The Richard Doll Society: all about Green Templeton’s medical society
Green Templeton College offers a full and rich programme of clinical medical teaching and support, which includes a thriving medical society which is run by our students. The Richard Doll Society (RDS) is a student-led society that all Green Templeton College medical students are automatically enrolled in as members when they start their course. Named after the first Warden of Green College, who discovered the link between smoking and lung cancer, the society’s primary purpose is building a strong community among college medics and offering further training opportunities through workshops and seminars.
‘The RDS increases our wider understanding of medicine and healthcare, covering subject areas beyond our medical school curriculum,’ explains President Joe Cutteridge. ‘Past events have explored topics including global health and the ethics of genetic sequencing. Such subjects are very important but not the kind of things that come up in our multiple choice questions, which normally go something like, ‘which drug do you give for this disease?’ So, I think what you gain is basic understanding of some of the big themes that are currently at play in the medical community.’
Recent examples of workshops held by the Richard Doll Society include the ‘fundamentals of suturing and surgical knot tying’ and a seminar on ‘coding for medicine’. As with all aspects of our lives over the last year, COVID-19 has impacted the society’s events, with many workshops and talks moving online for now.
‘The coding for medicine event recently taught students the fundamentals of coding and how it can be useful in medical research,’ says Joe. ‘That was held over Teams and worked quite well.’
Joe says the pandemic and lockdown has made the society’s purpose even more important, and the current committee are keen to reach out to as many students as possible to ensure nobody is feeling isolated.
One event the RDS has managed to hold in person this year was a surgical skills workshop, where attendees could practice their suturing and surgical knot tying skills. The session took place in a COVID-secure environment at 13 Norham Gardens with social distancing and masks.
The society, however, doesn’t just host specialised workshops for medical students: there are talks and social events for the wider college community, too, and all Green Templeton students are welcomed and encouraged to get involved.
‘We’re the medical society of Green Templeton but many of our events are targeted at a much wider audience than just medical students,’ says Joe. ‘Some things like our suturing workshops are likely going to be more relevant to medics, but we are also planning a talk on AI in healthcare, for example, which is relevant to students studying a wide range of disciplines. Although medics are the inherent members, our target audience is much wider and we encourage all Green Templeton students to get involved.’
‘As a committee we are a friendly bunch!’ he adds. ‘We’re a mix of fourth- and fifth-year medical students and we’re approachable and keen for people to get involved so do get in touch with us and we look forward to welcoming you to future events!’
Other activities lined up for this year include the annual Richard Doll Society Conference in October, which welcomes noted guest speakers to discuss topics related to a broad theme. In 2019 the conference was ‘Personalised Medicine: your genes vs big data’. We are pleased to announce that the committee has chosen ‘Diversity and Inclusivity in healthcare’ as the focus of the conference for 2021. More details to be released on this shortly.
About Joe Cutteridge
‘I’m a fifth year medical student at GTC. I did my pre-clinical undergraduate Medical Sciences degree at The Queen’s College, Oxford, and then transferred across to Green Templeton for my clinical training. My broad interests include surgery, global health and healthcare innovation. I’ve been involved in the COVID-19 response effort both back home in Hertfordshire, where I worked as a healthcare assistant in my local care home, and here in Oxford where I worked in the OUH staff testing service. My hobbies include rock climbing and playing the cello.’
Contact: richarddollsociety@gmail.com
Congratulations to all of the @gtcball2026 survivors 🪼🫧🪸🧜🌊✨
From the ocean floor to the dance floor 🌊🪸🫧💙🧜 🐙🪼
We had an incredible evening at the Nautilus Ball! @gtcball2026
The Radcliffe Observatory is having a conservation makeover...
Behind the printed wrap is a complex network of poles and platforms, giving specialist teams access to every part of this remarkable building.
The Observatory is now undergoing a new phase of work that combines careful conservation of its historic fabric with major environmental upgrades.
Protecting one of Oxford`s most iconic landmarks for generations to come. 🏛️
Over the past week, we have celebrated the extraordinary Green Templeton community through events, volunteering, competitions, challenges and fundraising for student support. It has been wonderful to see alumni, fellows, supporters, friends, staff and students coming together to show our support for students.
From the Garden Party and the Photography Competition, to the Memory Wall and Biscuit Decorating Competition, the week has been filled with moments that reflect the warmth, inclusivity and spirit of our college.
Thank you to everyone who made a gift, attended an event, volunteered their time or followed along throughout the week. Together, we have raised over £65,000 for student support. These gifts will help students pursue opportunities, navigate financial pressures, participate fully in college life and thrive during their time at Oxford.
#ThankYou
#GivingWeek
#Fundraising
#StudentSupport
#Oxford
📸 Congratulations to Sophia Hall (MSc Medical Anthropology, 2025), winner of the Green Templeton College 2026 Photography Competition!
Sophia`s reflection on Vincent captured perfectly the sense of belonging that so many people find at Green Templeton.
A huge thank you to everyone who entered the competition and to everyone who voted. Your support also helped unlock £1,000 of funding as part of our Community & Giving Week challenge!
