Dental graduate comes out top in London competition

The Dental Institute is delighted to announce that Jessie Tebbutt, who recently completed her BDS undergraduate programme, Class of 2016, has won the highly prestigious University of London Gold Medal Viva for Dentistry.

The Gold Medal, accompanied by a cheque for £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.

Both King's College London Dental Institute and Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL), are invited to nominate the top few students for the Gold Medal competition, which takes place after the Final Bachelor of Dental Surgery examinations.

Jessie was honoured to represent the Dental Institute in the Viva's: "When I first found out I had been nominated to represent the Dental Institute at the prestigious University of London Gold Medal Viva I was very excited. It was a real honour and an amazing experience. Hearing later that same afternoon that I had won was wonderful news and an exceptional high on which to end my eight years of study at King’s College London.

My time at Dental School has been very memorable and I have come into contact with some truly lovely people. Getting to this point has been a lot of hard work and although final year is one of the toughest, in my opinion it has been one of the most enjoyable. I am incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported and encouraged me. I have had some really brilliant tutors who have not only challenged and guided, but served as real inspiration for me to reach my true potential.

I am really proud to have won this very special award and of all the other prize winners this year. It is the perfect way to end my time at university. This is a real testament to not only the quality of teaching and dedication of staff at King’s, but also the drive and enthusiasm of my peers. I hope our achievements will go on to inspire future years to accomplish the same."

Dental Institute Dean (Education), Professor Mark Woolford says: “It is always a pleasure when a King’s student wins the University of London Gold Medal. This is the most prestigious prize available in the UK and really shows the accomplishment of the winner. The recipient is probably the best graduate in the UK and we are extremely proud when they are one of ours. The medal is small but the achievement is massive and once again I am able to congratulate the winner and I know they are destined for great things.”