A peak in a GP's life: Honorary Doctor, Professor Calle Bengtsson, together with his hosts Professors Irma Virjo and Kari Mattila on the staircase at Tampere City Hall during the Conferment Ball in September 2005. Photo: Aimo Ojala®.
Professor Calle Bengtsson has been conferred with the Degree of Honorary Doctor at the Medical Faculty of University of Tampere for his merits as a researcher, teacher, and promoter of a Nordic cooperation in general practice, and as a good collaborator with the Department of General Practice at Tampere University. The traditional ceremonial conferment took place on 16 September 2005.
Professor Bengtsson's most significant research work concerns the study on women in Gothenburg initiated in 1968 Citation[1–3]. The 36-year follow-up of these women was accomplished in 2005. This was pioneering work and a model for Scandinavian cohort research.
Professor Calle Bengtsson was the Editor-in-Chief of the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care 1996–2003 Citation[4]. During this time the journal developed into the most prestigious publishing channel for research on general practice. Professor Bengtsson has greatly furthered the cooperation of the Nordic scientific colleges and associations in general practice.
At several points Professor Bengtsson has engaged in cooperation with the Department of General Practice at the University of Tampere. In 1998 he was the invited keynote speaker at the national scientific conference on general practice in Tampere. For this occasion he took the trouble to learn Finnish and delivered his lecture proficiently in that language.
At the University of Tampere the Ceremonial Conferment of Doctoral Degrees is celebrated for four days in a traditional and dignified way, but not very often. The previous Conferment was in 2000 and the one before that in 1992. In the 2005 festivities there were six Honorary Doctors, 61 Doctors of Medicine, 15 Doctors of Health Sciences and 11 Doctors of Philosophy to receive the doctoral degree. The festivities included a Scientific Symposium with lectures by the Honorary Doctors, and the “Wetting the Sword” event (the sword symbolizing the defending of the truth in science). The Ceremonial Conferment of degrees to Honorary Doctors was followed by the Solemn Procession, which marched through the centre of the city to Tampere Cathedral for Divine Service. The Conferment Banquet was held with a fine dinner, traditional speeches, and music, followed by a Conferment Ball in the City Hall. The ball continued until four o'clock in the morning. The festivities ended with a Conferment Cruise on the fourth day.
Professor Calle Bengtsson represented general practice impressively and did his share to increase appreciation of the discipline.
Irma Virjo, MD PhD
Professor of General Practice
Medical School, University of Tampere
Kari Mattila
Professor of General Practice
Medical School, University of Tampere
and Chief Physician, Hospital District of Pirkanmaa,
Centre of General Practice
References
- Bengtsson C, Ahlqwist M, Andersson K, Björkelund C, Lissner L, Söderström M. The Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, Sweden, 1968–69 to 1992–93: A 24-year follow-up study with special reference to participation, representativeness, and mortality. Scand J Prim Health Care 1997; 15: 214–19
- Lissner L, Skoog I, Andersson K, Beckman N, Sundh V, Waern M, et al. Participation bias in longitudinal studies: experience from the population study of women in Gothenburg, Sweden. Scand J Prim Health Care 2003; 21: 242–7
- Lundh C, Bengtsson C, Björkelund C. Generation shift in family vs. working conditions as most important influence on women's mood?. Scand J Prim Health Care 2004; 22: 101–5
- Bengtsson C. Primary health care through eyes of a retiring editor. Scand J Prim Health Care 2003; 21: 193–4