Charlotte Williams, second from right, won the prize for her project portraying real stories of miscarriage

Medical student wins prize for exploring sensitive issues around miscarriage

University of Exeter Medical School Medicine student, Charlotte Williams, won the prestigious prize for her Medical Humanities project based on real stories of miscarriage.

Charlotte’s performance, entitled ‘Products of Conception’, was presented the winning prize at the Association of Medical Humanities Conference at Keele University where she was also given the opportunity to display her work to medical professionals.

The project was part of the Medicine programme’s Medical Humanities study unit, in which students create a project which bridges the gap between science and the arts. The study unit is designed to help build empathy and communication skills in tomorrow’s health professionals

Charlotte was awarded the Medical Students Prize in the Visual Category for her project: a powerful and emotive dance, portraying the experience of miscarriage based on a real group of women who are living with miscarriage.

Charlotte said: “It is an honour to receive this prize for a piece demonstrating how the humanities can help to raise awareness of the culturally sensitive issue of miscarriage. It explores the real stories of five women who lost their babies and the emotional struggle they go through, how other individuals impacted on their journey and their feelings of hope for the future.

“I aim to provide another perspective to medical practitioners and to raise awareness in a wider context. The women who are the focus of the work are hiding in their grief and I am providing a voice and platform for their stories. One in four pregnancies ends in miscarriage. I can’t imagine that anyone can say they don’t have four female friends. Statistically, one of those will or may already have experienced miscarriage, but did you know? Did they discuss it? Would they? Would you feel comfortable in supporting them? I hope to make you think.”

The theme for this year’s submissions was “Critical Stories” and its aim is to encourage Medicine students to show how the Humanities can contribute to the treatment of individuals whose health is compromised, as well as to sustain wellbeing, including for practitioners as patients.

Watch Charlottes' full performance:

Date: 5 July 2017