Earlier this month, student doctor Andrew Bonsu won the Medical Education Award for ‘Medical Student Standout Moment’ at Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s awards ceremony. After hearing about this extraordinary accolade, we ask Andrew more about his amazing achievement and the awards night.
How did you hear about the competition at Warrington and Halton Hospital and what did you do to enter?
Towards the end of my acute placement at Warrington Hospital back in February, I heard about the competition and thought I would apply. The specific category I won was “Medical Student Standout Moment” and all medical students across Years 3 to 5 were eligible to apply. I detailed my experiences while on placement there and my peers voted for the winner.
Can you tell us some of the reasons you were chosen as the winner?
After the ceremony, I was given an opportunity to read some of the recommendations provided by the Medical Education Team and my peers of which I’ve listed below:
“Andrew has been an outstanding member of our medical group cohort, always helping to organise group sessions with us and ensuring that the CBL presentations were done on time.”
“Always helpful and encouraging on placement.”
“Honestly a very nice guy, helped me understand Acute Medicine better and overall, a great colleague throughout the Acute blocks in Warrington.”
“Andrew took the role of our group lead very importantly and was a reliable hand for info and guidance. He is the best choice for this award.”
Having had a chance to read these comments, I was so pleased to hear my hard work had been recognised and appreciated. I am thoroughly grateful for the support and respect from my peers. I’m so glad they considered me for this award.
What was it like to go to the awards ceremony and collect your award?
The awards ceremony was a great event! I enjoyed some nice food and got the opportunity to celebrate with my future medical colleagues. After a busy season with SAMP and organising my FY1 placement, it was nice to unwind and I was so glad to be invited to this amazing evening.
How did it feel to win this prestigious award?
It felt great! It was a shock to win the award but I am so glad I did because it proves how dedication and hard work can merit success. This win only adds to what a fantastic final year at Liverpool University has been for me. Some other highlights for me include: being Year 5 Course Rep, coming in 2nd place on an oral presentation for a national scientific conference and presenting my poster at the Annual Haematology Conference in Liverpool. Now I’m looking forward to graduation which is just around the corner.
The winners were announced at an awards night held by Warrington and Halton NHS Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This awards ceremony consisted of 12 categories and more that 300 nominations were submitted for the awards.
WHH Chief Executive Simon Constable reflected on the inspirational evening as he told invited guests: “We could not have an awards ceremony like this one if it wasn’t for your unwavering dedication to our hospitals, our patients and our communities. Events like this really do shine a spotlight on the outstanding work that is undertaken day in, day out, and give us the opportunity to share your successes and achievements more widely.”
Discover More
Read more about the awards night from Warrington Hospital’s website (link).
Learn more about Course Reps and their role in influencing positive change on the student intranet (link).