essay competition 2023 medicine

Medical School Expert

Medicine Essay Prizes (7 Competitions For Year 12 and 13’s)

Every article is fact-checked by a medical professional. However, inaccuracies may still persist.

Having a medical essay prize on your CV looks absolutely fantastic when it comes time for you to apply to medical school.

In such an overcrowded marketplace, anything that sets you apart from the crowd in a positive manner is sure to drastically increase your chances of getting an offer.

Although when I was applying to medical school I hadn’t managed to win an essay competition (despite my best efforts!) hopefully you’ll have more luck than me!

To save you some research time, I’ve compiled a list of 7 medicine essay competitions that you can enter this year.

Competitions that if you win will skyrocket your chances of application success.

INCLUDED IN THIS GUIDE:

The Libra Essay Prize

The Libra essay prize is an annual essay prize for all students in years 12 and 13 looking to prepare for university.

Libra Education themselves describe it as:

“An excellent way for 6th-form students to demonstrate that they have the makings of a scholar, the Libra Essay Prize offers a chance to prepare for the academic rigour required by university assignments and provides a great accomplishment to discuss on a personal statement or at an interview.”

Students are free to choose any subject from a list of categories (one of which being science) and then have to write an essay with a title containing a chosen word.

The small pool of words you can choose from change each year but are all generally quite abstract so you can connect and use them in creative ways.

The essay has to be between 1,500 – 2,000 words, with Harvard style referencing which isn’t included in the word count.

Libra accept entries from all over the world, but the essays must be written in English.

First prize wins £50, second prize £30, and third £20, all paid out in book vouchers. There’s also Commended and Highly Commended entries for each category.

Minds Underground Essay Competition

Minds Underground is an online learning platform, designed to support and enhance the learning and problem-solving of determined young students.

Every year they run a medicine essay competition, primarily aimed at year 12’s (although they do say younger or older students are also welcome to apply).

To enter, you have a choice of three questions, to which you need to write a 1,000 – 1,500 word answer.

“Should all healthcare be free? Discuss.” “What goes wrong for cancers to develop?” “Tell us about a key development/invention that you think has been most influential to medicine.” – Past Minds Underground medicine essay questions

If you’re feeling ambitious, students are permitted to enter an essay for more than one subject- so you could have a crack at the psychology or science one too!

Helpfully, under each question Minds also give you a few pointers to get your creative juices flowing.

Newnham Essay Prizes

Newnham College of the University of Cambridge runs a medicine essay competition with a twist:

Only female students are allowed to enter.

Again, students have a choice of three differing questions.

For example, the questions in the 2021-22 competition were:

• How realistic is it to develop a small molecule therapy for Covid-19? Could such a therapy be rolled out in a timeframe that it could have an impact on the current pandemic?
• Sleep deprivation in clinical health settings. Does it matter?
• Looking to the future. Will stem cell therapies be outpaced by machine-brain interfaces for the treatment of retinal disease?

Newnham do give you a bit more of a range when it comes to the word count, accepting anything from 1,500 to 2,500 words.

There’s a generous £400 prize for first place, £200 for second and £100 for third.

Unfortunately for you as an individual though, prize money is split 50:50 between the essay prize winner and the funding of resources for their school…

John Locke Institute Essay Competition

“The John Locke Institute encourages young people to cultivate the characteristics that turn good students into great writers: independent thought, depth of knowledge, clear reasoning, critical analysis and persuasive style. “

The John Locke Institute arguably gives away the most generous prize out of any competition on this list.

You get a scholarship worth $2,000 towards the cost of attending any John Locke Institute program, as well as an invitation to their prize-giving ceremony in Oxford.

The essay questions for each subject are published in January, with the deadline for submission generally being in late June.

As well as the opportunity to secure the prize for medicine, the candidate who submits the best essay overall will be awarded an honorary John Locke Institute Junior Fellowship- which comes with a $10,000 scholarship to attend one or more of their courses!

American Society Of Human Genetics Essay Contest

Although this next essay competition comes from America, it’s open to students worldwide.

The American Society Of Human Genetics supports national DNA day through its annual DNA day essay contest: commemorating the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003 and the discovery of the double helix of DNA in 1953.

The contest is open to students in grades 9-12 worldwide and asks students to “examine, question, and reflect on important concepts in genetics.”

With a limit of only 750 words, not including reference lists, this is a short but sweet chance to bag yourself a considerable cash prize for your efforts.

In addition to the personal prize money, the ASHG will also provide you with a $1,000 grant towards genetics research or teaching materials.

Although it is a worldwide contest, so undoubtedly will have plenty of entries, there are also 10 honorable mentions up for grabs (in addition to 1st, 2nd and 3rd place) that all come with a $100 prize too.

Immerse Education Essay Competition

Immerse Education run summer programs for over 20 different subjects in Oxford, Cambridge, London and Sydney.

The reason why students get so much value from these courses is because they’re immersed in centers of academic excellence whilst learning from experts in their chosen field.

The good news for you is that their essay competition gives you the chance to attend one of their summer school programs for free.

10 winners receive a 100% scholarship and runners up are awarded partial scholarships of up to 50% to study their chosen subject.

According to Immerse, around 7% of entrants receive scholarship funding to attend a program- which is pretty good odds if you ask me!

“There is no downside to entering the competition. If you win, it is awesome. If you don’t win, you gained an experience. Entering the competition and working as hard as I did for it was one of the most gratifying experiences.” – Pedro L (100% scholarship winner)

You can find the full list of essay questions, in addition to top tips for writing academic essays (as well as the terms and conditions for the competition), simply by signing up via Immerse’s website.

The RCSU Science Challenge

The Royal College of Science Union (RCSU) is a student union at Imperial College London and run an annual science challenge open to both home and international school students.

The focus of the challenge is communicating scientific concepts in a non-technical manner, so that people without a science background could still understand and enjoy the content.

The big twist with this essay competition is that you don’t actually have to enter an essay!

The idea is to produce a ‘short piece of science communication’ which can be an essay or can be a short video in answer to one of the four questions set by the judges.

Written entries must be less than 1,000 words, whilst video entries must be less than 3 minutes and 30 seconds long.

For this competition, it’s really all about short and snappy responses that will captivate the reader whilst answering the question in a precise but easy to understand manner.

We hope to inspire those who take part in the Science Challenge to explore, develop and use their scientific skills along with their passion for their corner of science to help others see what all the excitement is about.

Why You Should Enter Medicine Essay Competitions

I think it’s fair to say that competition to get into medical school in the UK is insanely high- and it’s only getting worse.

With such large numbers of incredibly qualified candidates, medical schools have to find some way of differentiating them.

One way to make it easy for a university to pick you is to stand out from the crowd by having a medical essay prize on your application.

An essay prize demonstrates your dedication to the subject, scientific knowledge and an ability to write expressively and persuasively- all ideal qualities when it comes to being a doctor.

You may surprise yourself.

Often, not as many people as you might think enter these competitions.

Simply by writing the essay, you’re also going to greatly increase your knowledge about that particular topic, which can still come in really handy at interview.

Even if you don’t win, just discussing the fact you entered still looks good in the eyes of an interviewer.

It shows that you’re willing to go above and beyond your school curriculum, to explore subjects you’re interested in and that you’re a highly motivated candidate.

How To Increase Your Chances Of Winning An Essay Prize

Although when I was applying to medical school I didn’t manage to win an essay prize, there are a couple of things I did that would have greatly increased my chances of doing so.

First and foremost, I think you’ve got to cast your net wide.

Don’t limit yourself to just one shot at the target: if you’ve got the time then I’d recommend trying to enter at least a couple of different competitions.

More entries will mean more chances for you to have your essay officially recognised.

Secondly, if you have the choice between entering a local or national competition, I’d always go with the local one.

Although a national prize would look slightly better on your CV, simply due to the number of entries, you’ll have a much higher chance of winning the more local competition.

By local I mean this could be a more regional charity, nearby hospital or university, or even your school.

Even better yet, you could always enter both!

Lastly, I think one of the best ways you can increase your odds of winning a prize is by entering a competition around a topic that you’re genuinely passionate about.

If you’ve no interest in genetics, then I wouldn’t enter the American Society Of Human Genetics’ contest!

Your interest in the subject will come through in your language, depth of knowledge and motivation to go above and beyond for your essay- all of which will put you in a much better position for winning.

Where You Can Find Further Essay Competitions

In addition to the essay prizes described above, there are tonnes of other opportunities available for you to distinguish yourself as a medicine applicant.

Loads of the Royal Colleges run an ever changing variety of prizes and competitions, usually to encourage interest in their specialty.

The opening dates and deadlines for these prizes are always changing so it’s worth keeping an eye out for the perfect essay question or new prize that’s just been announced.

Some of these organisations that run their own competitions include:

• The Royal Society of Medicine
• Royal College of Emergency Medicine
• British Orthopaedic Association
• British Society for Haematology
• Royal College of Pathologists
• Royal College of Psychiatrists
• British Association of Dermatologists

But there are many more out there. If you have a particular interest in one specialty or area of science then I’d definitely recommend doing a bit of digging to see if there’s a society or organisation related to that field that runs their own competitions!

Final Thoughts

There really aren’t many downsides to entering one of these competitions.

You get a shot at winning, gain a talking point at interview and develop your scientific knowledge (not to mention technical writing skills).

Although you might feel that some of the smaller prizes aren’t worth your time and effort to write the essay, the real value comes from the boost one of these prizes would give your medicine application.

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School Competitions And Prizes For Aspiring Medics

Learn about all of the competitions and prizes you can enter at school to boost your Medicine application.

If you’re an aspiring medic at school, you can boost your Medicine application by entering competitions and prizes. Regardless of whether you win or not, you’ll be able to include the experience in your Personal Statement and talk about it at Med School interviews . Here are some Medicine competitions you can enter to be proactive and make your application stand out.

Imperial College London – Science in Medicine School Teams Prize

Imperial College London has three team competitions to choose from:

• The British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Prize – Submissions should focus on a topic with interactions between the cardiovascular system and the nervous system.
• The Lung Prize – Submissions can focus on any aspect of the prevention or treatment of respiratory disease.
• The Scleroderma and Raynaud’s UK Prize – Submissions should focus on promoting the health and wellbeing of individuals with Scleroderma and/or Raynaud’s.

For each competition, the challenge is to design an ePoster. A team can have up to six members (they recommend assembling a team with varied interests) and schools can enter one team per prize.

The top ten shortlisted teams in each contest will be invited to present their ePosters at an online finals event. In each stream, first, second and third prizes of £3,000, £2,000 and £1,000 will be awarded to schools in order to support science-related activities.

Deadline – midnight on 30th June 2023.

University of Cambridge – Robinson College Essay Prize

The Robinson College Essay Prize is open to Year 12 students in the UK, providing an opportunity to develop and showcase independent study and writing skills. It also allows students to experience the type of work that they might be expected to do at Cambridge.

Entrants submit an essay (no more than 2,000 words) answering a question from various options. Last year, one of the possible titles was ‘Can science tell us how we should live?’. Up to three entries can be submitted per school, so you should discuss your application with your school before entering.

Five prizes are awarded, with each winner receiving book tokens to the value of £50. Winners will also be invited to Robinson College for a prize-giving ceremony.

The 2023 prize will open with more info in June.

Specialist Application Advice

Want expert advice to navigate the Medicine application process?

Medic Mentor – National Essay Competition

Medic Mentor’s National Essay Competition requires students to write an essay (up to 1,500 words) from the perspective of a medical professional.

There are essay titles available for Medicine, Dentistry , Veterinary Medicine and Allied Health .

For 2023, the essay questions are:

• Medicine – Should the patient be viewed as part of the multidisciplinary team?
• Dentistry – How can the holistic approach minimise periodontal disease in patients?
• Veterinary – What is the importance of a holistic approach when caring for livestock?
• Allied Heath – How can the multidisciplinary team optimise the care of the older person in hospital?

Deadline – midday on 1st May 2023.

Minds Underground Medicine Essay Competition

Minds Underground Medicine Essay Competition is aimed at students in Year 12, but younger students are also welcome to enter, and there are various essay title options to choose from. For the 2023 competition, one of the possible titles was ‘Should all healthcare be free? Discuss.’

The competition is designed to give students an opportunity to engage in research, hone their writing and argumentative skills, and prepare for university interviews. Minds Underground also runs essay competitions for other science subjects like Psychology and STEM.

The submission deadline is typically around March/April. Get more info here.

The Libra Essay Prize

The Libra Essay Prize is for students in Years 12 and 13 who are looking to prepare for university. Inspired by the admissions process at All Souls College, Oxford, entrants write an essay (1,500-2,000 words) responding to a single-word title.

For the 2023 prize, the single-word options were: Control, Collaboration, Exchange, Freedom, Claim.

Entrants are encouraged to use imagination in their essays to build interesting links between their chosen title and their school learning. There are prizes available of £50 for first place, £30 for second place and £20 for third place.

The deadline has varied from year-to-year: it was June in 2022 and April in 2023, so keep an eye on their website for more details.

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Worldwide CHOP Global Health Youth Essay Competition

Arabic | Spanish | French  | Chinese

Call for youth stories

The Global Health Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) invites submissions for the Worldwide 2023 CHOP Global Health Youth Essay Competition. We want to hear from you if you are between 12 and 19 years old.

We invite you to draw from your personal experiences to submit an essay in response to the prompt: 

“In the era of decolonizing global health, do high-income countries (HIC)* have an obligation to advance child health in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC)*?”

Eligibility

• To apply, you must be between the ages of 12 – 19 years old.
• Prior year winners are not eligible to apply.
• You can apply from anywhere in the world.

How it works

• Essays can be submitted in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, or Spanish.
• Essays must be double-spaced and typed in Times New Roman 12-point font.
• You are welcome to include an optional short video (1 min or less), poem, song (1 min or less), or visual art piece. Though the quality of these pieces will not be counted toward the review of your essay, they should enhance the message of your submission.
• Your submission must contain original content that speaks to your own ideas or experiences.
• Co-authorship is acceptable as long as all authors meet all eligibility criteria; however, only one submission per individual or group is permitted.
• Essays will be reviewed as they’re submitted and winners will be announced by Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. Winners will be selected based on their essay’s overall excellence excellence in response to the prompt.
• We will showcase these interviews at the 15th Annual CHOP Pediatric Global Health Conference (Friday, Sept. 29 – Saturday, Sept. 30th, 2023).
• There shall be three cash prizes: a First Prize of $150 , a Second Prize of $125 , and a Third Prize of $75 , in US dollars.
• Winners will also receive free access to any portions of the 15th Annual CHOP Pediatric Global Health Conference that will be live-streamed and/or recorded.

Royal Medical Benevolent Fund

• You are here:

Essay competitions, awards and prizes

If you have a flair for essay writing, then look out for competitions run by the Royal Colleges and many other professional medical associations, usually to encourage interest in their specialty. Closing dates for submission fall throughout the year so keep your eyes open!

Some organisations that run competitions include:

British Association of Dermatologists

• British Association of Forensic Medicine
• General Medical Council
• Medical Women’s Federation
• Pain Relief Foundation
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
• Royal College of Ophthalmologists
• Royal College of Pathologists
• Royal College of General Practitioners
• Royal College of Radiologists
• Royal Society of Medicine (for members only, costs £25 a year to join)
• Institute of Medical Ethics (for F1 & F2 UK doctors)

Project Funding

Some organisations and Trusts offer funding for research projects, vacation research work experience and intercalated degree year research. We’ve compiled a list of these, again it isn’t exhaustive so we do encourage further research.

Some of these applications may require a supporting statement from a member of academic staff. Check criteria carefully before applying.

The Biochemical Society

Grants are available for stipends of £200 per week for 6 – 8 weeks, and up to £1,600 in total, to support a summer placement in a lab for an undergraduate student. Applications must be made on behalf of and in association with a named student.

Website: www.biochemistry.org Email: [email protected]

The British Association of Dermatologists offer a range of awards between £250 and £3,000 towards fees and living expenses for an intercalated year project related to dermatology and skin biology. It also offers £500 undergraduate project grants.

Website: www.bad.org.uk Email: [email protected]

Association for the Study of Medical Education

The Association for the Study of Medical Education offers awards related to the development of excellent medical education. Applications are welcomed from anyone on the continuum of medical education (UG, PG or qualified and studying professional development) and will be assessed against their criteria. They also have a number of other essay prizes available and awards so it is worth researching their website.

Tel: 0131 225 9111 Website: www.asme.org.uk Email: [email protected]

The Genetics Society

The Genetics Society Summer Studentship scheme offers grants of up to £3,000 for undergraduate students interested in gaining research experience in any area of genetics by carrying out a research project over the long vacation ( more information ). They also have a range of competitions and awards that you can look into on their website.

Website: https://genetics.org.uk/grants/summer-studentships/  Email: [email protected]

The Institute of Medical Ethics

The Institute of Medical Ethics (IME) offers grants, student elective bursaries, and scholarships (covering the next academic year) for students wishing to do an intercalated degree in medical ethics or an allied subject.

Website: https://ime-uk.org/grants-and-competitions/ 

The Physiological Society

Vacation Studentships offer undergraduates the opportunity to undertake a research project on an area of physiology over their summer break. Working under an academic supervisor, they can get to experience day-to-day life in the laboratory first-hand. Funding of £150 a week, to cover living costs, is on offer for up to eight weeks.

Website: www.physoc.org Email: [email protected]

The Pathological Society

Funding for students wanting to intercalate a BSc in Pathology but who do not have LEA or other government support. Also offer awards to fund electives and vacation studies in pathology.

Website: www.pathsoc.org

The Paget’s Association

The Paget’s Association awards Student Research Bursaries of up to £6,000 to promising UK medical or science students (MRes, MSc, BSc or equivalent higher degree) to pursue research into any aspects of Paget’s Disease of Bone.

Tel: 0161 799 4646 Website

Other resources

The list above is not exhaustive so we do encourage further research.

A good place to start is RD Learning , a database of health-related research funding opportunities.

Please contact us if you notice any broken links, of any other funding opportunities or if any options are no longer running.

The Student Voice Prize

The student voice prize hall of fame.

We are delighted to say that year is the 10th time we’ll be running The Student Voice Prize.

For the past nine years, we’ve searched the world for the top student rare disease essays and we’re proud to say we’ve found them.

Take a look at the brilliant minds who have come before you and give their winning essays a read.

The Student Voice Prize 2022

Zheqing zhang.

Zheqing was a t hird-year medical student at The University of Oxford. 

Essay title: Diagnosing Rare Diseases: A Family’s Story

Essay question : Diagnosis can be a challenging journey for many people living with a rare condition. Compare and contrast the diagnostic journey of two or more people/families living with a rare condition, reflecting on the impact of these experiences on their mental well-being.

Zheqing participated in the patient pairing scheme and was paired with Sarah from the VEDS Movement.

Olivia Noone

Behçet’s Disease: Diverse Manifestations in Both Brain and Body

Read Olivia’s blog

Chloe Yallop

The ‘diagnostic odyssey’ – a unique and unpredictable journey toward hope

Read Chloe’s blog

One in a Million Disease with a Million Dollar Cure

Read Fiza’s blog

The Student Voice Prize 2021

Zainab alani.

Zainab is a first -year medical student at The University of Glasgow. 

Essay title: Exploring Intersectionality; an international yet individual issue

Essay question : A wide range of factors, such as race, wealth, and gender, can impact an individual’s experience of healthcare and society in general. This is known as intersectionality. Use a case study to demonstrate the specific challenges faced by patients with rare diseases on a daily basis. Discuss how intersectionality can mean that these people experience greater disadvantages.

Ana Maria Lopez-Ruiz

An Eye for an Eye – How Comparisons Between Cystinosis and Type 1 Diabetes Can Reveal Health Inequalities for Patients With Rare Diseases.

Read Ana Maria’s blog

Gavin Choong

Intersectionality in the diagnosis and treatment of Elephantiasis- A case study

Read Gavin’s blog

Meagan Collins

Looking Through a New Lens: Insights into Patient Participation in Rare Disease Research

Read Meagan’s blog

The Student Voice Prize 2020

Catriona chaplin.

Catriona was a medical student at Barts and London.

Essay title: Unmasked: an insight into three patients’ rare disease experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

Essay question: Reflect on the impact of shielding during COVID-19 on rare disease patients and their families. How has COVID-19 changed the rare disease experience?

Caitlyn Taylor

The Journey of a Rare Disease Patient

Read Caitlyn’s blog

Molly Bowden

What is Leigh Syndrome? If you had MS, I could help you

Read Molly’s Blog  

Sanjana Ashok

Rare Disease Research: What challenges have presented in a global pandemic?  

Read Sanjana’s Blog

The Student Voice Prize 2019

The Student Voice 2019 saw the continued growth of the competition, with more entries and more winners than ever before.

Anna-Lucia Koerling

No Friends 1

Read Anna-Lucia’s essay

Sandy Ayoub

Dual Deprivation for rare diseases

Read Sandy’s blog  

Muhammad Shaikh

Improving Rare Disease Recognition Via Medical Education

Read Muhammad’s blog

Anneliese Ng

No country for Healthcare Equity

Read Anneliese’s blog  

The Student Voice Prize 2018

The Student Voice 2018 saw us offer, for the first time, the opportunity for  students to be paired with rare disease patient groups  to learn from their real life stories.

Logan Williams

Repurposing a rare opportunity: a brief insight into how implicit bias towards biomedicine impacts the care received by patients with a rare illness

Read Logan’s essay

Maisha Umama

Four things I learned from an individual with fibrous dysplasia

Read Maisha’s blog  

Naomi Morka

When a mother flees from her newborn’ – comparing Harlequin Ichthyosis cases in Nigeria and the United Kingdom

Read Naomi’s blog

The Student Voice Prize 2017

Mariam al-attar.

TRAPPED – an insight into two sisters’ struggle to access treatment for a rare genetic disease

Read Mariam’s essay

Raising the flag for orphan diseases – opportunities and challenges for medical students and researchers

Read Rupa’s blog 

Simon Westby

An odyssey not alone

George Wood

Collaboration is helping medical professionals and patients with rare diseases to face their challenges

Read George’s blog

The Student Voice Prize 2016

Rebecca nunn.

It’s not all in my head!” – The complex relationship between rare diseases and mental health problems

Read Rebecca’s essay

Srinivasa Rambhatla

Implementing the UK Strategy for Rare Diseases more effectively: A patient perspective of the complex relationship between rare diseases and mental health problems

Read Srinivasa’s blog 

Ferenc Gutai

The rare disease revolution: how it will help shape the future of medicine

Read Ferenc’s blog

The Student Voice Prize 2015

Roberta garau.

The medical experience of a patient with a rare disease and her family

Read Roberta’s essay

Nicholas Heng

Using rare genetic diseases to understand medicine

Read Nicholas’s blog 

Mark Jacunski

There is more than one way to show a treatment works

The Student Voice Prize 2014

The  first-ever Student Voice Prize essay competition  was run in 2014, with the idea conceived by one of Beacon’s (then called Findacure) first interns.

Rosemary Grain

Benjamin ng, anne fitzgibbon.

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Medicine & the Muse Program

Paul kalanithi writing award, paul kalanithi was a physician writer and neurosurgery resident at stanford university. in the final years of his training, he was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer. his memoir,  when breath becomes air , beautifully chronicles his reflections on living with illness and the meaning of legacy. the paul kalanithi writing award was created in his memory. , open for submissions: november 11, 2024.

This short documentary by Stanford videographer Mark Hanlon captures Paul Kalanithi’s shifting perception of time while living with terminal cancer.

Lucy Kalanithi often visits the gravesite of her husband, Paul Kalanithi, with the couple’s daughter, Cady, to picnic and leave flowers. (Photo by Timothy Archibald)

Prize Winners

2023 prize winners.

First place essay:   A Good Death |  Heather Alva, MD

First place short story:   Home Videos | Tatyana Singh

First place poetry:  Bulbs |  Lana Corrales 

First place poetry (tie):  Lunch Break/Brave Face |  Aidan Theepura Kunju

2022 Prize Winners

First place:  Sick Girl Goes on a Date  | Alyson Lee

Second place: To Sit With   | Brian Zhao

Third place:   What That Poem was About   | Fiona Miller

Fourth place: I Wear You Like a Memory | Nicolas Seranio

Honorable Mention

  Junk Journal  | James Hyun Lee

2021 Prize Winners

First place:  Sliding Down  | Michael Rabow, MD

Second place:   Silver   | Hannah Joyner

Third place:   Of Seeds  | Rachael Peckham, PhD Honorable Mention

How to Deal with Charon  | Brian Smith, Medical Student

2020 Prize Winners

1st Place: My Father's Brain is on the Kitchen Counter by Laura Pritchett

2nd Place: The Last Shower by Leilani Graham

3rd Place: Code Yellow by Kushal Kadakia

Honorable Mentions

Spilling Stardust  by Richard Wu

*** : Meditations of a Medical Oncology Scribe  by Brian Smith

2019 Prize Winners

1st Place: RUNNING MCCOY'S  by Heather Cariou

2nd Place: Time Like Water  by Grace Li

3rd Place: Dark Rides  by Amy Haddad

The Ward is the World  by Laurie Kutchins

2018 Prize Winners

1st Place: Pulseless  by David James Bell

2nd Place: How Fishele Died  by Nathan Szajnberg

3rd Place: Broken  by Lucia Gagliese

Hair  by Joanne Howard

2017 Prize Winners

1st Place: Borderline Disability: A Life Diagnose by Eli Cahan

2nd Place: In Photographs by Dorothy Rice

3rd Place: Under the Bridge by Tyson West

Recommendation by Marissa McNamara

Two Notes by Cassie Myers

2016 Prize Winners

1st Place: Perestroika  by Petr Vitkovskiy

2nd Place: Parlor Talk  by Catherine Wong

3rd place:  Mercy  by Erik Norbie

Submissions Open: November 11, 2024 - January 6, 2025

Medicine & the Muse is pleased to announce an open call for unpublished short stories, essays or poetry addressing patients and providers facing chronic or life limiting illness.

Entries will be evaluated within their own genre: poetry, fiction and non-fiction. 

Contest Guidelines Short Stories/Essays/Fiction/Non-fiction: Less than 2500 words Poetry: Less than 50 lines

Dual submissions permitted, if they are in different genres. No more than two submissions. Simultaneous submissions permitted, but please withdraw your piece if it gets published elsewhere. Collections of poems are permitted, but please adhere to the line limit. The submission fee is $35 per entry. There is no charge for students, residents and fellows.

SUBMIT HERE

Submit here (students, residents, fellows).

Submission Deadline January 6, 2025 Winners announced on March 21, 2025 

Judges have Included  Drs. Lucy Kalanithi and Daniel Mason, Stanford physician writers, Dr. Jay Baruch, Brown University Alpert School of Medicine physician writer, Dr. Irène Mathieu, Assistant Director, Program in Health Humanities,  University of Virginia, Grace Li, MD candidate and author, and Executive Director of Stanford Medical Humanities & Arts program, Jacqueline Genovese

Award Total of 3 winners, one from each genre will be awarded a cash prize of $300. 

Honorarium made possible by the generosity of a Stanford Palliative Care benefactor.

Winners will be published in Anastomosis , Stanford University School of Medicine’s humanities and literary journal. 

Open to all. Please share widely. 

Prizes for students

The RSM has numerous prizes and awards aimed at students. By submitting an application, you will have the chance to present at a meeting, add to your CV and open up more career opportunities.

Please note this page is updated regularly.

All submissions must be sent in by 11.59pm on the stated deadline date.

Generally prizes, awards or travel grants must be claimed before the end of the academic year in which they are gained (30 September).

For more information or help please contact [email protected]

Patient Safety

Patient Safety Section: Oral and poster presentation

Deadline: Thursday 19 September 2024 at 23:59

Open to: All students

Prize: A year's free RSM membership or £50 Apply here

Respiratory Medicine

Student Award

Submission deadline: Monday 3 February 2025

Open to: All current UK medical students and FY1 doctors who completed the research whilst at medical school.

Prize:  £100 and free attendance to the RSM Respiratory Careers Day on Monday 12 May 2025

Surgery section: MIA Prize

Deadline : Sunday 22 September 2024

Open to : Surgical trainees, pre-doctoral surgical researchers and students. 

Surgery Section: Adrian Tanner Prize

Deadline : Sunday 22 September 2024  

Open to : All surgical trainees and foundation doctors (Medical students should apply for the John Dawson prize)

Surgery Section: John Dawson Medical Student Prize

Deadline : Sunday 22 September 2024 

Open to : Medical students (Qualified doctors should apply for the Adrian Tanner Prize)

WSS Abstract

For more information on how to prepare for the abstract and the submission guidelines click here . Download the form to make your submission.

"It’s a great privilege for our team to have been recognised by this prestigious award from the RSM Surgery Section and reflects the dedicated work behind this exciting innovation."

See more from prizes and awards  or hear from  previous prize winners.

Kilsby student essay competition

We are listening to the voice of the next generation of healthcare professionals..

The BHMA runs an annual student essay competition to broadcast the voice of the best and most innovative thinking from those about to embark on a career in healthcare. We want your fresh insight and opinion on how to transform the health service into a more compassionate and caring version of its current self.

Our title for 2024 (BHMA’s 40th Anniversary):

‘Holistic Healthcare in Action: Reflections on the Past, Directions for the Future’

Please use 2 or 3 examples to illustrate your answer.

Essay option:

Essay of 1000-1500 words.

Creative Inquiry option:

The assignment should be in the form of a creative text (please submit photographs/DVD/music file as appropriate) alongside a written reflection of up to 1000 words. Marks will be allocated in four categories: Impact, Perception, Aesthetics and Reflection.

FIRST PRIZE – Essay and Creative Enquiry

• Your essay published in our journal and online
• Ticket to our conference & awards reception
• Free membership to the BHMA or free journal subscription for 1 year
• Your essay published online

For just £17 per annum, your student membership enables you to access our entire online library of the Journal of Holistic Healthcare plus 10-20% discounts on selected events, courses and other membership packages.

Crisis. Co-creation. Community

Many Ways of Knowing

Journeys Into Medicine

Health Creation and Creative Health

Holism and Medical Education

What’s missing from medical education?

Embodiment and bodywork

Integrative Medicine

Shifting the paradigm

Frontiers of self-care

Flourishing in Medical Education

Beyond COVID

Mind-body self-care

Stories in medicine

The Real Food Issue

Faith, hope and love in healthcare

Nature Connections

Social Prescribing

Healing Journeys

Transformative innovation in healthcare

Men’s Health

Women’s Health

Children’s Health

Saving the NHS

Nutrition and Lifestyle

Become an  Ambassador

How can a holistic perspective benefit practitioners, patients, and the planet? First Prize Essay

How can a holistic perspective benefit practitioners, patients, and the planet first prize creative enquiry, previous winners & runners-up.

Note that we have recently started publishing winners and a few other choice essays as blog posts. These appear in the side bar above.

2023: Sayed Adam Bukhari , King’s College London, How can a holistic perspective benefit practitioners, patients, and the planet?

2023: Felicity Smith , Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Arts and Crafts in Healthcare: What William Morris can Teach us About the Benefits of a Holistic Perspective for Practitioners, Patients and the Planet

2023: Kate Eustace , University College Dublin, How can a holistic perspective benefit practitioners, patients, and the planet?

2023: Alton Ajay Mathew , Medical University of Lodz, How can a holistic perspective benefit practitioners, patients, and the planet?

2022: Jonathan De Oliveira , St. George’s, University of London ‘What is missing in our clinical education’?

2022: Karla Hamlet , Canterbury Christ Church University – Creative Enquiry ‘What is missing in our clinical education?’ – The Student Voice

2022: Hamaad Khan , University College London ‘What is missing in our clinical education?’

2022: Lucy Butterfield , University of Manchester – Creative Enquiry ‘What is missing in our clinical education?’

2022: Andrew Zhou , University of Cambridge – Creative Enquiry ‘What is missing in our clinical education?’

2022: Pervana Kaur , University of Karol Marnkowski ‘What is missing in our clinical education?’

2021: Deeya Kotecha , Cambridge ‘ How can holistic healthcare influence health inequalities ‘

2021: Jabin Chowdhury , Birmingham ‘ If holistic healthcare is the answer what is the question? A take on healthcare inequality ‘

2021: Annie McKirgan , Liverpool ‘ All Animals are Equal … Or are They? ‘

2020: Lauren Wheeler, Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine ‘Holistic lessons from a pandemic…prevention is better than cure’

2020: Isabel Allison, University of Birmingham ‘Holistic lessons from a pandemic’

2020: Megan, University of Southampton: ‘Holistic lessons from a pandemic: Does anyone have a spare pen?’

2020: Simran , University of Southampton ‘Holistic Lessons from a pandemic: ‘All Lives Can’t Truly Matter Until Black Lives Matter’ ‘

2019: Jessica Frost Birmingham Medical School Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food

2019: Aaron Morjaria King’s College, London Is food the foundation for good health?

2019: Josephine Elliot University College, London Is food the foundation for good health?

2018: Thomas Christie Templeton College, Oxford Social Prescribing – are drugs or people the better cure?

2017: Fiona Field Imperial College London Re-imagining healthcare – in partnership with nature

2017: James Bevan University of Southampton Re-imagining healthcare – in partnership with nature

2017: Maddie Leadon University of Cambridge Re-imagining healthcare – in partnership with nature

2016: Robbie Newman Imperial College London Are we medicalising human experience? A radical review

2016: Alice Redfern University of Oxford Are we medicalising human experience? A radical review

2016: Vinay Mandagere University of Bristol Diagnosis: Are we medicalising human experience? A radical review

2015 Julius Kremling Germany, Why connection matters: Understanding patients’ illness by understanding their reality

2015: Tamar Witztum University of Bristol, Resilience in holistic care: Learning from Alice Herz-Sommer

2015: Lucy Brenner Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Cultivating compassion – students to lead the way?

2015: Eleanor Tanner University of Birmingham The Star of Compassion

2014: Olivia Sjökvist University of Hull, Coping with your own vulnerability in caring for a person who has a long-term condition

2014: Laura Clapham King’s College, London Coping with your own vulnerability in caring for a person who has a long-term condition

2014: Chiara Catterwell-Sinkeldam, King’s College London Coping with your own vulnerability in caring for a person who has a long-term condition

2013 Kundan Iqbal The importance of holism in medical care today and ways this can be promoted

2012 Reanne Jones Tears of Joy, tears of sorrow

2011 Thea Collins 2030: What made the NHS sustainable?

2010 Jason Ferdjani Improving global well being, improving personal well being

2009 Krishna Steedhar Student’s health matters

2008 Phoebe Votolato Being a Medical student

2007 Lewis Morgan A good holistic practitioner

Previous winners came from:

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Medical Student Prize

The 2024 Medical Student Prize deadline for submissions has now passed

2024 Medical Student Prize

This year medical students are invited to submit an essay on their Quality Improvement Project (QUIP) and how it has equipped them and their department to perform better. The project must have completed at least one round of the Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycle and can be on any aspect of T&O - from education to patient preparation or adoption of surgical innovation.

The lead author of the winning submission will receive the following:

• BOA-recognised certificate
• £100 prize money
• A ticket for Medical Student's Day at the BOA Annual Congress 2024 in Birmingham
• Travel and one night's accommodation at the BOA Annual Congress 2024 paid for by the BOA

The BOA also wish to recognise the exceptional submissions we receive with a highly commended certificate.

How do I submit my project?

You will be required to submit an application form along with your essay. The essay application form  can be found here; please complete this and send it, along with your essay, to [email protected] . There is a limit of one essay entry per student.

In the application essay form you will be required to confirm: 

“I certify that the attached material is my own work. I also certify that I have formally certified or formally acknowledged the words and ideas of others.”

Am I eligible?

The competition is open to all medical students in the UK or Republic of Ireland. If you have submitted in previous years but you are still a medical student, you are welcome to re-enter the competition for the 2024 prize.

Medical Students from the UK or Republic of Ireland who are studying abroad are not eligible to submit an essay.

Is there a word limit?

The maximum word count for the essay is 1000 words. The essay title and references/figures/tables (including in-text references) are not included in the word count, but any accompanying text i.e. the name of the table if stated above/below it, will be counted in the Word Count. Appendices are not encouraged but maybe used to present relevant additional information referred to in the essay. We usually receive a large number of submissions and the people marking the essays are not expected to read Appendices and therefore these should not be used to display details which are essential to your work.

Can I include graphs or images in my submission?

Does the word count include references and figures, what referencing style shall i use, when is the final deadline, when will the winner be announced, will i receive feedback, who can i contact if i have a problem, past winners.

2023 Sumedh Sridhar, winner of the 2023 Medical Student Essay Prize competition, with his essay ‘Bones, Burnout, and Beyond’: Strategies for Supporting T&O Staff and Patients in a Changing Landscape.  His essay was published on Orthopaedics Online , which you can read here .

2022 Jan Drmota, a final year medical student at Imperial College London, was the winner of the 2022 BOA Medical Student Essay Prize.  His essay was published on Orthopaedics Online in December 2022 which you can read here . 

Entries Open: Medical Student Essay Prize

Attention all UK Medical Students!

We are thrilled to announce that entries are now open for the BSPRM Medical Student's Essay Prize.

The winner of the prize will receive £250 and will also have a prestigious platform to showcase their innovative ideas in the medical field.

To read the award criteria and to submit your entry, please click HERE.

Entries will close on 2 September 2024

Best of Luck!

Dr. Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest

• Eligibility, Selection Criteria, and Process
• Past Winners
• Essay Reviewers

2023 Essay Contest Winners

The Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest asks medical and nursing students to engage in a reflective writing exercise that illustrates an experience where they or a healthcare team member worked to ensure that humanism was at the core of care.

Hope Babette Tang-Goodwin, MD, was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, whose devotion and generosity to the care of the children and infants with HIV infection in New York City was an inspiration to her colleagues and her students. Her approach to medicine combined a boundless enthusiasm for her work, intellectual rigor, and deep compassion for her patients. In sum, Dr. Tang-Goodwin was an exemplar of excellent, compassionate, and respectful patient care.

For the 2023 Hope Babette Tang Humanism in Healthcare Essay Contest, medical and nursing students were asked to reflect on the following quote from U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón in her poem “How Far Away We Are”:

“I want to give you something, or I want to take something from you. But I want to feel the exchange, the warm hand on the shoulder, the song coming out and the ear holding onto it.”

Read the full announcement.

2023 Medical Student Winners

First Place | “The Nail Salon” Federico Erhart University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Read in Academic Medicine

Second Place | “I See You” Riley Plett University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine Read in Academic Medicine

Third Place | “ The Gift of Grief” Emily Otiso Wayne State University School of Medicine Read in Academic Medicine 

2023 Nursing Student Winners

Second Place | “The Unspoken Language of Compassion” Leah Rothchild MGH Institute of Health Professions School of Nursing Read in Academic Medicine

• Get involved

RSTMH Student Essay Competition

RSTMH aims to support our members, Fellows and wider networks from the very start of their Careers. Our Student Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting topics of global health and tropical medicine each year.  

2024 RSTMH Student Essay Competition: How could the use of AI improve global health outcomes in LMICs?

The RSTMH Student Essay Competition is open for applications. The essay topic this year is “How could the use of AI improve global health outcomes in LMICs?”.

The Competition is for students studying global health as a degree, or any degree with a component of global health or medicine. It is open to current, full-time, students, based anywhere in the world. Evidence of student status must be provided at the point of submission.

The essay should clearly set out your personal perspective and specific view, with evidence to back up your choice. The essay must demonstrate a combination of scholarship, original thought, and analysis.

The essay should be submitted by 12:00pm BST  21 August 2024

Submit your application here 

Length: The essay should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words, excluding references, footnotes, and tables. A 150–200-word summary should also be submitted together with the essay. Please note that if the summary is omitted; the essay will not be considered.

References: All sources must be appropriately acknowledged using references numbered in the order in which they appear in the text with brackets e.g. (2) For reference 2. References do not count as part of the word count.

Format and presentation: The essay must be in English. Please try and organise the essay into a logical succession of headed sections, where possible. Only one essay per person can be submitted.

Originality: The essay should be entirely your own original work and should not have been previously published.  The use of AI is not permitted.  All essays will be checked for plagiarism, and we encourage you to refer to an academic writing handbook such as this one produced by LSHTM for guidance .

The winner(s) will be decided by the RSTMH Education and Training Committee.  Highly commended essays may also be selected. The decision of the Committee is final.

The panel will be assessing essays using the following criteria

• How well your personal perspective links to the national or international landscape
• How well structured the essay is
• How easy the essay is to understand
• The evidence basis for your essay, including how you make use of relevant references
• How much the essay inspires or engages the reader

The prize for the winning essay is £200, plus a year's free student membership to RSTMH, either new or a renewal. We will also invite the winner to be presented with a certificate and their prize fund at an RSTMH event in 2024.

Announcements

We may publish, on our website or in our newsletter, anonymized data relating to submissions to the competition. We will announce the winners name and essay title, plus that of any highly commended submissions on our website and through other communication channels. We may publish submitted essays on the RSTMH website and through our other communications channels. We may publish the winning essay in our scientific journal and on our website. By submitting an essay, you agree to these conditions.

Greetings from the Honorary Advisor of  St. Petersburg International Music Competition： World-Renowned Pianist Maestro Lau Sze Kwan

Read more…

聖彼得堡國際音樂比賽榮譽顧問 —  著名鋼琴演奏家 劉詩昆先生致詞

Greetings from the Honorary Advisor of St. Petersburg International Music Competition：

Pianist and educator professor ling yuan, 聖彼得堡國際音樂比賽鋼琴賽事榮譽顧問 – 凌遠 鋼琴教授.

Greetings from Jury of St.Petersburg International Music Competition Haiou Zhang

聖彼得堡國際音樂比賽評委張海鷗致詞, greetings from chairman of final jury pavel popov  , 最終評審團主席 pavel popov 致詞, greetings from dr.poom prommachart, dr.poom prommachart 致詞, greetings from jury of st.petersburg international music competition—british pianist robin zebaida, 聖彼得堡國際音樂比賽評委會致詞 — 英國鋼琴家羅賓·澤拜達.

If any enquiry, please use our contact form or email to [email protected]  directly.

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