On Tuesday 15 March we were delighted to recognise the outstanding achievements of our student doctors at the 2020-21 Prize Evening.
Taking place in-person at Cedar House for the first time since the start of the Coronavirus pandemic, the event was an opportunity for staff, student doctors and their families and friends to come together and celebrate the incredible work we carried out as a School in the 2020-21 academic year.
Music during the evening was performed by Artefacts (link), the Liverpool Medical School Performing Arts Society
Dr Matthew James, Supratheme Lead for Patient in the Community Setting, welcomed guests to the event before prizes were awarded to our student doctors by Director of Assessment and Feedback Bee Collier and Vice Dean for the School Dr Iain Young.
Dr Matthew James opening the Prize Evening
Speaking at the event, Dr James said:
"For many of you, 20-21 was your second year of studies that had been altered by COVID-19. A time in which you learnt to manage hybrid learning, the benefits (and pitfalls!) of online lectures, and clinical placements in a national health service challenged like no time in its history.
You kept spirits high here at the School, inventing creative ways to interact as a student community through online just about everything - conferences, revision sessions, yoga classes and variety performances. What you lot don’t know about Zoom isn’t worth knowing!
Many of our students took up opportunities as volunteers and student vaccinators, powering Liverpool’s vaccination effort in their hundreds, helping to protect some of the most vulnerable members of our communities.
And amongst all of this, it is your commitment to your studies that secured you excellent performance in knowledge and clinical assessments and is what we are here to celebrate today."
Emma Tixerant collects the Reginald & Dora Goodrick Prize for Clinical Assessment
Among the prizes awarded during the evening, a highlight was the presentation of the Spirit of Liverpool School of Medicine Prizes, awarded to students that have gone above-and-beyond by encapsulating the values of the School and making a real difference to their community.
The first of these prizes was awarded to Shantanu Kundu for his work in breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health. Dr Young said:
"Through his Be Free Campaign, Shantanu Kundu provides the right tools to empowers others to look after their mental wellbeing. This self-started charitable organisation received the Diana Award in 2020 for humanitarian service, and was recognised by the Prime Minister with a Point of Light Award.
The pandemic only increased the need for the services the campaign provides, and Shantanu rose to the challenge, delivering workshops, mental health first aid training and furthering support networks to young people, community organisations and Universities around the country.
Shantanu continues to be an entrepreneurial ambassador for mental health, and has published ‘The Journey’, a guide to taking care of your mental health and wellbeing at home."
Shantanu Kundu and Anthonia Adefolaju after winning their awards.
The second Spirit of Liverpool School of Medicine Prize was awarded to Anthonia Adefolaju, co-founder of the Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) Medics society. Prior to handing the award to Anthonia, Bee Collier said:
"Anthonia played a pivotal role in the development of a microaggressions training programme that the School created in partnership with the Anthony Walker Foundation to bring about a more inclusive environment not only here at the University, but also in trusts across the NHS.
In their prize nomination, a fellow student noted: 'Anthonia has constantly gone out of her way to participate in activities that benefit others.
She has fiercely advocated for not only the needs of patients, but of other students and NHS staff.
While as medical students, our aim is to graduate as competent doctors, Anthonia’s pursuits demonstrate that she is determined to use her time at Liverpool to go above and beyond this.'"
There weren't many School of Medicine cupcakes from Cakes by Andrew (link) left by the end of the awards ceremony!
The full list of prize winners for 2020-21:
- Anthonia Adefolaju – Spirit of Liverpool School of Medicine Prize
- Michael Ahamed – Dr Richard Formby Prize for Knowledge Assessment
- Faisal Al-Reefy – Reginald & Dora Goodrick Prize for Knowledge Assessment
- Alexander Anderson – Dr Mary Sheridan Prize for Clinical Assessment
- Solomon-Miles Donnelly – Sir Charles Scott Sherrington Prize for Knowledge Assessment
- Lillie Dummer – Reginald & Dora Goodrick Prize for Clinical Assessment
- Courtney Holmes – J Hill Abram Prize in Pharmacology & General Therapeutics
- Shantanu Kundu – Spirit of Liverpool School of Medicine Prize
- Drew Lerikos – Reginald & Dora Goodrick Prize for Knowledge Assessment
- Emma Tixerant – Reginald & Dora Goodrick Prize for Clinical Assessment
- Edward Willcocks – William Henry Duncan Prize for Knowledge Assessment
Guests mingled at the end of the ceremony with drinks and nibbles
Congratulations to all of our prize winners! We look forward to celebrating even more of our student doctors at next year’s event. Keep a look out for details on how you can enter prize categories available this academic year – coming to your inbox shortly!
Discover more
- Take a look at the full list of School Prizes available for the 21-22 academic year on the student intranet (link). The self and peer-nomination categories will open for submissions in April 2022
- Learn more about the 20-21 Prize Winners (link)
- Follow the School of Medicine on Facebook (link), Instagram (link) and Twitter (link)