Many happy returns to Liverpool Medical Students Society (LMSS) as they round off a year of celebrations for their 150th birthday. President Kieran Banner shares more on what this auspicious milestone means to members of the UK’s oldest and largest medical student society.
This year has marked the 150th Anniversary of the Liverpool Medical Students Society (LMSS). Established in 1874 as the Liverpool Royal Infirmary School of Medicine Debating Society by esteemed physician and physiologist Dr Richard Caton, the society provided a forum for students to engage in intellectual discussion on the medical and ethical issues of the day. Dr Caton also played a pivotal role in the establishment of the University of Liverpool itself (founded 7 years after the LMSS!)
Initially, the society was exclusively for males, reflecting the societal norms of the Victorian era. A significant milestone occurred in 1905 when the society opened its doors to female students, paving the way for the society we know and love today.
Over the following years, the society underwent several name changes, reflecting its evolving identity and its relationship with the growing university. In 1943, it officially became the Liverpool Medical Students Society, a name it has proudly held ever since.
The LMSS has been a registered charity in England and Wales since 2016. Today, the society is governed by a board of trustees, which includes the President, Treasurer, and Secretary acting as directors, and is run by a 37-person committee of elected student members.
Now the LMSS has over 1000 active members and is responsible for an action-packed calendar of events taking place throughout the year!
This year, the society was led by its 150th team of officers, including Maddie Upham as President, Kieran Banner as Secretary, and Karina Gurung as Treasurer. They worked hard to celebrate the long and vibrant history of the society while also demonstrating the society’s enduring spirit and modern-day vibrancy.
The pinnacle of the celebrations was the 150th Anniversary Alumni Dinner, held in March 2025. The event was a resounding success, bringing together current students and esteemed alumni at the impressive World Museum. The evening acted as a testament to the society’s family ethos, with Laurence Wood, the society’s 100th President, returning to gift Maddie Upham, the 150th President, the presidential cufflinks.
Professor Averil Mansfield with Professor Hazel Scott and the LMSS committee at the Alumni Dinner
The society’s honorary president, Professor Averil Mansfield, the first female professor of surgery in the UK, talked about her life and the profound changes in medicine she has witnessed, including the moving into the old Royal when that was the “New Royal”. We thank Averil Mansfield for her service as Honorary President, as we welcome Dr Amir Khan as our new Honorary President for the upcoming year!
The 151st Officer team, including Kieran Banner as President, Jake Woodward as Secretary, and Haris Sultan as Treasurer, took over the baton of celebrations in April, holding a 150th Anniversary edition of the Summer Ball for the students.
LMSS Summer Ball
As the society concludes its 150th year, we welcome a new cohort of 1st years to our LMSS family, the first to experience supportive initiatives such as the new BuddyUp! Scheme and the beginning of Medic Families—a new tradition to join the roster. The society continues to support students with its elective fund and, new for this year, the Mersey Medic Symposium, providing students with opportunities to go above and beyond.
Secretary Jake Woodward, President Kieran Banner and Treasurer Haris Sultan
Follow LMSS on Instagram to tap into all of the events, activities and fundraising initiatives the society has in store this year.