Three students from Queen Mary awarded at this year’s University of London Gold Medal Viva for Dentistry

L to R – Dr Yogesh Patel, Dr Swati Nehete, Professor Paul Coulthard, Dr Suraj Shah and Dr Demi Bains

Suraj Shah won the Gold Medal viva. Demi Bains was the first runner up and winner of the annual Betuel prize in Dentistry. Yogesh Patel was awarded the proxime accessit to the University of London Gold Medal for Dentistry.

The prestigious University of London Gold Medal MBBS competition has been running since 1903. Each year, London-based medical schools are invited to nominate their top-performing students in their final examinations to take part.  

The Gold Medal, accompanied by a prize of £500, is awarded annually to the student who most distinguishes him or herself, in a special series of oral exams conducted by four external examiners. The medal will be struck by the Royal Mint and engraved with the winner’s name.

The judging panel is also asked to identify the first runner-up to the old Medal who is recommended to the Convocation of the University for the award of the annual Betuel Prize in Medicine/Dentistry, the value of which is £200. All the candidates examined for the Gold Medal are given specific recognition on their Degree Diplomas. 

The Betuel returns to Queen Mary from 2022, whereas all three top place awards were received by Queen Mary in 2021.   

Dr Swati Nehete, Senior Clinical Lecturer in Restorative Dentistry, who helped organise the team’s participation in the competition said:

“Queen Mary enter one student per 25 who graduate in the cohort, and normally enter two or three as we have a smaller cohort, but King's usually have up to six nominees. Our 2023 graduates have performed against the odds of the pandemic and with the numbers stacked against them.”

Professor Paul Coulthard, Dean and Director of Queen Mary’s Institute of Dentistry said:
“Our students worked hard by engaging in a two- and half-week revision programme and mock vivas. Huge thanks to Swati Nehete for leading and injecting energy into the preparations and thank you to Ryan Salucideen and William Ng for coordinating the process.  It has helped us retain the Betuel Prize for Dentistry and bring back the gold medal from its brief stay at Kings College.”