Celebrating PALS: Student-led support scheme among EMOY award finalists
Congratulations to Medicine student society PALS (Peer-Assisted Learning Scheme), the team* behind which was one of four finalists for this year’s Enterprising Mind of the Year (EMOY) Awards! PALS was established in 2010 to support new medical students through a mentor scheme, study skills assistance, and formative exams.
Run by Enterprise Education in collaboration with the University of St Andrews Students’ Association and the Proctor’s Office, the EMOY Award is awarded to an undergraduate or postgraduate student who has displayed significant enterprise in their studies. At the EMOY Finale Event on 25 March, PALS President Sushmhitah Sandanatavan and Vice President Manal Alam delivered a Pecha Kucha presentation on the range of activities the PALS committee** has coordinated this year to continue and expand on the work of previous committees.
This achievement followed another exciting milestone for PALS this year: speaking at the CELPiE Learning and Teaching Conference on 23 January. Sushmhitah was joined by Education Research Division Head Dr Alun Hughes and Medical Demonstrators Drs Zoe Bates, Lee Parker, and Sarah Train for a presentation entitled ‘Student-led collaborative knowledge workshops and formative skills-based assessment in an undergraduate medical curriculum.’
The group highlighted how, in collaboration with School staff, PALS has significantly expanded its work this year, offering helpful new resources and events to support not only new medical students but also second- and third-years. Key achievements included producing five curriculum-specific practice question booklets for each BSc module, creating 30 curriculum-specific anatomy games, running peer-led clinical case workshops, and launching the School’s PALS Career Lecture Series. The group also produced a Partner School Information Booklet, which offers valuable firsthand insights on student life at each partner school and what students wish they had known before arriving.
Sushmhitah also shared that PALS’ activities have not only been academically beneficial, but also fostered a sense of community across cohorts by bringing new and established students together. Student feedback was key to shaping the content of PALS’ events and resources, further encouraging communication across year groups. PALS committee members also enhanced their own leadership, teamwork, event-planning, teaching, and public speaking skills through their involvement with the scheme.
The School applauds the PALS committee members on their many accomplishments this year and remarkable dedication to improving the experience of their fellow students!
*PALS Committee members name on the EMOY Award application: Sushmhitah Sandanatavan (President), Manal Alam (Vice President), Papichaya Katanyutanon (Secretary), and Fergus Jajdelski (Academic Coordinator).
**PALS Committee 2024/2025:
President (Lead Coordinator): Sushmhitah Sandanatavan
Vice President (Assistant Coordinator): Manal Alam
Secretary: Papichaya Katanyutanon
Academic Coordinator: Fergus Jajdelski
Clinical Coordinator: Amrit Dhillon
2nd Year Representative: Kaavya Chandrasekar