Sophia Louise Barry
Elizabeth Alarcon-Clark
The 2021 Medical Student Essay Competition was entitled:
How has COVID-19 changed undergraduate Urology teaching? What innovations have been most successful? Has anything been lost?
National Winner: Lucinda Motie from University College London Medical School Runner-up: Emily Finbow from University of Sheffield Medical School Highly Commended: Papakas Wijeyendram from University of Southampton Medical School & Lavesh Mirpuri from Leeds School of Medicine
REGION | NAME | MEDICAL SCHOOL |
---|---|---|
East Midlands | ||
East of England | Chien Lin Soh Gabija Klyvyte | Cambridge Norwich |
Irish Republic | Richard Walsh Hayley Power | University College Dublin University College Limerick |
Pieter Jan Eyskens | Barts & The Royal London | |
London South | Pinky Kotecha | King's College |
North East | Anna Ainsworth | Newcastle upon Tyne |
North West | Conor Gillespie | Liverpool |
Northern Ireland | ||
Scotland East | Nikhil Agarwal | Aberdeen |
Scotland West | ||
South East Coast | ||
Emira Mahrin Harrison Boult | Bristol Peninsula (Exeter & Plymouth) | |
Wales | Arouba Imtiaz Naomi Nandra | Cardiff Swansea |
West Midlands | Anushka Shanmugarajah | Birmingham |
The 2020 Medical Student Essay Competition was entitled:
How should urological undergraduate education be best delivered in an expanding and busy undergraduate curriculum?
... and was organised by Mr Toby Page (Newcastle).
National Winner: Fortis Gaba from the University of Edinburgh Medical School Runner-up: Natasha Alford from University of Bristol Medical School Highly Commended: Akshay Narayan from University College London Medical School
REGION | NAME | MEDICAL SCHOOL |
---|---|---|
East Midlands | Kevin Ko Yasmin King | Leicester Nottingham |
East of England | Pat Lok Jenny Cao Omar Ali | Anglia Ruskin Cambridge Norwich |
Irish Republic | Peggy Miller Rachel Lai Fat Fur Donnchadh Walsh | Galway RCSI University College Dublin |
Alex Deighton Amar Rai | Barts & The Royal London Imperial College London | |
London South | Emilia Shingleton Mark Thomas | King's College St George's |
North East | Jordan Ng Cheong Chung | Newcastle upon Tyne |
North West | Victoria Porter Fayaz Elsawy | Lancaster Manchester |
Northern Ireland | Megan McConnell | Queen's University Belfast |
Alexsabdra Skroban | St Andrews | |
Scotland West | Omar Salim | Glasgow |
South Central | Ebtehal Moussa Sam Sussmes | Buckingham Oxford |
South East Coast | Theresa Chadehumbe | Brighton & Sussex |
Muntasha Quddus Richard Molyneux | Peninsula (Exeter) Peninsula (Plymouth) | |
Wales | Ellen Davies Jonathan Kirk | Cardiff Swansea |
West Midlands | Yasmin Nikookam Connor Henry-Blake Hannah Blades | Birmingham Stafford Warwick |
Yorks & Humber | Rebecca Williams Dhikishitha Nagara Nithin Balasubramanian | Hull/York Leeds Sheffield |
The 2019 Medical Student Assay Competition was entitled ...
Is there a role for kidney cancer screening on the NHS?
The 2019 winner was Kiran Saini (below left, Oxford University School of Medicine, and the runner-up was Shashwat Singh (below right, University of Edinburgh.
REGION | NAME | MEDICAL SCHOOL |
---|---|---|
East Midlands | Joher Rashid Yasmin King | Leicester Nottingham |
East of England | Gus Rottenberg Juliet Coutts | Cambridge Norwich |
Irish Republic | Engracia Yap Ahmad Kareem Aly Johnny Thornton | RCSI University College Dublin Limerick |
London North | Thomas Fisher Usama Ali Tobi Rotimi | Barts & The Royal London Imperial College London University College London |
London South | Alexandros Sklavounas Mark Thomas | King's College St George's |
North East | Kimberley McDonald | Newcastle upon Tyne |
North West | Katie Cheung Shannon Jordan Ellen Waller | Lancaster Liverpool Manchester |
Northern Ireland | Nicola Melarkey | Queen's University Belfast |
Joanne Martin | Aberdeen | |
Scotland West | No award(s) made for 2019 | |
Charlotte Woodward | Southampton | |
South East Coast | Nidhii Desai | Brighton & Sussex |
South West | Lee Keng Siang Rhianedd Preece | Bristol Peninsula (Exeter/Plymouth) |
Wales | Fizah Nadiah Dato Mohd Hamid Bethan Carter | Cardiff Swansea |
West Midlands | Adam Sinker | Warwick |
Yorks & Humber | Krishnanth Ganesan | Sheffield |
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The 2018 Medical Student Essay Competition was entitled ...
How can UK urologists justify the expense of using the latest technology within a nationally funded health system? "
Sacha Moore , University of Southampton Medical School and Mikolaj Kowal , University of Manchester School of Medicine (pictures to follow).
REGION | NAME | MEDICAL SCHOOL |
---|---|---|
East Midlands | ||
East of England | Kevin Soon Hwee Teo Caolan Stowe | Cambridge Norwich |
Irish Republic | ||
London North | Nikhil Mayor Norbert Banhidy | Barts & The Royal London Imperial College London |
London South | Alexander Light | King's College London |
North East | Ellen Louise Meredith | Newcastle upon Tyne |
Arunchalam Soma Kursheed Khan | Lancaster Liverpool | |
Northern Ireland | Leila Rezvani | Queen's University Belfast |
Scotland East | Georgios Kounidas Thinekrishna Anbarasan | Aberdee Dundee |
Scotland West | Gladys Lou | Glasgow |
Ebtehal Moussa Nithesh Raanasinha | Buckingham Oxford | |
South East Coast | Willie-Henri Quah | Brighton & Sussex |
South West | Jasmesh Sandhu Ahmed Chowdhury | Bristol Peninsula (Exeter/Plymouth) |
Wales | Megan Simpkins Loukas Kouzaris | Cardiff Swansea |
West Midlands | ||
Yorks & Humber | Ella Heath | Sheffield |
The 2017 Medical Student Essay Competition was entitled ...
Urological technology - where will we be in 20 years?
Images below show winners of the national essay competition, Mostafa Beshr (below left - Leicester University Medical School) and Rye Yern Yap (below right - University of Sheffield Medical School) with Mr Toby Page (below centre):
Victoria Nicholas | Nottingham | |
East of England | Xue Wang Declan Murphy | Cambridge Norwich |
Irish Republic | Martin Safarii Aketch | RCSI |
London North | Poojah Shah Darryl Ethan Bernstein | Imperial College London University College London |
London South | Ashleigh Ellen Draper | King's College |
North East | Mark Hanson | Newcastle upon Tyne |
North West | Nicholas Johnn Strouther Yanish Seeram Poolovadoo | Liverpool Manchester |
Northern Ireland | Matthew Shaun O'Connell | Queen's University Belfast |
Scotland East | Jamie Leask | Dundee |
Scotland West | ||
South Central | ||
South East Coast | ||
South West | Waheed-Ul-Rahman Ahmed | Peninsula (Exeter) |
Wales | Thomas Chandy Omar Sadiq | Cardiff Swansea |
West Midlands | Munir Abdukhder | Birmingham |
Images of the presentation of certificates to some of the regional winners of the competition are shown below:
The 2016 Medical Student Essay Competition was entitled ...
What role should simulation play in the selection and training of urologists?
... and was organised by Mr Nick Rukin (Wolverhampton).
The winners of the national essay competition were Andrew Robinson , Keele University School of Medicine, and George Miller, King's College London School of Medicine (image not currently available)
Download Andrew Robinson's essay
Download George Miller's essay
REGION | NAME | MEDICAL SCHOOL |
---|---|---|
East Midlands | Suraj Pathak | Leicester |
East of England | Sebasztian Tullie Bruno Gnaneswaran | Cambridge Norwich |
Irish Republic | Sarah Quigley Mervyn Huston Andrea McCarthy | Galway Trinity College Dublin University College Dublin |
London North | Adrian Tollitt | University College London |
Angela Lam | St George's | |
North East | John McCullough | Newcastle upon Tyne |
North West | Taufiq Khan Katahrine Dart | Liverpool Manchester |
Northern Ireland | Sean McMahon | Queen's University Belfast |
Scotland East | Yinan Zhu | Dundee |
Scotland West | Jia Hong | Glasgow |
South Central | Kiloran Metcalfe Sacha Moore | Oxford Southampton |
South East Coast | Laura Denning | Brighton & Sussex |
South West | Philippa Sargent Francis De Castro | Bristol Peninsula (Exeter/Pymouth) |
Wales | ||
Carol Wong | Birmingham | |
Yorks & Humber | Tom Malik | Sheffield |
We have recorded the presentation of certificates to some of the regional winners of the competition in the image(s) below:
The 2015 Medical Student Essay Competition was entitled ...
Social media in urological teaching & training: a new era or passing fad?
... and was organised by Mr Ian Pearce (Manchester) and Mr Kieran O'Flynn (Salford).
The winners of the national essay competition were Tim Napier-Hemy , (pictured left below) University of Liverpool Medical School, and Joel Ward , (pictured right below) Oxford University Medical School.
Download Tim Napier-Hemy's essay
Download Joel Ward's essay
Certificates have also been presented to some of the regional winners of the competition - see the image(s) below:
The 2014 Medical Student Essay Competition was entitled...
This house believes that the UK government should implement a screening programme for prostate cancer
The winners of the national essay competition were Sarah Williams , St George's Medical School, and Katherine Turner , Bristol University Medical School.
Download Sarah Williams's essay
Download Katherine Turner's essay
The 2013 Medical Student Essay Competition was entitled ...
Investigation and management of haematuria
The national winners of the essay competition were Mueez Waqar , University of Liverpool Medical School and Alex Luen Hua Loh , University of Edinburgh College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine.
Both essays have been published in the British Journal of Medical & Surgical Urology (now The Journal of Clinical Urology) and are available for download below:
Download Mueez Waqar's essay
Download Alex Luen Hua Loh's essay
The 2012 Medical Student Essay Competition was entitled ...
Medical management of symptomatic benign prostatic enlargement "
The national winners of the essay competition were Wazir Haja Sahabudeen , University of Bristol Medical School and Harriett Latham-Cork , Peninsula College of Medicine.
Download Wazir's essay
Download Harriett's essay
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.
Please complete the form below along with your submission
Deadline July 31st
FIRST PRIZE – Essay and Creative Enquiry
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.
Become an Ambassador
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
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As a NSW medical student, you might be surprised to learn the NSW Medical Council already regulates your conduct and health - even before you become a doctor. So, what do we do, and when might you come in contact with us?
First and foremost, our job as the regulator of the NSW medical profession is to protect patient safety. It is our paramount concern.
The NSW Medical Council holds an annual short essay prize for medical students currently studying in NSW. Entry is free, with the winning entry awarded a $1500 gift card and the runner-up a $500 gift card. Winning entries are published on the Medical Council website and shared with NSW medical students and the NSW medical profession via Council newsletters and online channels.
Essay question 2023
Research suggests many medical students and doctors in Australia do not have their own doctor. Explore the reasons behind this and the impact this might have on students /doctors and on patient care and safety. What strategies would help address this issue and why?
2023 essay winners announced!
Congratulations to Callum Fraser, a year 5 medical student from the University of Western Sydney (first prize), and Dylan Foskett a year 2 medical student from Macquarie University (runner-up).
Read Callum’s reflections on this year’s theme and his essay White coat tension – doctors and the patient role .
Read Dylan’s reflections on this year’s theme and his essay A taste of our own medicine.
Judges comments : There were a record number of entries with every NSW medical school represented. The quality of the essays was of a high standard with students exploring the solutions and barriers to self-care within the medical profession with nuance, originality and intelligence. The judges congratulate every student who entered and who embraced and reflected on this important issue.
Read essays from our previous winners
Read entries from our essay winners and runners up Jessie , Ho Yun and Vivien in 2022 which explored the ethical and professional challenges that can arise for medical students and doctors when using social media.
It can be confusing! Health practitioner laws apply nationally and overseen by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and individual professional boards (such as the Medical Board of Australia). Uniquely, in New South Wales, the Medical Council of NSW and the independent NSW Health Care Complaints Commission have joint regulatory responsibility for ensuring the public is protected by responding to concerns about individual doctors practising in NSW and medical students (health and conduct) who are studying in NSW.
As a medical student currently studying in NSW Australia, your details are registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. This is facilitated by the NSW medical school you are registered with.
In a nutshell, the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) and the Medical Council co-regulate and manage complaints about individual medical practitioners and medical students in NSW. The HCCC also manages complaints about other health practitioners, unregistered practitioners and institutions.
While Ahpra manages complaints in most other states, their role in NSW relates to complaints about advertisement of medical services and registering students and practitioners.
For a more in-depth exploration of how the puzzle pieces fit together, check out our podcast on this topic or this explainer .
It is expected that the medical profession will ensure patients’ safety and is generally held in high esteem by the public. Part of the Medical Council’s role is to ensure that this continues to be the case. Without public trust, doctors wouldn’t be able to undertake their role effectively.
Those are the key drivers for regulating the health and conduct of medical students. You’ll be relieved to hear that no one is following you around with a clipboard grading you and that it’s not a pass/fail test. However, conduct can include issues of communication, professionalism, illicit drug taking, being drunk while working with patients, allegations of family violence and more.
Should a complaint be made about a student’s conduct, it is reasonable to expect that the Medical Council will seek further information and take this information to a committee who may decide to:
- take no further action - send a letter to the student with advice - direct the student to a conduct or counselling interview - take urgent action against a student, that may temporarily prevent them from studying - refer the complaint on.
While this can be confronting to read, the numbers of complaints about medical students are extremely small.
It is important to highlight that the Medical Council does not regulate medical students’ performance. This is entirely the remit of universities and students’ supervisors.
Is this over and above the Code of Conduct I signed at university?
Yes. In learning to be a doctor you are required to meet certain professional responsibilities and expectations. These arise from your increasing involvement with patients, families and the wider community as your learning progresses on your way to becoming a doctor. Doctors, including student doctors, should be strongly guided by the Medical Board of Australia’s Good Medical Practice: A Code of Conduct for Doctors in Australia.
There’s plenty of research indicating that healthier doctors = healthier patients . Whilst many students recognise this and the importance of having their own doctor , there’s no doubt the demands on students and interns are intense. Acknowledging the culture of medicine and the importance of doctors’ health, the Medical Council spoke with Dr Leanne Rowe on how to maintain your health. In our podcast Dr Rowe provides realistic tips, doctor to doctor, that may help you avoid burnout and impairment.
Any student or doctor who is referred to the Medical Council as a result of a notification relating to health impairment is supported around their health needs with the aim of helping them return to study and/or clinical training as soon as possible. The Medical Council is focused on helping ensure students who are impaired address and remediate any health problems so that they can continue their studies and become successful and skilled doctors in future.
Resources:
See our articles in our doctors' health area in the Good Practice section of our website.It includes articles on self-care, why doctors need their own doctor, burnout.
See also our recent articles on health impairment and role of medical regulators such as the Medical Council:
Building a culture of care - separating fact from fear in mandatory notifications
10 things you need to know about mandatory notification
Black Dog Insitute FAQs for mandatory reporting and confidentiality
Avant has a useful guide for students and work life balance: https://www.avant.org.au/member-benefits/doctors-health-and-wellbeing/your-health/work-life-balance/medical-student-health-priorities/
It’s no secret that medical students are typically ‘Type A’ personalities, goal focused and competitive. This also makes you more susceptible to worry (reference). So, before you listen to the rumour mill, there are a few things we would really like to clarify!
Our sources indicate that the elephant in the room continues to be mandatory reporting. Let’s tackle that head on. Yes, there are mandatory reporting laws that mean practitioners have an obligation to make a report to the Medical Council if you are a risk to yourself or the public. However, the reality is that most students with managed health conditions will never need to be subject to such a report. Remember, less than 1% of students will come to the attention of the Medical Council for health conditions.
This includes mental health conditions. We’re often approached with questions such as “I’m asking for a friend, but if my friend is studying medicine and takes antidepressants, do they need to be worried that their treating doctor will make a mandatory report?”. In most cases, the unequivocal answer is no.
Many students and medical practitioners have underlying health conditions, including mental health conditions, that are well managed and do not need to be reported to the Medical Council. Generally speaking, these students engage positively and regularly with their treating practitioners and seek additional assistance rather than trying to conceal their health issues.
There are two concerns that may trigger a mandatory notification about a student – an impairment that places the public at substantial risk of harm or concerns about sexual boundary crossing. A mandatory notification about a student must also be based upon a reasonable belief that an incident or behaviour occurred.
What am I obliged to tell you? Students are required by law to notify the Medical Council of NSW within seven days if they have been charged with an offence that carries 12 months or more imprisonment. This may include but isn’t limited to drink driving, breach of Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVOs) or drugs charges. Ignorance is unfortunately not a defence, so if you are charged, please contact your medical indemnity insurer or medical school for advice.
As medical students and future doctors your activity on social media areas can have long-lasting effect. While there is no hard and fast rules health professional regulators recognise that medical students are people too, there are guidelines in place to avoid putting yourself in a difficult position. The Medical Board of Australia’s Good Medical Practice: A Code of Conduct in Australia provides a good guide around many issues such as these.
It is also important to have your own regular doctor encourage peers and colleagues to have their own doctor . If you need a doctor who may be particularly sympathetic to the demands of the profession, please visit the AMA Doctors for Colleagues page for recommendations.
Do you influence the curriculum at medical school? Strictly, no. However, we do partner with most NSW universities to deliver guest lectures on medical regulation, impairment and self-care, primarily in the first and fourth years. However, medical students are the cornerstone of the profession, and we would encourage you to raise any questions you may have about medical regulation via your MedSoc first. If they can’t answer these, please escalate them to your NSW Medical Students’ Council (NSWMSC) Executive team. And if that doesn’t get you an answer, the NSWMSC has some key contacts here at the Medical Council who can help you.
What do I do if I get a complaint while I’m a student?
You may find that a complaint is made about you whilst you are working as a student. It’s important to note that these complaints are rare and can only be about your conduct or health. Your clinical performance is the domain of your university.
In the unlikely event a complaint is made, it is critical to contact your medical indemnity insurer straight away, to document the circumstances and seek their advice on your next steps. Should the complaint be received by the Medical Council, you will receive a letter outlining the details of the complaint and seeking more information. The Council will await your response before deciding what the best course of action may be. This is assessed on the risk to the public and may include placing conditions on your registration as a student.
The Doctors’ Health Advisory Service (DHAS) are available 24/7 and are staffed by doctors who can assist, provide counselling and support during this process, but also any time in your career.
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'The medical student response to the Covid-19 pandemic’ - now closed. See winning essays below
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, medical students were encouraged to participate in the NHS response raising unique challenges and potential ethical, professional and legal issues. At the start of 2021, the IME invited UK medical students to submit an essay entitled ‘ The medical student response to the Covid-19 pandemic’ aimed at highlighting the ethical issues raised by their experiences in responding to the pandemic. We received an excellent response with medical students keen to express their individual experiences.
Seven prizes of £300 each were awarded, plus complimentary IME student membership for 12 months.
This competition is now closed. For a list of winners and essays, click here .
This year, we asked early-career scientists and health professionals to identify a scientific question that is insufficiently addressed in biomedical research today. The winning essays are published in the July 15th issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation .
After reading their essays, we were excited to learn more about our winners. Watch the interviews to find out who inspires them, what is the best part of doing research, and what the next big thing in their field will be.
Kevin received his PhD in biology and biomedical sciences from Washington University in St. Louis in the Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology. His research under Gautam Dantas investigates the diversity and evolution of antibiotic resistance in human and environmental microbiomes. Kevin’s doctoral dissertation and postdoctoral work focus on the sequence-structure-function dynamics of the tetracycline destructase family of antibiotic-inactivating enzymes. He also has a special interest in writing about science for general audiences, on topics including microbiology, genomics, and evolution. In his free time, he enjoys running, reading, and playing with his dog.
Essay: Missing microbiomes: global underrepresentation restricts who research will benefit
Who inspires you as a scientist? Kevin is inspired by two scientists: Michael Baym and Stephen Jay Gould.
What is your favorite part about doing research? Kevin loves doing experiments.
What do you think is next in your field, or in what direction do you hope it will go? Kevin shares his hopes for microbiome-based therapeutics.
Catherine recently completed the MD/PhD Medical Scientist Training Program at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she was awarded a predoctoral fellowship. For her graduate research, Catherine investigated the role of microglia in a mouse model of the rare neurodevelopmental disorder MEF2C haploinsufficiency syndrome. She is a transitional-year intern at Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia, South Carolina. Catherine matched into residency in diagnostic radiology. Her research interests involve applying radiological techniques in women’s health. In her free time, Catherine enjoys spending time with her husband, playing board games, and gardening.
Essay: Illuminating maternal sepsis: a call for improved recognition and prevention
When are you inspired as a scientist? Catherine shares how patients inspire her research.
What is your favorite part about doing research? Catherine is excited when she sees the results of an experiment.
What do you think is next in your field, or in what direction do you hope it will go? Catherine hopes there will be increased attention and broader accessibility to women’s health.
Andrea is a sixth-year MD/PhD student at the University of Minnesota. Her thesis work focuses on sex/gender differences in the roles of social support, stress, and brain function in alcohol misuse. She received a Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral National Research Service award from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Andrea plans to pursue clinical training in psychiatry, focusing on addiction and reproductive psychiatry. Outside work, Andrea likes to camp, travel, take care of her backyard chickens, and read and write for fun. She and her husband are welcoming a baby boy in July 2024.
Essay: What happens to the brain during pregnancy?
Who inspires you as a scientist? Andrea was inspired by Dr. Sylvia Earle, whom she discovered in a book that her parents gave her when she was a child.
What is your favorite part about doing research? Andrea enjoys working with an interdisciplinary team and writing about science.
What do you think is next in your field, or in what direction do you hope it will go? Andrea explains that deep data collection will help us understand complex pathologies such as substance use disorder during pregnancy.
Subashan is an academic foundation doctor at St. James’s University Hospital, researching health inequities as part of the Child Health Outcomes Research at Leeds team. Born and raised in Malaysia, he attended medical school at the University of Malaya, developing an interest in urban poverty, child health, and the immune system. He later matriculated as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, where his research under Eileen Parkes focused on immune evasion mechanisms in cancers and viruses. He aspires to become a clinician–scientist working toward solutions for tropical infectious diseases. He finds balance through long-distance running.
Essay: The (unresolved) antibody paradox
Who inspires you as a scientist? Subashan shares how the high prevalence of dengue disease in Malaysia directed his research focus.
What is your favorite part about doing research? Subashan enjoys being challenged and tackling novel scientific questions.
What do you think is next in your field, or in what direction do you hope it will go? Subashan is optimistic that increased attention to tropical infectious diseases will advance the field.
In the suburbs of Fort Worth, Texas, Sarah spent her childhood as a nationally ranked springboard diver until she hopped off the diving board and into the research lab. Her undergraduate research experiences catapulted her into PhD work at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the lab of Joshua Modell, where she studies bacterial defense systems and fundamental phage biology. In her free time, Sarah loves to creatively express herself, whether that’s through the footprints she painted on her living room ceiling, solving a rock-climbing puzzle, or mastering a new yoga move.
Essay: The enemy of my enemy is my friend
Who inspires you as a scientist? Sarah chose Jane Goodall as a role model.
What is your favorite part about doing research? Sarah loves discussing science and sharing ideas with her peers.
What do you think is next in your field, or in what direction do you hope it will go? Sarah tells us what is next in phage therapy research.
School of medicine, md students, graduate medical education, student tools.
University of Utah Physician Assistant (PA) students have achieved a remarkable feat by winning the prestigious JAAPA Student Poster Competition for the second year in a row. Organized by the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), this competition recognizes outstanding research contributions by students in healthcare.
The winning poster, titled "Advanced Practice Clinician Antibiotic Prescribing Practices for the Treatment of Uncomplicated UTIs at University of Utah Emergency Department Urgent Care," explores optimal antibiotic use for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in the University of Utah Emergency Department Urgent Care setting. Contributors to the poster included Karina Fasig, Kevin Tyan, Whitney Mason, Laura Zdziarski-Horodyski, and Alden Baker, MPAS, PA-C.
The University of Utah PA students and faculty were honored during the National Medical Challenge Bowl on Monday, May 22nd, where they were commended for their exceptional achievement.
by Jennifer Coombs, PA-C, MPAS, PhD
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The Contest is open to medical school students, interns, residents, and fellows; doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows in biomedical sciences; and graduate students training in health professions programs e.g., public health, dental, pharmacy, etc who are currently doing research. ... Meet the Winners of the 2023 Essay Contest and Read the ...
2023 1st Place: Brian R. Smith, Stanford University 2nd Place: Isabel Draper, Baylor College of Medicine ... SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2024 MEDICAL STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST ARE NOW CLOSED. ... Submissions for the 2025 Medical Student Essay will open January 1, 2025. For QUESTIONS ONLY, contact James Haliburton, MD, ...
The Student Voice Prize is an annual, international essay competition that raises the profile of rare diseases within the medical field, particularly with medical students, nurses and scientists who may have never come across rare diseases in their training. Beacon and Medics4RareDiseases host the competition together and the winner gets published in The Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases!
In 2022, the ABIM Foundation launched the Building Trust Essay Contest to explore the diverse activities or projects that medical students are engaged in that build trust with their schools, faculty, peers, patients, and communities. Building on the success of its first two years, the 2024 Building Trust Essay Contest expanded its scope to ...
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:
The Balint Society of Australia and New Zealand has announced the winners from the 2023 Medical Student Reflective Essay Competition. There were a record 89 entries this year, with a very high standard of writing covering a wide range of topics. After several rounds of reviewing, the reviewers are pleased to announce the top 12 essays as listed ...
1. Essays must be written while the student is in medical school, must be the work of a single author, and must be an original work. The essay must not be offered to, or published by, any other journal or entered in any other contest prior to submission or during, the AΩA selection process. 2. The essay must be related to medicine.
The World Psychiatry Association (WPA) announces its 2024 Medical Student Essay Competition, a WPA Presidential initiative with the support of the United Nations Secretariat - Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Sustainable Development Goals. The WPA invites medical students from around the world to write and submit an ...
The deadline is Oct 16, 2024. Essays will be anonymised and judged by Lancet editors. The winner of the Wakley Prize will receive £2000, and the essay will be published in The Lancet. We look forward to reading your entries about centring care in medicine and discovering what ideas you have to share. Learn more about this year's theme and ...
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
Open to. Female students in year 12. Word count. 1,500 - 2,500 words. Prize. £400. 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.
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.
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.
The essay question for the 2024 competition was 'Climate change presents a fundamental threat to human wellbeing. Discuss how it impacts health, disease and pathology.'. Download and read Aleksandra's winning essay above. Dr Noha El Sakka, the RCPath Vice President for Communication, was the judge for this year's competition.
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 ...
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 ...
John Fry prize. Deadline: Thursday 1 August 2024 Open to: Medical, nursing and allied healthcare students with an interest in general practice and primary care Apply here CAIPE John Horder Team Award and John Horder Student Award. Deadline: Wednesday 31 July 2024 Open to: Individuals or teams working within the community who can demonstrate outstanding principles of collaborative working and ...
or the runner up in the national competition will be £500. The national competition winner and runner up will be presented with their certificates at the BAUS 2023 Annual Confer. ce which is being held at ICC Birmingham (19-21 June 2. fer guest registration for the conference. Entry CriteriaTo be eligible to enter the competition, authors must ...
Medical Student Essay Competition. Submissions for the 2023 essay competition have closed. Medical students were invited to submit a 1500-word essay for the competition. The topic for 2024 was: Title awaited. Word limit: 1500, excluding title, abstract (no more than 200 words) and references. The word count includes words used in figures ...
Our annual student essay competition for medical, nursing and other healthcare students. ... 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 ... 2023: Alton Ajay Mathew, Medical University of Lodz, How can a ...
Essay competition 2023. The NSW Medical Council holds an annual short essay prize for medical students currently studying in NSW. Entry is free, with the winning entry awarded a $1500 gift card and the runner-up a $500 gift card. Winning entries are published on the Medical Council website and shared with NSW medical students and the NSW ...
For this annual competition, FY 1 & 2 UK doctors are invited to submit an essay about an ethical issue raised by an experience they have had as a foundation year doctor. Up to five cash prizes of £300 each are awarded. Besides this, the Robert Hillman Essay Prize of an additional £250 is awarded to the best overall entry. All winners will ...
At the start of 2021, the IME invited UK medical students to submit an essay entitled ' The medical student response to the Covid-19 pandemic' aimed at highlighting the ethical issues raised by their experiences in responding to the pandemic. We received an excellent response with medical students keen to express their individual ...
Andrea M. Maxwell, University of Minnesota Medical School. Andrea is a sixth-year MD/PhD student at the University of Minnesota. Her thesis work focuses on sex/gender differences in the roles of social support, stress, and brain function in alcohol misuse.
University of Utah Physician Assistant (PA) students have achieved a remarkable feat by winning the prestigious JAAPA Student Poster Competition for the second year in a row. Organized by the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), this competition recognizes outstanding research contributions by students in healthcare.
Employment Lawyers are pleased to announce their 2023 writing competition. This competition is open to articles written while the author is an active student at an accredited law school in the United States. Authors may not have graduated from law school prior to December 1, 2022. Graduate students in law school (LLM