Second year of success for Imperial medical students in London competition

Winners Rahul Ravindran and Ashik Amlani

Two Imperial students have been recognised at a prestigious competition involving medical schools across the capital.

Rahul Ravindran took home the top prize at The University of London Gold Medal Viva - an annual competition organised by the University of London for institutions in the capital with medical schools. Fellow classmate Ashik Amlani also took home the Betuel Prize as the runner up.

Participants in the competition are nominated by their medical schools based on exceptional academic performance. To compete for the prize, Rahul and Ashik faced a panel of examiners, who tested their knowledge in six key areas: pathology, medicine, surgery, clinical pharmacology & therapeutics, obstetrics & gynaecology, and paediatrics.

This is the second year running that students from the College have taken home the accolades – last year Imperial student Amy Mallorie won the Gold Medal, while  Anthony Dorr took home the Betuel Prize at the competition.

High achievers

Imperial has a long history of success at the competition. Alexander Fleming won the medal in 1908 when he was a student at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School - one of the schools which merged with the College over twenty years ago. Fleming went on to discover penicillin at St Mary's, and won the Nobel Prize for his work in 1945.

Rahul Ravindran said: “Winning the London Gold Medal has been a truly special way to complete my time at Imperial. I owe my success to the constant encouragement I have received from my family and friends, as well as the remarkable staff from the Faculty of Medicine who have taught me over the past six years. I am very grateful and will be forever indebted to my teachers here.”

Ashik Amlani added: "I was incredibly proud to have been nominated to represent Imperial in the competition. Winning the Betuel Prize was a wonderful surprise and the perfect way to conclude my time at medical school. I have enjoyed every minute of my six years here and I must thank all those who have been a part of my training, without whom my success would not have been possible."

Martin Lupton, Head of the Undergraduate School of Medicine, said: “We are immensely proud of Rahul and Ashik’s successes, competing against very high achievers from across London medical schools.  The breadth and depth of knowledge required for the examination is enormous and it is truly impressive that they have performed so well.  The School’s track record of success in recent years of this competition is a fantastic tribute to the quality and hard work of our students.”