Dr Matthew Hodgson recently received the Aspiring Researcher Prize from the British Endodontic Society (BES). He shares a little bit about himself, and his experience.
“I qualified from Newcastle University in 2013 and work in General Dental Practice. I was awarded my MSc Endodontology (Distinction) from the University of Chester and have a Special Interest in Endodontics.
“I’d recently submitted my dissertation when I read about the Aspiring Researcher Prize. It met all the requirements without the need to do much extra work besides a little reformatting, so I thought it would be silly not to apply.
“For my dissertation, I did a small experiment to investigate the influence of rotary negotiation on transportation of curved canals in-vitro, when using the Protaper Slider file. This had direct relevance to my own clinical practice as it’s a technique I often use. I was quite surprised by the findings, so it was a really interesting process.
“I was really surprised to find out I had won! Not only did I win a £1000 cash prize, but also invitation to the BES Regional Meeting in Oxford later this year, and the opportunity to present my research at the BES Spring Scientific Meeting next year. Coming from a completely non-academic background this is really exciting! A lot of time and effort went into the dissertation and it was great for it to receive this recognition.
“I began my Endodontology MSc nearly 10 years after qualifying after becoming a bit frustrated and realising I needed to push myself again. Receiving this prize has been a fantastic way to round off that part of the journey and begin the next part!
I would absolutely encourage others to enter for this prize. If you’ve submitted a dissertation recently based on original research or a systematic review, you can enter. It’s a fantastic prize, so the few minutes it takes to submit it are nothing in the grand scheme of things. Just do it and don’t overthink it!”
For more information about the BES, or to join, please visit the website www.britishendodonticsociety.org.uk or call 07762945847
