Hello everyone!
My name is Kanruthai Chongraks. People simply call me Nahm, it is my nickname. I am originally from Bangkok, Thailand. Currently, I am doing my master’s degree at the School of Museum Studies at University of Leicester. As part of my course, I had an opportunity to come to Worcester and work across both museums in summer for my placement which has just come to an end.
My background is Language and Culture with a major in Japanese. There is no such thing like GCSE or A-level in my country and I don’t recall any medical history topics in school, so it is quite new to me. However, I always enjoyed visiting medical museums in different places and that is why I chose to come here. Working with objects I had no idea what they were or what they were for required me a lot of research and study, not only in history but language as well. I have learned many new words while working here, some of which I don’t even know what it is in my language.
Also, this placement opportunity introduced me to Worcester, a place quite different from my familiar surroundings. A bit struggling with the spelling of its name at first, I soon discovered Worcester’s loveliness and truly enjoyed my time here.
Despite a few initial challenges, my placement broadened my knowledge and experience in various aspects of museum operations, including collection management, exhibit design, objects handling and visitor experience. I was very fortunate to not just sit in the office or be in the museum. I had a chance to explore the city for a walking trail, help run a workshop at AgeUK, visit the newly opened Three Counties Medical School, attend a talk by the museum’s volunteer, do my work at The Hive and in the boardroom at the Infirmary.
Most important task of my eight-week placement was designing displays at each site. At George Marshall Medical Museum, I curated a small temporary display entitled ‘ART & ANATOMY’, which introduced the crucial role of art, including illustrations and drawings in the study of anatomy. The display showcases the stories of Henry Carter, the illustrator of the famous Gray’s Anatomy book and Alan Mann, a local pharmacist known for his passion in art and remarkable anatomical drawings. You can find this exhibit next to the apothecary’s shop, right below Blossom’s horns (of Edward Jenner fame). Don’t miss it when you visit the museum!
At The Infirmary Museum, I had the privilege to redesign a display dedicated to Lt. Col. G. H. Goddard, which focuses on medicine during wartime, as we received a new load of objects generously donated from his family. The trench coat on display has been replaced with a charming mess dress uniform together with miniature medals of Lt. Col. Goddard. The display is now holding more objects, spotlighting his life and work as an officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps during the Second Boer War and the First World War, as well as his contributions to the St. John Ambulance in Worcestershire after his military service. Thanks to his collection, we are able to reflect more about medical practices on the frontline in the early 1900s.
In the final week of my time with the museums, it was a great honour to welcome the Goddard family, who generously supported the museum with their donations, for a private viewing of the new display I had worked on. Along with the museum staff and volunteers at the museum who had been exceptionally supportive throughout my placement, joined us to celebrate the result of my endeavour.
Despite being described as small museums with limited teams, I had an incredibly enriching experience here. This was a unique opportunity that I might not have had in larger institutions and I cherished every moment of my summer in Worcester. If you are considering gaining work experience in a museum, I do recommend Worcester medical museums. And if you haven’t recently visited the museums, please make sure to drop by and explore my displays at both sites.
This placement has been an unforgettable journey of my life and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience!