School of Medicine, Prize-Giving Ceremony 2020

11 Jan 2021

The annual School of Medicine Prize-Giving Ceremony took place virtually on Friday 11 December 2020.

The Dean of the School, Professor Paula O’Leary was delighted to welcome the prize winners, and the students who had other notable achievements, along with their guests, and faculty of the School of Medicine to the online Ceremony. Professor O’Leary pointed out that discipline, commitment, effort, resilience and passion underpin the characteristics required to excel in healthcare and medical science. The events of 2020 have provided clear example of the universal importance and value of those characteristics in a year that has positioned healthcare and medical science front and centre in terms of world priorities. The School places high value in the demonstration of excellence and commitment to academic achievement as evidenced by the many prizes that were awarded across the range of specialties and disciplines.

The Dean was also keen to point out the relevance of student group activities and societies, and the importance of pursuits beyond core curriculum, through student and community initiatives, arts and sport, and their roles in enhancing lives, especially at a time like the present also needed to be acknowledged.

Professor O’Leary in particular made special mention of those students who are far from home at this time. She hoped this virtual ceremony allowed their family and friends to join all in the School of Medicine for this important occasion.

Before proceeding to announcing the winners in the various categories the Dean closed by saying “I continue to be impressed and proud of you our students, and especially so in this year. Our most recent graduates have completed their undergraduate education and have entered the medical workforce at a time like no other in living memory. We celebrate all of your achievements and trust you will value the recognition which you rightly deserve.”

MSc Diagnostic Radiography 2020 - Student Prizes

The discipline of Radiography is one of the newest in the University and in the College of Medicine & Health and joined the School of Medicine in September 2020. This year marks the first graduating class in Diagnostic Radiography. The following prizes were presented:

Hazel Murphy – awarded the Highest Overall Mark, the Highest Mark in Physics, the Highest Mark in Research and the IIRRT Olive Fleming memorial medal

Aisling O’Leary – awarded the Highest mark in Professional Practice of Radiography Subjects

Sarah Coakley – awarded the Highest Mark in First year

The following prizes were presented to the successful recipients in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the 2019/2020 academic year:

Following the formal presentation of the Prizes the Dean acknowledged the many students who had significant achievements in areas of Research, contribution to Medical student societies and a range of other academic and cultural areas.

Fiona Brady, Louise Howe, Samuel Keogh and Fionn Woulfe

- who were each awarded a Health Research Board Summer Student Scholarship

 Ciara O’Donoghue, Eimear O’Shaughnessy and Antoin Stanton

- who each received a bursary under the 2020 UCC College of Medicine and Health SURE Scheme.

The many successes of the medical student societies were noted by Professor O’Leary, and in particular:

Surgeon Noonan – for winning two National Awards – Club/Society of the Year at the SAAI 2020 Awards Ceremony and Best Green Initative at the BICS 2020 Ceremony.

In addition the following students received awards at UCC level in 2020 for excelling for their particular Societies:

Kelly Hiu Ying Choy -awarded a UCC Bene Merenti for contribution to AMSI

Aoife Golden -awarded a UCC STAR award for contribution to MedSoc

Natalie Krakoski -awarded a UCC STAR award for contribution to Emergency Care Society

David O’Keeffe -awarded a UCC Best Individual Award for contribution as Vice-Chair, Surgeon Noonan 19/20

Clodagh Woods -awarded a UCC Bene Merenti for contribution as Chairperson, Surgeon Noonan 19/20

A range of significant achievements by a number of other students and recent graduates were also acknowledged – and these included

Aoife Feeley – awarded 2019 RCSI Fielding Medal for best final year student project

Sinead Flanagan – crowned Rose of Tralee 2019

Colm Hannon – 2020 RCPI Reuben Harvey Prize - UCC winner

Haleeda Hilmi - oral presentation winner at Royal Academy for Medicine Ireland, Intern Section Study Day Meeting, 2020

Hannah Keohane – awarded a 2020/2021 Quercus University Academic Scholarship

Anita Lucey – for winning the RCGP Sheppard Memorial Essay 2020 Prize

Mario Rotundo and Darek Sokol-Randall - Joint winners of the Prof Moira O’Brien Medal for best oral presentation at RCSI, Faculty of Sport & Exercise Medicine 2019 conference

Brian Traynor - oral presentation winner at Royal Academy for Medicine Ireland, Intern Section Study Day Meeting, 2020

UCC Sim Wars team (Ryan Sless, Nathaniel Hayward, Tommy Kirkham, Shawn Albers, and Niki Tellios) -for reaching Sim Wars Final at 2019 Association for Simulation Practice in Healthcare meeting.

And before bringing the event to a close, Professor O’Leary congratulated the students (listed below) who had performed so well in the 2020 Dr. HHS Medical Scholarships and Prizes. Students from six institutions on the island of Ireland compete in this prestigious, national competition. This year the School of Medicine at UCC had another outstanding performance winning a total of 12 awards.

Congratulations to these students who excelled in both Medical Science and Clinical disciplines. On behalf of the School, Professor O’Leary was delighted the Ceremony provided an opportunity to acknowledge their success.

2020 Dr. HH Stewart Medical Scholarships and Prizes

The School of Medicine 2020 Prizegiving Ceremony can be viewed in full at the following link https://youtu.be/6O9G5HckkVo