HIGH-FLYING ALUMNI

Dulwich College alumni Christopher Law and Hammad Jeilani founded Apian, which uses drones to deli er healthcare in a more efficient way

The friends came up with the idea while at medical school, and were appointed the youngest-ever NHS clinical entrepreneurs in 2019. They qualified as doctors this year, and Apian is working with NHS trusts from the Isle of Wight to Northumbria. However, they trace their success back to when they set up a rocketry society at school.

“We had a great DT lab at Dulwich,” says Hammad,

“but it wasn’t about the resources. You can have all the resources, but if your teachers aren’t engaged, then you might not get far. The first rocket failed, but the teachers’ response was ‘This is fantastic – when are you going to build the next one?’ They encouraged us to believe that as long as we put our minds to it, we could do it.”

Both pupils did exceptionally well academically, with Christopher also managing the demands of being a music scholar, but it was what happened outside the classroom that really made the di erence.

“It was an environment where you could explore. It gave me one of the most valuable tools in life – to be a critical thinker. I went to critical-thinking sessions, where a teacher gave us di cult things to think about, and invited our opinions. You learn to stand your ground, but also to concede, if another argument is superior to yours.

“I think that actually set Chris and I up for life, because we’ve always thought critically. When we went into medicine and we saw how NHS logistics work, we knew that just because this is the way it’s always been done, doesn’t make it the best way. That’s the kind of attitude, the kind of outlook on life that you’re given at Dulwich.”