Doubleday prize: celebrating student success in healthcare
On Monday 11 November we’ll be celebrating the next generation of healthcare professionals at the annual Doubleday prize presentation evening.
The prizes will be presented by our President, Professor Gillian Leng CBE, alongside Professor Dame Robina Shah DBE, Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and Director of the Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience at the University of Manchester.
We caught up with the 2023 winners to see how winning the prize has impacted their progress, one year on.
David Gringas, 1st place winner
1st prize winner of the 2023 Doubleday prize, David Gringas, with Professor Gillian Leng CBE
"After six amazing years, I am currently on my penultimate placement of medical school with just a few months to go until finals! I am looking forward to beginning my career as a resident doctor - and in the shorter term I can’t wait for my upcoming medical elective in Sri Lanka!
"The last year has been a particularly busy one for me, having been involved with several exciting projects alongside a busy placement schedule. I have also been lucky enough to some gain some valuable experiences outside of clinical medicine, pursuing my interests in public health and health policy/law - which I see as really important vehicles for improving population health and wellbeing. As well as a part time law conversion, this has included several health-law-related internships and health policy research projects.
"Being honoured with first place in the 2023 Doubleday Prize has played a key role in empowering me to pursue my various passions. Firstly, given the competition and my low expectations, winning this award built my confidence (in my writing as well as more generally) and has motivated me to take a chance on any opportunities that interests me. Additionally, the RSM is widely respected even outside of traditional medical circles, and so having an RSM award has been a real strength in applications. It has also been something I’ve enjoyed discussing at interviews, especially because I am truly passionate about both patient-centred care and the value of holistic expertise.
"The ‘Success in Medicine’ event (where I presented my essay and received the award) was a great opportunity to gain confidence in public speaking and, more importantly, got to meet some amazing people. It was particularly great to get to know the second and third place winners Elizabeth and Hamaad - whose amazing presentations left me wondering how I had won! I have stayed in contact with Hamaad who has been doing some truly inspiring work, and I am sure Elizabeth has been too. It was also great to meet Dr Fraser Birrell, who was kind enough to help the three of us submit our essays for publication in Lifestyle Medicine (including very generously waiving the fee). This was my first first-author publication and it was amazing to see my writing featured in a respected journal (and helpful for applications too!).
"Winning the Doubleday Prize is amongst my proudest achievements and I am incredibly grateful to everyone at the RSM and RSM Student Section involved with organising it. I am very excited to read the essays from this year’s winners and hope they all have as good of a time at the award presentation as I did last year!"
Hamaad Khan, 3rd place winner
3rd place winner of the previous Doubleday prize, Hamaad Khan
We also caught up with Hamaad Khan, to find out how winning the prize has impacted on his career.
“Winning the Doubleday Essay prize last year allowed me to connect further on my mission to improve health and care for all. A year on from winning, I’ve co-founded our national campaign Rethinking Health with support from the RSM, BMJ, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and incredible individuals including Professor Gillian Leng, Professor Dame Robina Shah, Lord Nigel Crisp, Dame Donna Kinnair and more.
“We’re also launching our podcast Medicine Unheard, exploring and amplifying voices within medicine that are typically hushed and disempowered. We invite patients and physicians to explore their written works on the culture of medicine, their experience of care, and cross-cutting lessons from illness narratives. This platform also becomes a book club for all health care workers interested in empowering and championing the patient voice, and improving clinical culture.
“I am particularly grateful for Dame Robina from the Doubleday Foundation for providing support in championing our campaign Rethinking Health, and providing contacts to connect with.
“I’ve had several speaking engagements in the past few months with my speeches drawing directly from my Doubleday prize essay. This competition allowed to me crystallise my thoughts around patient-centred care and the nature of medicine itself - and it’s proved very useful. The Doubleday prize essay affords a rare opportunity to develop a critical outlook on the two most central questions for any future doctor: what is a doctor, and what is the role of medicine? It’s a brilliant opportunity that I encourage any future doctor to take part in.”
Professor Dame Robinah Shah DBE
Commenting on the history of the prize, Dame Robina said: “The Doubleday Prize holds special significance as it honours the legacy of Dr Edwin Doubleday, whose commitment to person-centred care continues to guide our work at the Doubleday Centre for Patient Experience. The prize celebrates the achievements of medical students who exemplify the core values of patient partnership, empathy, and inclusivity—values that are at the heart of our Centre’s mission.
Professor Dame Robina Shah DBE pictured at this year’s Inauguration Ceremony
"I first launched the prize in 2021 when I was President of the Society and Medicine Section at the Royal Society of Medicine. In my capacity as Chair of the Doubleday Medical Schools Collaboration on Patient Partnership, which I founded in 2020, my colleagues from the collaboration act as judges of the prize essays. The prize itself is generously sponsored and funded by the Edwin Doubleday Trust.
"My personal involvement with the prize has been deeply rewarding. Each year, the prize serves to highlight the importance of training future doctors who not only excel in clinical competence but also demonstrate a deep understanding of the patient experience. This commitment to compassionate care is reflected in our students’ work and in the broader impact of the Doubleday Centre.
"The prize also helps to promote these values across medical schools in the UK, nurturing a culture where the patient’s voice is heard and respected. It’s a privilege to be part of this journey, as we continue to champion the principles of patient partnership in medical education.”