Two Imperial graduates have achieved both awards in the London Gold Medal Prize: Matko Marlais and Nishma Manek.
Imperial students have taken first and second place in a prestigious competition for final year students from all London medical schools. Matko Marlais (pictured below right) received the University of London 2011 Gold Medal, together with £500, for his performance in a special MBBS examination, while Nishma Manek (pictured below left) received the Betuel Prize, which includes £200, as runner up.
The competition, organised by the University of London, involves medical students taking their final MBBS examinations. The students were selected by their medical schools based on strong academic performance throughout their student careers.
Each candidate had to face a panel of six examiners, covering the specialties of Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and Pathology. The examiners took it in turns to question each panellist, before assigning them a grade.
In winning gold Matko breaks a six year chain of the medal going to UCL students. He is also in excellent Imperial company: in 1908 the medal was won by Alexander Fleming who was a medical student at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, one of the schools which merged with the College over twenty years ago. Matko said:
“The whole thing is still sinking in and I still occasionally can’t quite believe it! It’s a great honour and I feel very lucky to be able to receive the Gold Medal. I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response from friends, family and from staff in the Faculty of Medicine.”
Nishma said winning the Betuel Prize was a shock: “When the exam finished I was so certain that I didn’t have a chance of getting anything that I just focussed on packing for my holiday the next day and didn’t give it much thought! I was elated when I found out, and especially pleased that with Matko’s win together we were able to break UCL’s stronghold on the medal!”
Professor Jenny Higham, Deputy Principal and Director of Education in the Faculty of Medicine, said: “The Faculty is absolutely delighted by Matko and Nishma’s success, particularly given the very high calibre of candidates taking part in the competition. It is a tribute to their dedication and hard work and also that of their teachers here in the Medical School, as well as being a wonderful way for Matko and Nishma to end their studies with us. We are very proud of them.”
— John-Paul Jones, Communications and Development
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