Forget the Met Gala; on Thursday 28th April, Hull KC Stadium was the place to be. After three years of separate regional events, the glitzy Teaching Excellence Awards evening united all five corners of the HYMS globe for the first time – without the need for video link! And where better to host this extravaganza than in the City of Culture 2017 (sorry-not-sorry, York)?
Between the luscious dining and awkward acceptance speeches, staff were given a taste of the appreciation we students have for excellent teaching and, even more so, for banter with our much-loved tutors, whether new, old or (as in some cases), even older.
Kicking things off, our very own witty powerhouse Professor Trevor Sheldon eloquently explained, “Now is an evening to take the time to step back and celebrate the good stories”. HYMS has been moving up the league tables, he went on to say, with much of the thanks being owed to more than thirty new staff members joining us in lovely Yorkshire. With an exciting contribution from Dr Assem Allam in the form of a state-of-the-art, all–singing-all-dancing new medical building at the University of Hull, we HYMS students really do have a lot to look forward to. While it’s a difficult time for juniors of all fields, Trevor reminded us that, “We should not lose sight as to why we are here”. Well said.
Amongst other celebrities, none other than Sue Symington, Chair of York Teaching Hospital Trust, gave us a glimpse into her diverse yet difficult job, explaining that although we may find ourselves in “as hard a time as we could ever imagine or remember for the NHS,” we are also in a position to reflect on what we are doing and achieving, so that together we focus on those in need and ensure we make the world a better place.
Now wipe away your tears and get ready for the winners! Drumroll please, and the nominees are… Well, no, this is more of a TL;DR blog post if you hadn’t guessed by now, so here are the names of those who made the cut, along with some lovely quotations taken straight from students’ nominations.
Administrative Support Award
Ed McCormack – “Infinitively accommodating, and dedicated to making our learning experiences enjoyable and valuable”
Jo Masson – “Someone we can all turn to, and in some cases single-handedly making student experiences 100% better”
Diane Day – “A friendly face, kind and always there to make us a hot chocolate; a HYMS star, who always has our back”
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Team Excellence Award
Psychiatry Pitstop (@PsychPitstop) – “Provided incredible simulated patients, and took our feedback into consideration”
Bridge Street Surgery – “Supportive, and simply amazing”
York SLO Team – “Striving to provide all students with assistance and great learning opportunities”
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Phase I Teacher of Excellence Award
Bill Laughey – “Calm, clear, encouraging with gentle criticism, very kind and down to earth”
George Spink – “Very admired, and a truly exceptional member of HYMS staff”
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Innovative Teacher Award
Steven Oliver – “Delivers lectures that are fun
David Hepburn – “A true credit to the profession”
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Phase II & III Teacher of Excellence Awards
A special shout-out here to Fiona and Omar, who must have named every member of staff known to man since HYMS’s conception.
Karamjit Marwah – “Extraordinary, went the extra mile”
Miriam Hodgson – “Nurtures your confidence”
Fathi Abourawi – “Approachable, and ensures students understand the content”
Anca Staicu – “Fostered an open learning environment”
Marina Antoniou – “Excellent level of knowledge”
David Lightwing – “Excellent exam preparation and feedback”
Anthony Mekako – “Exceptional knowledge, enthusiastic, helpful and supportive”
Donna Beckett – “Goes out of her way for students”
Ian Renwick – “Enthusiastic, with genuine concern for students’ welfare”
Olanrewaju Wilson – “Engaging, thorough yet concise”
Annang Asumang – “Explained concepts in renal medicine clearly, and made them easy to understand”
During his speech, Lawrence Roberts, Medical Director of Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, fondly recalled the day that his tutor at medical school warned him to steer clear of a career in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, which only added fuel to the fire of his passion towards his true calling. “Dedicated educators should help mould the best out of students, and show them the qualities to embrace from their specialties,” he said. Needless to say, this is a perfect example of how pursuing your dreams despite dissuasion can be worthwhile and fulfilling.
Dr Janine Henderson closed the evening by saying: “We live in a world filled with more Eeyores than Tiggers. Thank you for maintaining such enthusiasm; it is fantastic that tutors challenge students to work harder, creating not only doctors but teachers of the future”.
Choose to be a Tigger!
If you’ve got this far, congratulations: you’re now a nominee for next year’s Excellence in Attention Award. See you then!
Mazin Eragat is a final year medical student at HYMS and intercalated in Urgent & Emergency Care BSc at Plymouth University. He will be returning to the south and working in South East London for his foundation years.
