Commendations Year in Review: Part I - Students
Commendations recognise our student doctors, as well as staff across the School of Medicine and our partnering Trusts and GP practices, for areas where they have gone and above and beyond, whether it be in patient care, peer support or in study and research activities.
As we approach the end of the academic year, we dive a little deeper into the stories behind some of the commendations awarded in 2020-21, starting with some of our graduating student doctors.
Multiple commendations for two final-year student doctors
First off is Year Five Student Doctor Pippa Cain who has received not one but three commendations this year for excellent professionalism and patient care, making a major contribution to a Quality Improvement Project while on GP placement and for developing teaching to support junior students.
Pippa shares more about how she used her initiative and a bit of spare time to support student doctors in Year 3 in between clinics.
“I suggested organising some mini teaching sessions, so we discussed areas where the students felt slightly weaker and I introduced some of the concepts that are covered by Community Clinical Teaching (CCT) sessions and Case-Based Learning (CBL) in years 3 and 4. It was useful for me to put the sessions together as it helped me to revise common presentations, especially in the primary care setting.
It was rewarding to share knowledge and anecdotes with more junior students and help them get excited for the years ahead of them.
It was quite a surprise and touching to receive a commendation from the students as it showed me how much they appreciated the additional teaching and the opportunity to discuss cases in a more informal learning environment.”
Year Five Student Doctor Jacob Bloor has also received three commendations this year for outstanding contribution to patient safety and quality improvement, an excellent Portfolio review and maturity and performance far above the level of a year 5 student doctor.
Jacob tells us more about the quality improvement piece, which he took part in while on placement at Warrington Hospital.
“This particular commendation stands out to me from when I worked with staff to develop a new clinical data capture form to reduce the complication rate of a surgical procedure and optimise department standards in line with national guidance. During this project, I worked alongside staff from senior management teams, IT, HR, medical and surgical doctors, nursing staff, radiographers and more.
It was strikingly obvious that all these members of staff were extremely supportive of my work and were happy to go the extra mile to encourage and support students whilst on placement if you were also willing to put in the time and effort.
The commendation process recognises students who go above and beyond the normal level of expectations for a student doctor. It’s a great opportunity to spotlight those who go the extra mile and I’d encourage all students to aim for this going forwards as it is both a great personal and professional achievement.”
Congratulations to Jacob Bloor and Pippa Cain on their commendations
More inspirational achievements this academic year
Another Year Five Student Doctor awarded a commendation this year was Grace Chaplin for exceptional performance and commitment on the cardiology ward, including supporting both the medical team and junior students. Grace says,
“I was so proud to receive this commendation. I began my placement in the midst of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This meant I was determined from the outset to match the hard work of the clinical teams around me and support the ward in all the ways I felt I could.
I feel this award reflects the determination I felt to integrate myself into the ward team and the successful working relationships I built with the F1 doctors."
Also recognised this year was Year Five Student Doctor Sarah Hill for excellent performance in Paediatrics and for demonstrating exemplary professionalism and empathetic patient care.
Sarah speaks of her passion for Paediatrics which drove her achievement at Ormskirk Hospital's Paediatric A&E.
“I chose to undertake a Selective in Advanced Medical Practice (SAMP) in paediatric emergency medicine due to my keen interest in both paediatrics and acute care. I was able to see how the mental health, personal beliefs and attitudes of the patients, and often of their parents and guardians, affected the reason for their presentation to the department. I also realised that the main reason for those patients re-attending the emergency department was because they didn’t feel listened to on their first visit.
With this in mind, I learnt to adapt my clinical approach around the needs of the individual patient and their family; whilst remaining consciously aware of their own ideas, concerns, and expectations throughout my assessment.
I also enjoyed working closely with many different members of the multi-disciplinary team and felt very well supported during my 8-week SAMP block. I feel that this experience was invaluable to my future clinical practice.”
Congratulations to Sarah Hill and Aimee Staunton on their commendations
Student Doctor Aimee Staunton, also in Year 5, was recognised for fantastic depth of psychiatry knowledge, being an excellent team player, demonstrating brilliant communication skills and creating rapport in a challenging environment.
She talks about her time at Ancora House in Chester, an inpatient unit that provides care for children and young people with severe and/or complex mental health conditions.
“My Selective in Advanced Medical Practice (SAMP) placement at Ancora House, although one of the more challenging, was my most enjoyable placement of my medical studies. I was fortunate to be supervised by brilliant junior doctors who encouraged my independence and helped develop my confidence.
I initially found the environment somewhat daunting, however my unique position as a doctor in training allowed me greater time to bond with the young people and form a rapport. This led to one young person confiding in me regarding sensitive past traumas which were unknown to the team and the consensual sharing of this information ultimately helped the young person to receive more appropriate therapy."
Whilst I did witness some emotional and distressing events, I was inspired by the young people’s resilience and will always remember the brilliant people I met during this placement.
Year Five Student Doctor Ella Crawford picked up a commendation for excellent performance, including enthusiasm and independent practice, while on placement at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital’s Emergency Department. Ella shares how her experience on the night shift shaped her understanding of what it means to be a good doctor.
“Before starting my emergency medicine rotation at the Royal earlier this year, I was excited at the prospect of feeling more like a ‘proper’ medic: clerking patients, ordering investigations, performing practical skills – the lot. During one particularly busy night shift, I saw a young man who had been suffering from severe headaches, who felt that his pain had not been managed in the community. As a last resort he attended A&E, where we spent some time discussing his concerns and what care he felt he might need.
Although there was no acute indication for a computed tomography (CT) scan, I discussed his presentation with a senior who agreed that a scan may help to identify a reason behind his pain. Sadly, the CT showed a large cerebral tumour, thought to be malignant. Upon delivery of this awful news, the patient looked at me and smiled. He wanted to thank me for listening and for appreciating what he was feeling. Looking back at this interaction, I feel that my idea of a ‘proper’ medic has slightly changed."
While the excitement of a busy emergency department and the need to focus on efficient care is crucial, the quiet moments exchanged with a vulnerable patient can be invaluable, to both them and you.
Year Four Student Doctor Ahmed Mostafa was awarded a commendation in May for excellent teamwork with an on-call doctor during a particularly hard consultation. Ahmed shares the story behind his award.
“All in all, it was a very insightful event that displayed how members of a team trusting one another’s strengths and range of competencies can significantly improve the patient journey and outcome. This took place in the Emergency Department, where a mother and her unwell child were awaiting to be seen by my supervising doctor."
Having developed a warm rapport with the patient shortly before the consultation began, the supervising doctor very kindly trusted me to interpret between Arabic and English after I offered to do so, helping the patient feel more at ease.
"By speaking with someone the patient had felt at ease with, coupled with the comfort of speaking in their native language, helped the patient describe their child’s presentation with comfort and clarity.”
While noting that Ahmed's actions made a difference to this clinical setting, the School acknowledges that it is not regular practice for students to be used in place of a professional translator, and wold not expect other students to do the same in a similar situation.
Well done to Grace Chaplin, Ahmed Mostafa & Ella Crawford
A look inside the commendations process
Each month, nominations are considered by Dr Viktoria Goddard, Director of Studies for the School.
"it's my honour and privilege to chair the commendations nomination review process. Reading all the nominations is always one of the highlights of my month. It's so rewarding to hear how our student doctors have gone the extra mile to support patients, staff members or peers, and it never fails to remind me of why I love working in medical education.
Sometimes the testimonies in the nomination are so good I'm moved to tears, and it makes me so proud to be Director of Studies for such a committed group of students.
It's also fantastic to receive nominations for staff members who have made a difference to the student experience - training the next generation of doctors requires a huge effort year on year across the region, and of course, everyone enjoys finding out that their efforts have been appreciated.
As with most processes, the efficiency of the nomination review procedure is all down to the support of my wonderful PA Liz Williams, who ensures all the commendations are reviewed and all the certificates get to where they need to be every month - without her, the whole system would fall apart. think she's probably long overdue a nomination for keeping the process - and me - on track!”
Liz Williams, PA to Deputy Dean & Director of Studies, thoroughly enjoys her part in the commendations process.
“As the Professional Services lead for Commendations I can honestly say I really do enjoy seeing the nominations come into the inbox. It’s so interesting to see what our student doctors are involved in and how well their work is received by the Trusts, GPs and members of the School Team. I am rewarded further when I read nominations for Trust staff, GPs and School staff who are recognised by our students for their inspirational teaching and support.
The variety of nominations throughout the year is too long to list but spans from excellence in performance to involvement in research and audits, to exceptional care and compassion. We have such a spread, there’s plenty to be proud of. I understand it takes time to put forward a nomination and want to thank all the nominating individuals who have taken the time to recognise others."
I also like being top of the reader board in the most read stats when the commendation winners are shared in the student newsletter!
Feeling inspired by these tales of dedication and connection? Keep commendations in mind for the upcoming academic year. They're a brilliant way of showing someone you have noticed their efforts.
Huge congratulations to all of our commendation-winning students from the 2020-21 academic year! Take a look at each month’s list of honours:
- September 2020
- October 2020
- November 2020
- December 2020
- January 2021
- February 2021
- March 2021
- April 2021
- May 2021
- June 2021
Discover more
- Liverpool student doctors can head on over to the student intranet to make a nomination.
- Read Part Two of our Commendations Year in Review for more inspirational tales, this time about commendation-winning educators.