He has always had a strong interest in improving healthcare in Africa, and was voted 'Most Likely to Become Minister of Health' by his graduating class in 1999. As a young doctor he worked in Anaesthesia, General Practice and then Psychiatry. As many young South African doctors do, he travelled to the UK to pay off his student loan and travel the world, ostensibly for a year or two. Whilst in London and waiting for a chance to specialise in South Africa, he was offered a Psychiatry training rotation at the Royal Free Hospital in North London, and he is half way through specializing. He is currently researching the genetics of Alcoholism at UCL/Royal Free and preparing for the Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
He remains committed to South Africa whilst embracing the training opportunities available in the UK. It was through writing an article for the BMJ, to encourage doctors to work in South Africa, that he reconnected with colleagues in South Africa and joined the Rural Health Initiative (www.rhi.org.za) as a UK-based volunteer.
His medical interests include public health, HIV, trauma, addictions, psychotherapy, and physical illness in the mentally ill.
He is married to Petra, another South African doctor who is training to be a General Practitioner. They plan to return as specialists in their respective fields. Together they enjoy hikes, jogging, music, food, friends and family. They consider the Otter Trail in the Western Cape the best hike in the world.
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