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Isabel Burn, winner of the Citizenship Prize

Medicine and Health students recognised at awards

A Medical Sciences student whose campaign helped accelerate a number of changes to improve student safety at night has been awarded a prize, at an awards ceremony that marks students’ achievements in academia and beyond.

The University of Exeter’s Medical Science and Health 8th Prizes and Awards ceremony took place Wednesday February 8th at St Mellion Golf Club in Cornwall.

The prizes also recognised Medicine student Anna Richards, who created a scheme to recycle medical scrubs by selling old 5th years’ scrubs who were graduating and selling them to current medical students who wanted another pair. She raised £1,400 for Anthony Nolan Trust, while helping being more eco-friendly and limit waste.

A prize also went to Medicine student Emily Jones, whose work with the Resuscitation Council UK’s Restart a Heart campaign helped to recruit 21 universities to take part in the campaign. Across student-led events, 8,421 people were taught CPR and the use of a defibrillator.

The prizes seek to acknowledge some of the brightest student stars among the Medicine, Medical Sciences, Medical Imaging and Neuroscience programmes. Over 120 awards were given, recognising academic achievement as well as extra-curricular activities, which range from making a difference in their communities to fundraising feats.

Among the winners was Medical Sciences student Isabel Burn, winning the Citizenship Prize in recognition of her work which helped to bring about positive change to benefit student safety in Exeter’s nightlife. Isabel started her campaign after experiencing harassment at night-time and it was backed by local MP – Ben Bradshaw. Her work was one of a number of initiatives which brought about accelerated changes at the university, including: 

  • Offering a night bus service and bystander intervention prevention training.
  • Designated safe walking routes across campus with increased lighting.
  • Introduced a ‘Safe Zone’ app, co-designed with students, allowing them to raise an immediate alert.
  • Continuation of a taxi scheme, enabling cash-strapped students a safe return to their accommodation without paying a fare.

Isabel, now an Exeter graduate, said: "I’m thankful for this award, which recognises the efforts I made to improve student safety at night, and I’m pleased to see that the university has taken first steps. I began my campaign after experiencing harassment and assault myself, amid awareness that misogyny exists on campus, and beyond.

"I researched successful night safety schemes at other universities, and campaigned to establish a similar organisation in Exeter, which received support on a student survey. In York, their NightSafe scheme is low-cost and has been cited as an example of good practice, so I hope work continues to develop a similar organisation at Exeter.

"Students deserve to feel safe at night, and the university needs tocontinuetheirwork to ensure everyone can get home without harm."

Oliver Kennett, a medicine student, won the Newquay Health Centre Sporting Achievement Prize for undertaking an epic 990-mile cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats in Scotland – the most northern point in the UK’s mainland. He completed this gruelling feat with two other university friends, raising over £2,000 for Devon Air Ambulance. The three received no outside help, independently overcoming mechanical issues, injuries and severe weather. Oliver hopes to embark on a career in emergency medicine.

Oliver said: "This was a once in a lifetime opportunity I simply couldn’t pass on and Devon Air Ambulance hold a special place in my heart. I’m so grateful to receive this award as an amateur cyclist beforehand. The skills and experience I have gained will stay with me for a lifetime. I hope that the money raised will help Devon Air Ambulance continue their heroic work here in the Southwest."

Medical student Azizi Shelik-Ali, won the Citizenship Award in founding a multicultural society and the UK’s first national BAME medical conference last year, attended by over 150 people. The conference provides a platform for health professionals and students across the UK to come together, share their experiences, and discuss important issues related to diversity and inclusion in the medical field. Azizi collaborated with his peers: Rida, Danny, Caitlin, Beth and Timothy.

Medical sciences student Andrew Jubane, won the ­­­­Extra Curricular Award for the role he played in designing a mental health literacy course for undergraduates. With his peers, rather than creating a traditional course with grading criteria and assessments, Andrew created a YouTube channel. Today, this channel is a space where students can share their experiences with mental health challenges. The channel features university lecturers and other mental health professionals speaking on what can be best done if someone needs support, pointing them to points of help available.

Professor Ian Fussell, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor Education at the University of Exeter Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, who hosted the event, said: "It's amazing to hear all the incredible feats our students achieve, whether that be a part of their extremely challenging studies or in their own time. They’re a real credit to us and themselves, bringing wide benefits to their communities. We’re hugely proud of them all, and I look forward to all they’ll achieve as dedicated future leaders in the fields of health and wellbeing."

The full list of prize winners is:

AMK Best Overall Score - Y1 BMBS            Alice Moulds

AMK Best Overall Score - Y2 BMBS            Fiona (Gemma) Harris

AMK Best Overall Score - Y3 BMBS            Sophie Blummers

AMK Best Overall Score - Y4 BMBS            Alexandria Sebastio

OSCE Best Overall Score - Y1 BMBS           Nicky Ahadi

OSCE Best Overall Score - Y2 BMBS           Grace Reid

OSCE Best Overall Score - Y3 BMBS           Isabelle Mayne

OSCE Best Overall Score - Y4 BMBS           Nina Elliot

SSC Best Overall Score - Y1 BMBS              Benjamin Brown

SSC Best Overall Score - Y1 BMBS              Riley Griffiths

SSC Best Overall Score - Y2 BMBS              James Miller

SSC Best Overall Score - Y2 BMBS              Lauren Nankivell

SSC Best Overall Score - Y3 BMBS              Kitty Forster

SSC Best Overall Score - Y3 BMBS              Isabelle Mayne

SSC Best Overall Score - Y4 BMBS              Emily Nicholson required Matthew Howells

SSC Best Overall Score - Y4 BMBS              Lyuben Truykov

Duchy Health Prize          James Oliver

Dr Ken MacLeod Memorial Prize for Professionalism Y1   Harry Costin

Dr Ken MacLeod Memorial Prize for Professionalism Y2   Nel Williams

Dr Ken MacLeod Memorial Prize for Professionalism Y3   Virginia Vilkelyte

Dr Ken MacLeod Memorial Prize for Professionalism Y4   Mimi Mostefai

Dr Ken MacLeod Memorial Prize for Professionalism Y5   Johannes Yu

Dr Grant Neumegen Prize            Howard Winsten Korver

Paul Lock Memorial Prize in Paediatrics  Zain Ahmad

Paul Loock Clinical Academic Prize in Paediatrics Emily Jones

Peter Thursby Memorial Prize     Alicia Gilliat

Elective Photo Prize Winner       Winner Charlotte Emsden

Elective Photo Prize Runner Up Naomi Blower

Newquay Health Centre Sporting Achievement Prize        Oliver Kennett

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism Anna Gahol

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism Dmytro Prasolov

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism Georgia Hope

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (BSc Medical Sciences) Y2        Louisa May Wilmore

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (BSc Medical Sciences) Y2        Georgie Hallett

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (BSc Medical Sciences) Y1        Oleg Girnyk

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (BSc Medical Sciences) Y1        Emma Haxton

Special Commendation for Scientific Research and Communication (BSc Medical Sciences) Y1       Yip Hin

Special Commendation for Scientific Research and Communication (BSc Medical Sciences) Y2 with PTY     Kyle Diddams

Special Commendation for Scientific Research and Communication (BSc Medical Sciences) FY        Chloe Keitch

Year One Prize (BSc Medical Sciences) Yip Hin

Final Year BSc Medical Sciences Michaelis Vasiliadis

Medical Sicences Year 1 Employability Award     Y1 Jacob Lund

Peer Support Champion Y2           Y2 PAL Dill Shepherd

Peer Support Champion FY           FY PAL Michaelis Vasiliadis

Final Year Endocrinology project prize MS            Thomas Worthington MS

Final Year Endocrinology project prize MS            Jade Patel MS

Society of Endocrinology Project prize PTY MS     Junfeng Nie

Society of Endocrinology Project prize PTY Neuro              Elsa Oakes

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (SEMS)FY        Natalya Helvadjian Williams FY

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (SEMS)Y2        Y2 Caitlyn Sampson

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (SEMS)Y1        Y1 Josie Pickering

Medical Sciences Year prizes Y2  Caitlyn Sampson

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (Neuro) Y2     Leonie Boesch –

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (Neuro) Y2     Stella-Ann Shelton-Sayer –

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (Neuro) Y2     Jack Hawthorne –

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (Neuro) Y2     Sebastian Whitman

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (Neuro) Y2     Tahlia Parker –

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (Neuro) Y2     Giulia Sandri –

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (Neuro) FY     Rosalind Hull–

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (Neuro) FY     Kaitlin Dailey –

Special Commendation for Reflective Practice and Professionalism (Neuro) FY     Jessica Lewis -

Society for Endocrinology Undergraduate Achievement Award   Georgia Morgan

Society for Endocrinology Undergraduate Achievement Award - Eliza Gibb

Medical Imaging Year 1 Prize       Adrian Swaine

Medical Imaging Year 1 Prize       Ching HUI

Medical Imaging Year 1 Prize       Owen WIlliams

Medcial Imaging Year 2 Prize       Katie Harvie

Medcial Imaging Year 2 Prize       Sarah Greed

Medcial Imaging Year 2 Prize       Emily Congo

Medcial Imaging Year 2 Prize 2020/21      Susannah Leigh

Medcial Imaging Year 2 Prize 2020/21      Victoria Tager

Medcial Imaging Year 2 Prize 2020/21      Mollie Reburn

Medcial Imaging Year 2 Prize 2020/21      Carl Vilela-Mansell

Medical Imaging Year 3 Prize       Mollie Reburn

Medical Imaging Year 3 Prize       Megan Elliott

Medical Imaging Year 3 Prize       Gemma Hooper

Medical Imaging Clinical Performance Year One Courtney Messenger

Medical Imaging Clinical Performance Year Two Thomas Yapp

Medical Imaging Clinical Performance Year Three              Molly Graham

Medical Imaging Clinical Professionalism Award Year One              Charis Hui

Medical Imaging Clinical Professionalism Award Year Two              Dise Ockri

Medical Imaging Clinical Professionalism Award Year Three          Molly Graham

Medical Imaging Outsanding Patient Care Award Year One            Charis HUI

Medical Imaging Outsanding Patient Care Award Year Two            Emma Warburton

Medical Imaging Outsanding Patient Care Award Year Three        Carl Vilela - Mansell

Medical Imaging College  Commendations            Debbie Birchall

Medical Imaging College Commendation               John Corner

Medical Imaging Dean's Commendations              Chelsie Das

Rothband Prize for Innovation    Chelsie Das

Rothband Prize for Innovation    Jaqueline Hilley

Rothband Prize for Innovation    Gemma Hooper

Chris Wright Image Interpretation Award             Victoria Tager

Degee Apprentices Stage 1  Prize Sept cohort      Natalie Armstrong

Degee Apprentices Stage 1  Prize Sept cohort      Thomas Francis

Degee Apprentices Stage 1  Prize Sept cohort      Bethany White

Degee Apprentices Stage 2  Prize Sept cohort      Paula Russ 

Degee Apprentices Stage 2  Prize Sept cohort      Lisa Sweet

Degee Apprentices Stage 2  Prize Sept cohort      Chris Maynard

Degree Apprentices College Commendation        Kerry Johnson

Degree Apprentices Stage 1 March cohort             Zach Warren

Degree Apprentices Stage 1 March cohort             Clare Meadows

Degree Apprentices Stage 1 March cohort             Jamie Brown

Degree Apprentices Stage 2 March cohort             Rachael Bradford

Degree Apprentices Stage 2 March cohort             Georgina Brimblecombe

Degree Apprentices Stage 2 March cohort             Cassandra Bednall 

Laura Acton Award         Paula Russ

Health Data Science        Amy Grace Heather

Extreme Medicine           Nicola Mcleary

Environment and Human Health                Hannah Graves

Master of Public Health Benedict Shaw

Clinical Education             Amy Haeffner

Genomic Medicine          Natalie Martin

Advanced Clinical Practice            Claire Senior

Health Research Methods            Eileen Mairi Morrow

Healthcare Leadership and Management              Rebecca Dyar

Practice Certificate in Independent and Supplementary Prescribing programme  Stacie Marks 

Most Inspirational Teacher Pre Clinical  BMBS     Tim Harrower

Most Inspirational Teacher  Clinical BMBS          Jurg Ehmann

Supporting Hand - Pre Clinical     Nick Davies

Educational Inspirer        Dr Jane Nash

Date: 7 February 2023