2022 winner: Sarwar Shah

Claire Freeman was a WMS student who sadly passed away during her first year of the MB ChB. She is remembered for her inspirational behaviour and support to friends and fellow students, and the Memorial Prize named after her is awarded annually to a student who demonstrates these attributes and displays inspirational leadership beyond the classroom.

The winner of the Claire Freeman Memorial Prize this year is Sarwar Shah.

The students who nominated Sarwar told us of the significant impact he had had on them and their integration in the Medical School. We were told of the considerable efforts he had made to reach out to new Phase 1 students, checking on them and giving advice on learning approaches. Nominations also highlighted his commitment to building communities, enabling new students to feel welcomed and connected and also to the inclusive way in which he did this. He was noted as ‘creating a culture of peer support’.

It was clear that so many felt that Sarwar was looking out for them and cared about their wellbeing. His peers also indicated the important support he has provided for others using his own professional background as a pharmacist, and his openness to sharing and supporting others to achieve. We were also told of the important role model he provided: ‘he inspires those of a BAME background to aim high’. In separate nominations he was described as ‘a great motivator’, a ‘legend of a person’ and ‘a shining star of the WMS community’.

Award for Teaching Excellence for a University-Based Teacher

Winner: Erin Fillmore

Students nominating Erin said:

- 'Erin is one of the most inspirational teachers I have ever had. Coming to medical school, the prospect of learning anatomy was very daunting, but it was Erin's dedication to and passion for teaching anatomy that put me at ease.'

- 'Erin always tries to find the most innovative ways to teach us challenging anatomy concepts and she succeeds every time. She is very approachable and makes you feel valued every time you go to her with an anatomy question or query. Her teaching style (both online and in-person) shows how dedicated and committed she is and how much she cares about her students.'

- 'The loveliest woman ever. A complete inspiration. I want to be her, I love her so much, she makes me excited about anatomy.’

Award for Teaching Excellence in the NHS

Winners: Adeyinka Gbadebo (unable to attend) and Philip Perkins

Students nominating Adeyinka said:

- 'Ade provides a really enjoyable and hands on experience in his teaching sessions in the plaster room. He is able to make a lot of concepts fun and applied, making them memorable and clear'.

- '[Ade's] manner with patients, colleagues and students is warm, reassuring and engaging. He goes above and beyond, generous with his time to ensure patients are not left in pain, no extra work is left for others and even to accommodate extra teaching opportunities for keen students.'

Students nominating Philip said:

- 'Dr Perkins has gone above and beyond the teaching requirements. Since retiring he put on so much extra teaching to ensure we have the opportunity to go through different clinical presentations we would otherwise not see. His teaching style is fantastic, he incorporates all aspects of medicine when discussing topics, so you leave the tutorial having a better understanding of general physiology. He has been so supportive throughout’.

‘Dr Perkins goes above and beyond to make useful and engaging sessions for students during their MSK blocks. He regularly brings refreshments to help comfort the students and is incredibly popular with students. He is incredibly kind and welcoming and adapts his teaching to the students. He goes above and beyond to create additional sessions, provides support at any time and is always around if students have questions or need extra support. His sessions were a joy to attend, and he was a standout presence in phase 3 and 4’.

Personal Tutor Award

Winner: Helen Watkin

Students nominating Helen said:

• Helen has been an invaluable help to me this year both academically and with personal circumstances. She never failed to drop regular emails to our CBL group throughout first year and answered any emails that I/others sent her as soon as possible. Whenever our CBL group had any issues or complaints about anything, Helen would always answer our teams calls and didn’t mind giving up a lot of time to us all individually and as a group. She was great when she ran PPD sessions for our CBL group and ensured she gave enough time to each and all of us. Helen was also very willing to help with any extra academic support I needed. Overall, Helen deserves this award as she’s a great personal tutor!! ‘

  ‘Helen was an amazing personal tutor for me and my CBL group throughout phase 1. Always getting in touch and checking in with us all through the whole year. Sharing her tips and tricks for when I was experiencing difficulties or had any questions.’

Clinical Personal Tutor Award

Winners: Zaki Gaballa and Simon Unter

Students nominating Simon said:

- 'He has really gone above and beyond to ensure that we are all settling into Phase 2 and let us know we are welcome to contact him if we ever need any help’

- 'Simon has been very willing to meet up with our tutor group and encouraged us to think of each other as a team, this support is really important during your studies.’

- ‘Simon has encouraged us to start thinking about our longer term goals and has been a useful source of knowledge when discussing career options’.

Students nominating Zaki said:

• ‘Zaki consistently is a warm and welcoming tutor, with solid and practicable advice on everything from academia, professional development to work life balance. He goes out of his way to avail himself to students, be approachable and can be counted on the provide support and advice and treats students as genuine colleagues. He is always happy to provide additional clinical learning opportunities and networking within his trust to students who show an interest. He also actively reaches out to students who may be suffering from adverse circumstances to identify ways in which to prevent them affecting MB ChB study, or to advise on support systems at the university or trusts; ensuring that students are given the best opportunity to engage with and succeed on the course.’

Behind The Scenes Award

Winner: Laura Cranshaw

Students nominating Laura said:

- ‘In what was an incredibly difficult Phase I year, Laura was unfailingly efficient and friendly in her communications with our cohort. Always doing her best to make things as seamless as possible for us as new WMS students in an uncertain and undulating environment.’

- ‘Laura has been absolutely fantastic in supporting admin work in our 1st year of uni. She has worked tirelessly so that could have an up-to-date timetable every single week from the Block 1 all the way to Block 5. She made sure that we have all the Teams meeting links for all our online sessions in phase 1, ensuring that we don't miss any sessions due to accessibility issues.’

Winner: Shipston Medical Centre (unable to attend)

Students spoke about how welcome all staff made them feel and about how much they both enjoyed and valued the education they received. We were advised of how much students valued the independence given to them to undertake consultations in a framework of high levels of support and guidance. There was also comment on the careful attention given by staff to ensuring that all students' learning needs were met. It is clear how much students gained from their placements and how this was a whole staff team contribution.