Inspire GP event celebrates impact of students on primary care placements

Staff and students gathered in November to honour achievements of medical students who excelled in or made exceptional contributions to primary care.

Inspire GP is a new initiative from the Undergraduate Primary Care Education Unit, based in the School of Public Health, to inspire medical students to learn more about general practice as a career. Their goal is to shine a light on the many positives of working as a GP and the opportunities this brings.

Dr Arti Maini, Director of Undergraduate Primary Care Education, hosted the event, saying, “As part of this first event, we’re delighted to celebrate the fantastic achievements and contributions of our amazing medical students in General Practice. It’s so inspiring to see the difference they are making already to their practices and to the patients, and to the field of General Practice at such an early stage of their careers.” 

Students were nominated by their GP tutors to attend the event, to recognise exceptional contributions or for completing work that has been highly commended in the field of primary care. 

Dr Sian Powell, Year 6 GPSA Lead, took the opportunity to share some of the feedback the team had received from GP tutors, saying of final-year medic, Alexandra Cardoso Pinto: “She made such an impact on both staff and patients, that the last patient she saw asked her for a hug, due to the time, effort and care she provided in the holistic Diabetes & chronic kidney disease clinic she set up in the time she was with us.

“I took her on some home visits as well, and she was courteous, and showed genuine care.” 

Attendees also heard from Dr Chaand Nagpaul CBE, GP Partner and former Chair of the British Medical Association. Dr Nagpaul shared his journey into General Practice, his roles representing and supporting GPs through his entire career, his advocacy of racial equality in medicine, and his experiences of leadership of the GP profession through the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Imperial medical alumni, Dr Gautham Benoy and Dr Lisa-Jayne Edwards, whose positive experiences on their primary care placements changed the course of their medical careers, also shared their stories as part of the celebration.  

Now a final-year medical student, Thivyaa Gangatharan was invited to the event to celebrate her outstanding contributions to developing areas of the undergraduate primary care curriculum.

Thivyaa said of her experience, “During my fifth-year speciality choice placement in medical education, I was really privileged to work with the Primary Care team to design some of their curriculum, and deliver it as well. 

“It was all about getting students to think critically and holistically about the patients, rather than treating them as conditions or isolated as drugs that needed to be prescribed. It was really didactic and so much fun. I learned so much, and the team are amazing. 

“The best thing is they really integrate you as one of them, and I think that sort of valuing of your voice and lived experience as a student means so much. You can relate to the other students you’re teaching, but it also makes you feel like you can make a difference and I think that’s really inspiring. 

“I had the best time. This celebration event has been inspiring and has made me think more critically about what I want to do with my days but I’m between psychiatry, palliative care and GP now!” 

Full list of nominated students: 

Kim Alipio
Nominated by Dr Felicity Lalloo

Ailin Anto 
Nominated by Dr Naa Okantey 

Yasmin Baker
Nominated by Dr Arti Maini and Dr Felicity Lalloo 

Alexandra Cardoso Pinto
Nominated by Dr Arti Maini  

Jessica Chen
Nominated by Dr Puja Verma 

Roo-Roo Chen
Nominated by Dr Puja Verma  

Reno Chung
Nominated by Dr Sujata Chadha 

Jessica Ebosele
Nominated by Dr Puja Verma  

Thivyaa Gangatharan
Nominated by Dr Agalya Ramanathan and Dr Naa Okantey 

Cate Goldwater Breheny
Nominated by Dr Jens Foell and Dr Anthi Lavida 

Krishan Goyal
Nominated by Dr Sian Powell  

Noor Halim
Nominated by Dr Mariyah Iqbal

Hamza Ikhlaq
Nominated by Dr Victoria Collin 

Sikander Khan
Nominated by Dr Sian Powell

Athirai Manoharan 
Nominated by Dr Anthi Lavida  

Teesta Maulik
Nominated by Dr Joanna Betterton  

Hafsa Naeem
Nominated by Dr Jens Foell  

Heidi Reynolds
Nominated by Dr Jens Foell 

Rhi Svenson
Nominated by Dr Puja Verma  

Wen Tong
Nominated by Dr Sian Powell 

Christie Tsang
Nominated by Dr Imogen Brunner, Dr Melinda Crème and Dr Saba Rafieizadeh

Ellen Wrathall
Nominated by Dr Agalya Ramanathan 

Ruochen Xu
Nominated by Dr Rekha Raja 

Sijia Yao
Nominated by Dr Sian Powell 

ICSM GP Society Committee
Nominated by Dr Sian Powell