IT is a degree late, but it has been welcomed nonetheless by the class of 1967, now known in some academic circles as ''the lost medics''.
More than 30 years after embarking on a course at Scotland's oldest university, a group of senior health care professionals can now plan for their graduation ceremony.
Each will receive an ''honorary'' Bachelor of Science award from St Andrews following a move by its authorities to right an anomaly that saw them deprived of their BSc in medical science degrees. The group involves an array of medical talent including professors and consultants.
St Andrews stopped teaching a full medical course in 1972 after a new university and medical school were created at Dundee. As the students, who had entered the course five years earlier, matriculated one week after Dundee University was established, they were informed that they were not eligible for a St Andrews degree, despite the work they had put into completing it.
The group of around 30 medics, who instead graduated in 1973 with a MBChB degree from Dundee, were left with nothing to show from their days at the ancient institution.
Now St Andrews has agreed to put the matter right after approaches from two of the medics who will be holding their 30-year reunion when their graduation ceremony takes place.
They received letters from Brian Lang, the principal at St Andrews, indicating that it wanted to ''rectify the anomaly'' and award the ''honorary'' BSc to each member of the group.
Alex Watson, a 52-year-old GP in Dundee, yesterday spoke of the approach he and Alastair Coutts, a friend and a surgeon in Lerwick with whom he studied, had made to St Andrews.
''It was a bit of amusement as well as having a little bit of seriousness. We always felt we contributed to St Andrews, but we had no recognition from our alma mater.''
Stressing that the degree each would receive later this year would be ''honorary'' and have no ''commercial or professional value'', Dr Watson, a fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: ''It is only going to be of personal value to say that we belonged to St Andrews.''
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