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Dr Asya Janmohamed has received the London Gold Medal for her outstanding performance in the annual competition.

Drs Jennifer Li Ding and Anshini Thakur were also Highly Commended for their results. 

On finding out she had won, Dr Janmohamed said, “I genuinely never expected to win, so seeing my name announced came as a real surprise! 

“Once I’d checked that it really was my name on the award, I celebrated with my close friends and family, whose encouragement and support have been such an important part of my journey through medical school.” 

Learning of her High Commendation, Dr Li Ding said, “I am really honoured to receive this commendation and am immensely grateful for the opportunity to represent Imperial. The competition was an incredible experience — I thoroughly enjoyed the process and learned so much that I will carry forward as I begin my career!” 

Dr Thakur added, “It feels incredibly surreal! I was extremely grateful for the opportunity itself, so the commendation was an added bonus!” 

Professor Amir Sam, Head of °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ School of Medicine (ICSM), said, “We are absolutely delighted by the success our students have achieved in this year’s competition. Helping them prepare for the viva and seeing how their knowledge and understanding have developed throughout their time with us is hugely rewarding, and often one of our favourite times of the year. 

“Their commitment to the competition and their representation of Imperial has been wonderful to see, and we are grateful to each of them for their dedication.  

“Their humility has been astounding, and we hope this success will help them recognise their excellence!” 
 
Tough competition 
 
Every London-based medical school is invited each year to nominate high-performing students from their graduating class to take part in the competition, with only those who have obtained the highest number of distinctions. 
 
This generally equates to around one student in every 75 being put forward to take part. 

The competition uses a face-to-face viva format, with candidates receiving questions from a panel of examiners from various fields of medicine.  

Questions can cover everything from general medicine and surgery, through to obstetrics and gynaecology, clinical pharmacology, general practice, and pathology. 

The panel considers each candidate’s answers to these questions, with the highest scorer being awarded the Gold Medal. 

Competition preparation 

Looking back at preparing for the assessment, Dr Janmohamed said, “I was definitely apprehensive beforehand as I knew the standard would be exceptionally high. As it approached, though, I chose to enjoy the experience as a reflection of my time at medical school. 

“Imperial had prepared us remarkably well for exactly this style of exam. The course encourages you to move beyond simply knowing ‘what’ the answer is and instead to understand ‘why’.  

“I'm particularly grateful to the faculty who kindly gave their time to practise viva examinations with me, and especially to Dr Grant and Dr Scott-Lang for their generosity, encouragement and mentorship.” 

Dr Thakur agreed, “Speaking to our lecturers and module leads was very useful, and advice from previous participants gave me an idea of what to revise and prepare. Rather than focusing solely on facts and details, I revised clinical prioritisation and worked on developing structured, logical approaches to scenarios across different specialties.” 

“I’m extremely thankful to the ICSM faculty who generously offered their expertise and time to help us prepare for the competition — having their support made a world of difference!”, added Dr Li Ding. 

History of success 

Imperial has a strong track record in the competition, which launched in 1903 with the first award given in 1904. 

With Dr Janmohamed’s 2026 win, the current °®ÎÛ´«Ã½ School of Medicine has been awarded the Gold Medal ten times since its formation in 1997. 

Then a student, Alexander Fleming received the Gold Medal whilst at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, which later merged with Imperial in 1997 - alongside Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School - to form the current School of Medicine. 

“Learning that Sir Alexander Fleming received the same Gold Medal over a century ago makes it feel even more special, and is something I feel incredibly honoured by,” said Dr Janmohamed. 

Professor Sam added, “Everyone at ICSM is delighted to see our students’ continued success in such an esteemed competition, and with high standards of competitors from every school.  

“It is wonderful to know that we are preparing our ICSM graduates so well both for the intensity of academic assessments as well as, critically, for the next steps in their medical careers.” 

Get to know our Gold Medal participants 

We asked Dr Janmohamed, Dr Li Ding and Dr Thakur a few more questions to dive a little deeper into their medical school experiences and to find out what helped them along the way. 
 
When did you know you wanted to study medicine? 

Dr Li Ding: I’ve wanted to study Medicine for as long as I can remember – to me, the true spark in Medicine lies in the ability to improve quality of life and equip others with the foundation of health needed to pursue their full potential. This is something I’ve always felt deeply connected to. 

Dr Thakur: I believe I was around 15 years old when I decided that I wanted to study Medicine. At the time, I was also considering careers in Chemistry or Engineering but realised that the communication and public-facing work needed to be integral to my future career, ultimately leading me to pursuing Medicine. 

Do you remember your first clinical placement? What was it like? 

Dr Janmohamed: My first clinical placement was in Endocrinology at Charing Cross Hospital with Professor Karim Meeran, and I couldn't have asked for a better introduction to clinical medicine. From the outset we felt genuinely welcomed into the team and were immersed in the ward, outpatient clinics and multidisciplinary meetings. It was the first time I saw how the science we'd learnt in lectures translated into patient care, and it reinforced just how collaborative medicine really is.  

Dr Li Ding: My first placement during clinical years was in Surgery, and remains one of the most impactful experiences during my time at Imperial. The team actively involved us in a variety of theatre and ward cases to broaden our exposure, while challenging us to continually improve our clinical reasoning through interactive case discussions. This was immensely enriching and has had a lasting impact on the way in which I approach clinical medicine today. It feels full circle that I will remain in North West London as a Specialised Foundation Programme Doctor in Academic Surgery this year, and I look forward to being able to give back! 

Dr Thakur: My first clinical placement at medical school was a General Practice placement in Pimlico. I remember having a lot of fun because my placement partner was one of my close friends, but it was also quite daunting, as it was the first time we had been given patient-related responsibilities. Taking histories and discussing complex, multifaceted cases without experience or knowing what to focus on was challenging. However, our tutor was incredibly patient with us, and instilled the notion of treating each patient as a whole person as opposed to addressing their conditions in isolation. 
 
 

What was your BSc in, and did it change how you approached the final years of the programme? 

Dr Thakur: I intercalated in Surgical Design, Technology and Innovation. This year ended up being my most formative year at medical school, both personally and professionally. I had been unsure about a surgical career prior to the BSc, and chose to do it in hope of gaining some clarity. Learning from national and international surgical experts and innovators was immensely inspiring and immersed me in the field of research and clinical academia.  
 
The BSc affirmed my interest in surgery – and I spent my final years at medical school gaining further exposure to surgical specialties and pursuing surgical electives in my final year. Above all, the SDTI course taught to adopt a research mindset – that all work should tell a clear story about what you are trying to achieve, continually returning to the patients who will benefit from it and its clinical utility. I now apply this mindset to everything I do. 

Dr Janmohamed: I completed my BSc in Endocrinology, where I undertook a research project on anabolic steroid use under the supervision of Professor Channa Jayasena and Dr Bonnie Grant. 

Before my BSc, I had relatively little experience of academic medicine, so it was a steep but incredibly rewarding learning curve. I learnt how to think critically, evaluate evidence and appreciate the process behind producing high-quality research. 

More than anything, they instilled the importance of continually seeking to improve my work, a mindset that I carried into the remainder of medical school and hope to continue throughout my career. 

Dr Li Ding: I undertook my intercalated BSc in Cardiovascular Sciences, which was instrumental in developing an analytical mindset and critical appraisal skills.  

In my final MBBS years, this research experience enabled me to better evaluate emerging evidence, recognise both opportunities and limitations of novel therapies, and apply evidence-based principles to clinical decision-making. 

How did you know Imperial was the right school for you? 

Dr Li Ding: What makes Imperial and ICSM so special is the wonderful community — throughout the years I’ve been fortunate to be mentored and taught by ICSM faculty and older students. Equally, it has been very rewarding to mentor younger medical students through student societies such as the Medical Education society. 

Dr Thakur: I attended the Imperial Global Summer School in 2018, and immediately fell in love with the university. Coming from a town in Yorkshire, I was struck by the global outlook, innovative mindset and diversity. With regards to the medical school specifically, the opportunity to learn from scientists and clinicians at the forefront of their fields and rotate through some of the best hospitals in the country was particularly appealing. Most importantly, it’s in the heart of one of the best cities in the world! 

Dr Janmohamed: Imperial was always my first choice. I wanted to study in London, but just as importantly I wanted to be somewhere that encouraged students to pursue opportunities beyond the core curriculum and even medicine. 

Looking back, one of the greatest privileges was learning from clinicians and researchers who are internationally recognised leaders in their fields. At the time that simply felt normal, but I appreciate now how fortunate we were. 

The early clinical exposure was another defining strength of the course. Spending time on the wards from the beginning meant that the transition from medical student to doctor has felt much less daunting. 

Did you encounter challenges during medical school and, if so, how did you overcome them? 

Dr Thakur: My mental health deteriorated during my BSc year and I was struggling quite a bit. I reached out to the School’s Welfare team and my personal tutor for support, and I could not be more grateful for their guidance during such a difficult time. My supervisors were incredibly understanding and patient, and I tried to spend as much time as I could with my family and friends.  

Alongside developing my support network, prioritising activities I enjoyed such as music and exercise played a major role in helping me recover. At Imperial, the course is so demanding that we often become intensely focused on our academic and professional lives, sometimes neglecting our personal lives and the things we enjoy outside of medicine. From this experience, I learned that coping with academic or professional stressors, requires giving your personal life just as much time and attention – to achieve a work-life balance, and to build resilience. 

What do you hope to specialise in later on? 

Dr Thakur: After completing the BSc, I knew I wanted to specialise in a surgical field. From the start of medical school, I have always found the heart and cardiovascular system the most interesting, leading to a current interest in Cardiothoracic Surgery. The opportunity to pursue a specialty that combines highly technical work with the theory I most enjoy would be a privilege. 

Dr Janmohamed: I'm keeping an open mind, but I'm drawn towards endocrinology and rheumatology. Both the lectures and placements were incredibly interesting and I was fortunate to become involved in research in these areas. That said, my highlight of medical school was my placement in obstetrics at QCCH. 

Dr Li Ding: I hope to pursue a career in Ophthalmology — I’m particularly interested in artificial intelligence and digital health and how we can translate technological innovation into real-world practice, and endeavour to explore this further through both surgical and research perspectives. 

Do you have any tips for current or future students?  

Dr Janmohamed: My biggest piece of advice would be to find your own way of enjoying medicine. It's a long course, and developing curiosity is far more important than trying to study exactly as someone else does. 

It's also very easy to compare yourself with classmates; how many publications they've written, prizes they've won or opportunities they've had. Instead, focus on discovering what genuinely interests you and say yes to opportunities that align with this. 

Dr Thakur: The most important advice I would give is to enjoy yourself as much as possible. It’s easy to become swept up in work, placement and revision, but I strongly encourage students to make an active effort to get involved with as many extracurriculars as possible! Make time for your hobbies, spend plenty of time with your friends and family, and have fun. Imperial has a huge number of societies and clubs to get involved with, offering opportunities to make new friends, learn new skills or sports and immerse yourselves in new communities.  

Looking after yourself and prioritising your personal life will help you get through the academically challenging years at Imperial. 

And finally, would you recommend students go for the Gold Medal if they get the chance? 

Dr Janmohamed: Absolutely. If you're invited to take part, I cannot encourage you enough to take part. Try not to think of it as another examination. Instead, see it as a chance to demonstrate everything you've developed throughout medical school - your clinical reasoning, communication skills and judgement. 

One thing the experience reinforced for me is just how well Imperial prepares its students for opportunities like this. The course gives you a wide breadth of knowledge, but also teaches you how to think critically, reason under pressure and approach patients with empathy and kindness. In my opinion those qualities matter far beyond the Gold Medal examination itself. 

Dr Thakur: Absolutely! It was exciting to think on my feet, meet the examiners and demonstrate the skills I’ve developed at ICSM, I feel honoured to have represented Imperial. We don’t have many assessments in a viva format, hence it was enjoyable to challenge myself and perform in a new setting. Preparing for the assessment has also inadvertently refreshed my knowledge-base, which will hopefully prove useful as I start Foundation Training soon! 

Dr Li Ding: My advice to ICSM students for any experience in medical school, be it a day on the wards or the Gold Medal competition, is to embrace every moment with enthusiasm, courage, and curiosity. Each day presents new opportunities for growth in ways you may have never thought possible!