Outstanding students

At Birmingham Medical School we commend students for exemplary performance. The commendation process is a positive initiative that rewards students for excelling academically, acting remarkably in difficult situations, being good with patients or for standing out on their course or placements. Commendation letters are signed by the student’s year tutor and the Dean, and the commendations are published in the School newsletter.

Below are a number of examples of commendations that our students have received.

• Kate McMurrugh and Laura Jeskins were both awarded a commendation for assisting at the scene of a car accident by delivering first aid. Kate and Laura also helped to stabilise the drivers C-spine and held his airways open until the paramedics arrived.
• Alexandra Finch displayed an exceptional interviewing technique while taking a history from an extremely anxious patient.
• Kelly Boxall and Eleanor Hendicott provided first aid to a fellow MBChB student who had been injured in an accident while on elective in Malaysia. Their prompt action prevented a nasty situation from escalating into something more serious.
• Bethany Gorman helped the 100,000 Genome Project team and has also been involved with rare disease events. She has taken a keen interest in attending clinics and has also been involved in recruiting for the 100,000 Genome Project.
• Felicity Allen, Georgina Morley and Amber Saleem were awarded commendations for providing first aid to a fellow traveller following completion of their elective. They provided first aid and stabilised the patient until the emergency services arrived.
• While on elective in St Lucia, Matthew Carter and Samuel Walon provided first aid to a passer-by who had been seriously injured in a shooting incident. Their actions helped to save the victims life.
• Jayant Cherukat undertook an audit/research project in which he submitted the abstract to the European Society of Cardiology and was successful in having it accepted. Jayant presented his findings as a poster in Munich and also presented the audit to the Cardiology Department at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
• Sam Calmonson completed his elective in an A&E Department at a hospital in Nepal. During his elective Sam used the expertise gained from his intercalation in healthcare ethics and law to conduct teaching sessions for staff. Sam received excellent feedback on his teaching and was invited to continue teaching via Skype since returning to the UK.