Dr Rajaratnam Mathialagan, Consultant Gastroenterologist at the King’s Lynn hospital, has been honoured with the 2024 UK PACES Champion Award in recognition of his exceptional dedication to the Practical Assessment of Clinical Examination Skills (PACES) examination.
The PACES exam evaluates trainee doctors’ clinical knowledge, skills, and attitudes. It is a key step for medical professionals as they enter specialist training in the UK.
Dr Mathialagan is the PACES Chair and Host Examiner at North Cambridgeshire Hospital in Wisbech and has been a tireless advocate for the exam and its delivery. This is all alongside his day-to-day role as a stomach and intestine specialist, treating many thousands of patients over the 25 years he has worked at The QEH.
The Membership of the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom (MRCP), who lead the PACES exams, presented Dr Mathialagan with this award in December 2024 to celebrate his remarkable contributions over two decades.
Dr Mathialagan’s nomination included how he played a crucial role in ensuring that doctors could still sit these essential exams during COVID-19 even during unprecedented circumstances.
Dr Mathialagan said: “I am honoured to receive the PACES Champion Award and to be part of a community dedicated to training the next generation of physicians.”
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