The Royal College of Emergency Medicine takes great pride in recognising the exceptional contributions and achievements of individuals in the field of Emergency Medicine. Our awards and medals celebrate outstanding dedication, leadership, innovation, and excellence within the specialty. Below, you will find detailed information on each of the awards and medals, including how to apply.
National Honours
National Honours are awarded by the Cabinet Office. The role of the RCEM Honours Committee is to collate supporting information for the nominee provided by those nominating the individual and forward the submission to the Cabinet Office.
Eligibility:
The guidance published by the Cabinet Office states:
‘All you have to do is provide evidence of the extraordinary things your nominee has accomplished and how they have made things better for others.
Every nomination is different but it is important that you tell the story of what your candidate has done that is extraordinary. In your nomination, you must:
- Describe your candidate’s achievements
- Show what impact they had
- Demonstrate how they made a difference
- Describe what obstacles they have overcome
- Demonstrate how they have gone the extra mile
You can include any evidence you have of recognition your nominee has received for their achievements, for example articles, photographs or letters.
The nominee must not know that they are under consideration.’
Application procedure:
Nominations should be forwarded to: honours@rcem.ac.uk
Deadline:
30 August each year
Dr Cliff Mann President’s Medal
The President’s medal is awarded in recognition of outstanding contributions in the field of Emergency Medicine. The medal is awarded annually to member or fellow for services above and beyond the call of duty in the service of the College and/or to the benefit of the specialty.
Eligibility:
The nomination is at the discretion of the current RCEM President
Honorary Fellowship
Honorary Fellowship is considered for those individuals from across the world who have made significant contributions to the practice and/or specialty of Emergency Medicine and/or who have furthered the work of the College in a sustained way and at a high level.
Eligibility:
Honorary Fellowship is open to nominations of RCEM members and fellows and individuals from other organisations who have contributed significantly to Emergency Medicine.
Application procedure:
Nominations are welcome using the RCEM Medals and Awards Nomination Form
Deadline:
No fixed deadline
RCEM Medal
Awarded to members or fellows of RCEM as an acknowledgement of service to the College and outstanding contributions to Emergency Medicine.
Eligibility:
- For RCEM Role Holders will be awarded at the end of their term of office.
- Other nominations are welcome.
- The award of an RCEM medal will usually be limited to one per individual.
Application procedure:
Nominations are welcome using the RCEM Medals and Awards Nomination Form
Deadline:
No fixed deadline
Certificates of Appreciation
Awarded to members or fellows of RCEM as an acknowledgement of their service as Chair of a Committee (not sub-Committee) to the College and to express RCEM’s gratitude.
Eligibility:
N/A - will be awarded to College Committee Chairs at the end of their tenure
Application procedure:
N/A - will be awarded at end of term of office
Deadline:
No fixed deadline
Manjeet Riyat Medal
An annual award recognising the highest scoring candidate from the East Midlands Region in the FRCEM OSCE and SBA, at their first attempt. This award is in memory of Manjeet Riyat, a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at the Royal Derby Hospital and Lead Examiner for the Fellowship Examination, whose life was tragically cut short by COVID in 2020.
Eligibility:
Trainees from the East Midlands region.
Application procedure:
The Examinations Department will report this each year.
Alison Gourdie Medal
This medal is awarded annually to the candidates with the best overall performance in the MRCEM and FRCEM examinations. Alison Gourdie was a highly respected Emergency Physician and would have been a major figure in the development of the specialty. She had just been appointed to her first Consultant position at Stirling Royal Infirmary when she died tragically in a Himalayan plane crash at the age of only 34 on 28 September 1992.
Eligibility:
Trainees who have completed the MRCEM and FRCEM examinations. Nominations are forwarded from the Examinations Committee to the Honours Committee
Application procedure:
N/A – Will be forwarded by RCEM Examinations Team annually.
Alison Gourdie Prize
This award of up to £5,000 is made to facilitate travel and / or research in the furtherance of Emergency Medicine. It is open to training grade doctors, Consultants within five years of their appointment and other clinicians involved in the delivery of emergency care. The prize is in memory of Alison Gourdie who was a highly respected Emergency Physician and would have been a major figure in the development of the specialty. She had just been appointed to her first Consultant position at Stirling Royal Infirmary when she died tragically in a Himalayan plane crash at the age of only 34 in 1992.
Eligibility:
Applications are welcome for the following purposes:
- To develop suitable projects of an academic or research nature of benefit to the work of the specialty of Emergency Medicine.
- To provide financial assistance for those undergoing, or who have undergone a course of education or training in Emergency Medicine, to assist in the interchange of individuals between institutions wheresoever situated, for the specific benefit of the specialty of Emergency Medicine.
- To assist towards the provision of educational training programmes in Emergency Medicine.
Application procedure:
Applicants should submit a proposal including the following:
- A description of the context of the project, supported by relevant literature were appropriate.
- How the suggested international setting will benefit the project.
- The objectives and study design.
- How this project will meet the criteria of the Alison Gourdie prize in furthering emergency care.
- A breakdown of the likely expenses required to complete the project.
- A summary of their CV to date.
- A letter of support from their Educational Supervisor or ED Director.
On completion, the successful candidate will be required to present the results of their work at the RCEM Annual Conference.
Application procedure:
Applications should be made using the RCEM Grant Form
Deadline:
No fixed deadline
William Rutherford Award for the best Irish Trainee
Awarded to the best performance in the FRCEM examination by a trainee from all of Ireland.
William Rutherford was one of the College Founding Fellows. In 1967 Mr William Rutherford was appointed ‘surgeon in charge of the Accident & Emergency Department’ of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast effectively becoming the first Consultant in Accident & Emergency Medicine in Ireland. He was co-author of the first major UK textbook in accident and emergency medicine, published in 1980. William was enthusiastic in efforts to prevent injuries—for example, from road accidents. He was in the forefront of the campaign to persuade government to enact legislation to make seatbelt wearing compulsory.
Eligibility:
Trainees from Ireland who have completed the FRCEM examination.
Application Procedure:
N/A – Will be forwarded by RCEM Examinations Team annually
William Rutherford International Award
This is awarded by the RCEM Global Emergency Medicine Committee and recognises the inspiring work of one of the specialties ‘Founding Fathers’ William Rutherford.
William Rutherford was one of the College Founding Fellows. In 1967 Mr William Rutherford was appointed ‘surgeon in charge of the Accident & Emergency Department’ of the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast effectively becoming the first Consultant in Accident & Emergency Medicine in Ireland. He was co-author of the first major UK textbook in accident and emergency medicine, published in 1980. William was enthusiastic in efforts to prevent injuries—for example, from road accidents. He was in the forefront of the campaign to persuade government to enact legislation to make seatbelt wearing compulsory.
Eligibility:
Nominees will usually be Fellows or Members of RCEM, although the nominee need not be formally affiliated with the College. Examples of the type of work suitable for consideration for this award include the following: disaster relief, refugee assistance, establishing new public service health/emergency care facilities, epidemic or disease control operations, and diplomatic efforts connected with peace programmes.
Application procedure:
The Global Emergency Medicine Committee will forward proposals to the Honours Committee
Deadline:
30 November each year.
Maurice Ellis Award
The Maurice Ellis award recognises the pioneering work of ‘Father Ellis’ and his vigorous campaigning for the improvement of emergency medical services throughout the United Kingdom. Maurice Ellis was the author of The Casualty Officer’s Handbook in 1962 and he was the first president of the Casualty Surgeons Association in 1967. The prize is awarded as a travelling scholarship to facilitate educational research in the field of Emergency Medicine.
Eligibility:
Eligibility is restricted to fellows and members of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.
Application procedure:
Nominations are forwarded by the RCEM Research Committee to the Honours Committee
Deadline:
No fixed deadline
Luka Randic Award
The Luka Randić medal is awarded annually to the candidate from the North West / Mersey region with the highest combined score across their first attempts at the FRCEM SBA and FRCEM OSCE examinations. Luka Randić was a graduate of the University of Manchester School of Medicine and was a rising star in Emergency Medicine. In his last position as Specialist Registrar in Emergency Medicine at Manchester Royal Infirmary, he exhibited the skills, compassion and pragmatism that promised an exceptional career. Luka was tragically killed in a road traffic accident on 11 May 2008.
Eligibility:
Trainees from the North West / Mersey region completion of the FRCEM examination.
Application procedure:
Nominations will be forwarded annually by the Examinations Committee to the RCEM Honours Committee.
Deadline:
No fixed deadline
Beth Christian Award
A Travelling Scholarship Grant of up to £2500 each year to support travel to Australasia from the UK or ROI for the purposes of furthering their training and career. This grant is in memory of Dr Beth Christian who was a highly respected Emergency Physician who started her career in Australia and came to the UK via a period in Ireland before settling at St Thomas’ Hospital Emergency Department. Dr Beth Christian died at the end of 2014. She was proud to be a Fellow of both the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine.
Eligibility:
Post Graduate Doctors in Training or Consultants within five years of appointment who are members of good standing of RCEM or the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine.
Application procedure:
Applications should be made using the RCEM Grant Form
Deadline:
No fixed deadline
Dr Salma Hussain EDI Impact Award
Dr Salma Hussain was an Emergency Medicine registrar with a deep passion for Paediatric Emergency Medicine and a strong advocate for equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). The award will recognise and celebrate an exemplar Emergency Department’s outstanding and exceptional contribution to EDI. The award is managed by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Eligibility:
Applicants should forward submissions on behalf of their team or department and must be an EM clinician or practitioner currently working in a UK or ROI Emergency Department. A maximum of one nomination per department will be accepted, although applicants are permitted to share more than one EDI initiative within the application.
Application procedure:
RCEM will advertise a call for applications annually on our website
Deadline:
Four months after the call for applications is made.
Gerardine Beckett Award
This is an employee long service medal and certificate established in recognition of Gerardine Beckett’s inspiring service for the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and its predecessor organisations.
Eligibility:
RCEM employees on completion of 10, 15 or 20 years of service
Application procedure:
Nominations are made by the RCEM HR team and forwarded to the Honours Committee
Deadline:
No fixed deadline