medical student essay competitions 2023

Medical Student Essay Award

Description.

Created to honor outstanding academic promise

Tips for Nominations

Submission by student to annual essay contest

Award Benefits for 2024 Award

• Complimentary registration for 2024 AAP Annual Meeting
• Up to $1,000 reimbursement for 2024 Annual Meeting-related travel and meal expenses
• Essay presented as e-poster at 2024 Annual Meeting

2023 1st Place: Brian R. Smith, Stanford University 2nd Place: Isabel Draper, Baylor College of Medicine 3rd Place: Serra Sozen, University of Vermont College of Medicine

2022 1st Place: William Thomas (Tommy) Baumel, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine 2nd Place: Eun Jin (Gloria) Yu, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA 3rd Place: Brittany Perry, University of South Florida College of Medicine

2021 1st Place: Sahana Nazeer, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine 2nd Place: Chloe Malava, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College 3rd Place: Mollie Marr, Oregon Health Sciences University 4th Place: Edward Tie, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

2020 1st Place: Jeff Jin, McGovern Medical School 2nd Place: Nicole Hadler, University of Michigan Medical School 3rd Place: David Jevotovsky, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

2019 Alan Elbaum, University of California - San Francisco

Your award includes complimentary registration for the AAP Annual Meeting, and up to $1,000 reimbursement for meeting-related travel and meal expenses.

The theme is: The Art of Communication in Psychiatry: Connecting with the Patient.

SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 2024 MEDICAL STUDENT ESSAY CONTEST ARE NOW CLOSED. 

Submission Requirements The contest is open to any student who is both currently enrolled in an accredited medical school (US, Canada, or anywhere in the world) and will be enrolled at the time of the Annual Meeting September 11 - 14, 2024. The work must be an original unpublished essay of 1,000 words or less . Due to an overwhelming response, ONLY ONE SUBMISSION PER STUDENT WILL BE ACCEPTED.

The top essay may be considered for publication in the Academic Psychiatry Journal in "The Learners' Voice" section. Essay winner does not guarantee publication in the Academic Psychiatry Journal . Please review the publication criteria when writing your essay here . Refer to MANUSCRIPT TYPE & GUIDELINES #8 The Learners' Voice.

Essays should be submitted electronically through the JOYN Awards Portal by clicking the link below. Please include a cover page with the following information:

• Student’s Name
• Name of Medical School where enrolled, year in school
• Mailing Address, Phone Number, Email Address

Selection Criteria

Judges will be blinded to the participant and affiliated medical school. Judging will be based on originality, uniqueness, flow of thought, and appropriateness to the theme.

Thank you for your interest. 

The AAP Abstract and Award Submission Portal for the 2024 Medical Student Essay IS NOW CLOSED. Submissions for the 2025 Medical Student Essay will open January 1, 2025.

For QUESTIONS ONLY, contact James Haliburton, MD, Medical Student Essay Subcommittee Chair, at [email protected] . All essay submissions must be made through the Award portal.

Building Trust Essay Contest

• John A. Benson Jr., MD Professionalism Article Prize
• Profiles in Professionalism
• Medical Education and Training
• Endorsements of the Charter
• Organizational Trust
• 2019 Trust Practice Challenge
• Commitment to act for health equity
• Choosing Wisely®
• 2023 Reframing Trust – A Path to Address Misinformation
• 2022 Fact or Fiction – Strategies for the Misinformation Age
• 2021 Pursuing Trust Striving for Equitable Health Care
• 2020 Building Trust & Health Equity
• 2019 [Re]Building Trust – A Path Forward
• 2018 [Re]Building Trust

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 welcome submissions from students across all health professions, including nursing, medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, and others. This expansion maintains the contest’s foundational commitment to exploring and celebrating initiatives rooted in trust.

2024 Winners

• Kaveri Curlin , University of California, Irvine School of Medicine
• Ella Eisinger , Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
• Claudia Rivera Barbeito , University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine
• Margaret Sorg , University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Honorable Mentions

• Melodyanne Cheng , David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
• Nitya Devisetti , Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
• Shannon Fang , Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
• Meilynn Shi , Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
• Margaret Flinter, APRN, PhD, FAAN, FAANP , Senior Vice President and Clinical Director of the Moses Weitzman Health System and its Community Health Center, Inc.; member of the ABIM Foundation’s Board of Trustees
• Erica Johnson, MD, FACP , Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Disease at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Program Director for the Internal Medicine Residency at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center; Associate Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Medical Education for the Johns Hopkins Department of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; member of the American Board of Internal Medicine’s Board of Directors and Chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine’s Infectious Disease Board
• Jackie Judd , former reporter for ABC News, CBS News, NPR, and the PBS NewsHour; Secretary-Treasurer of the ABIM Foundation’s Board of Trustees; member of the Board of Directors of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation
• Elina Kurkurina, MPH , medical student at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University; winner of the 2023 Building Trust Essay Contest
• Bruce A. Leff, MD , Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for Transformative Geriatric Research at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; member of the ABIM Foundation’s Board of Trustees
• Furman S. McDonald, MD, MPH , Senior Vice President for Academic and Medical Affairs at the American Board of Internal Medicine; Adjunct Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania
• Shannon Scielzo, PhD , Associate Professor and the Associate Director of Education in Internal Medicine, and Evaluation and Assessment Analyst for Graduate Medical Education at the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center; member of the American Board of Internal Medicine’s Rheumatology Board
• Daniel Wolfson, MHSA , former Executive Vice President and COO of the ABIM Foundation
• Molly Fessler , University of Michigan Medical School
• Isra Hasnain , The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
• Ian Jaffe , NYU Grossman School of Medicine
• Meher Kalkat , The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Elina Kurkurina , Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University
• Christopher Montgomery , UCSF School of Medicine
• Maria L. Belalcazar, MD , Vice Chair for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the University of Texas Medical Branch
• Marianne M. Green, MD, FACP , Vice Dean for Education, Raymond H. Curry MD Professor of Medical Education, and Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine
• Lorna A. Lynn, MD , Vice President of Medical Education Research at the American Board of Internal Medicine
• Furman S. McDonald, MD, MPH , Senior Vice President for Academic and Medical Affairs at the American Board of Internal Medicine
• David Reuben, MD , Director, Multicampus Program in Geriatrics Medicine and Gerontology and Chief, Division of Geriatrics at UCLA
• Annelise Silva , AMSA National President-elect, medical student at Wright State Boonshoft School of Medicine
• Rohini Siva , AMSA National President, 4th year medical student at Eastern Virginia Medical School
• Daniel Wolfson, MHSA , Executive Vice President and COO of the ABIM Foundation
• Teva Brender , Oregon Health & Sciences University
• Howard Chang , THe Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Sunil Joshi , Oregon Health & Sciences University
• Meher Kalkat , The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Clarice Douille , Creighton University School of Medicine
• Veenadhari Kollipara , Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
• Paul Lewis , Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
• Armaan Ahmen Rowther, PhD , The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Suman Vadlamani , UT Southwestern Medical School
• Nicholas Wilson , Morehouse School of Medicine
• Andres Diaz , Editor of AMSA’s  The New Physician , MD/PhD student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson
• Shan Jin , AMSA Academy Chair, a third-year medical student at the NYIT College Of Osteopathic Medicine
• David Reuben, MD , Director, Multicampus Program in Geriatrics Medicine and Gerontology and Chief, Division of Geriatrics at UCL
• Michael Walls, DO, MPH , AMSA National President, graduate of Touro University California

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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.

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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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The BSANZ Medical Student Reflective Essay Competition

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 in the table below.

Congratulations to Megan Torpey and Taneka Tezak who received The Lawrence Gilbert Memorial Prizes.  Runners up were Geetika Malhotra, Alisha Sethi, Dikshya Parajuli and Tuyen Pham.  Links to all these essays will be listed in due course.

Our thanks go to the local and international group of essay reviewers who did an amazing job this year.

Results and essays from previous competitions can also be accessed through the links listed below.

Essay requirements for the next competition in 2025 are listed as well, with a submission date expected to be in July 2025.  We look forward to hearing from you then.

Hamish Wilson (Dunedin, NZ) and Alexa Gilbert-Obrart (Sydney Australia) Conveners on behalf of the BSANZ

2025 Essay Requirements for Medical Student Writing Prize

Medical Student Writing Prize 2021 Results

There were 45 entries in 2021, with a very high standard of writing. Congratulations to Madison Booth and Stephanie Lee who received The Lawrence Gilbert Memorial Prizes.

We would like to congratulate all the students for their perceptive essays about their interactions with significant patients, as well as for their insights about the nature of clinical training and medical practice. Four essays from the 2021 competition were published in medical journals (Journal of Primary Health Care (NZ) and The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine (US)).

Many thanks to students and our reviewers who have made this essay competition such a success.

Alexa Gilbert-Obrart and Hamish Wilson On behalf of the BSANZ.

Winning essays from 2021

Too Momentous for Words , by Madison Booth (University of Queensland)

Beyond the Medical , by Stephanie Lee (Bond University)

An unexpected journey , by Thomas Swinburn (Auckland Medical School)

Homecoming , by Rebecca Gandhi (Auckland Medical School)

Further information about past winners of the Medical Student Reflective Essay Competition is available here.

"Be worthy to serve the suffering."

-william w. root, md - founder, 1902.

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Helen H. Glaser Student Essay Award

To encourage medical students to write creative narratives or scholarly essays relevant to medicine. Winning essays will be published in the Autumn issue of  The Pharos .

Important Dates

Deadline for submission.

• Download the announcement and checklist here

Winners will be annouced

Cash awards of $1,500 for first place; $1,000 for second place; and $850 for third place.

Eligibility

Authors must be enrolled in medical schools that have an active ΑΩΑ Chapter or Association but need not be members of ΑΩΑ. However, if the author is an AΩA member, he/she must be an active member. Only one entry may be submitted per student.

Requirements

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.

3. Essays should not be fictional or written in first person, but academic/scientific in theme.

4. The essay must not exceed 15 double-spaced pages of 12-point type with minimum 1-inch margins, exclusive of reference listing. The author’s name and essay title must be on each page, and all pages must be numbered.

5. Unique references, numbered consecutively, should be limited to 20. (Reference citation of a website is not acceptable unless a site is the sole source of the information or has official academic credentials. Examples of acceptable sites are official government web pages such as that of the National Institutes of Health.)

6. The Pharos Editorial Board suggests that authors review George Orwell’s “6 Rules for Writing”.

7. Essays that are not selected as award recipients may be submitted to other contests/publications after the winners are announced on March 8, 2024.

8. Essays not meeting all requirements will not be considered.

Questions may be directed to

Questions may be directed to  Libby Appel at 720-859-4149, or  [email protected]

All AΩA awards, fellowships, grants, and program submissions must be electronically submitted through the appropriate page on the AΩA website.

Past Student Essay Winners

Previous winners.

Begun in 1982, this award is annually awarded in June.  All medical students enrolled in schools with active AΩA chapters are encouraged to apply. The purpose of this award is to encourage medical students to sit down and write well-crafted creative narratives or scholarly essays relevant to medicine.

• First prize : $1,500
• Second prize : $1,000
• Third prize : $850

Winning essays will be published in future issues of  The Pharos.

• First prize – “Show me Your Scars” by Jeong Jun Kim, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

• Second prize tie – “The Fears and Needs of the Dying Child: The Case of Julianna Snow” by Aishwarya Gautam, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

• Second prize tie – “Remote Renaissance: Expanding Telehealth and Provider Incentives in Rural Areas” by Kathleen Warner, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

• Third prize – “Perseverance and Passion: The Road to Being a Woman in Neurosurgery” by Evangeline Bambakidis, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

• First prize – “The Words We Use Matter” by Mary (Molly) Fessler, University of Michigan Medical School
• Second prize – “Pathway Programs: A Promising Pipeline to Diversity and Equity for Tomorrow’s Physicians” by Ben Rhee, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
• Third prize tie – “What TikTok Teaches: Women’s Health and Medical Misinformation on TikTok” by Madelaine McElrath, New York Medical College
• Third prize tie – “Automation of Medicine: The Intersection of Healthcare and Artificial Intelligence” by Nitin Nadella, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine
• Third prize tie – “Chronic Pain: An Invisible Disease in Western Biomedicine” by Allison Yan, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
• First prize: “Yellow Plague in America: the intersections of disease, social determinants and discrimination” by Rebecca Chen, Baylor College of Medicine
• Second prize: “The Silent Pandemic: Told & Untold Stories of Mental Health in a COVID-19 World” by Geetanjali Rajamani, University of Minnesota Medical School 
• Third prize: “Sociomedicine: Explanations for Race Disparities in Infant Mortality” by Adrienne Simmons, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine   
• First prize:  “Historic Context & Communication: Undoing Medical Mistrust” by Olivier Joseph, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
• Second prize:   “Health Care’s Carbon Footprint” by Preethi Kesavan, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
• Third prize:  “Respect” by Jaclyn Arvedon, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University
• First prize:  “If Dementia Comes for Me” by David Ney, Sidney Kimmel Medical College
• Second prize:  “Just the Honey” by Gillian Stein, New York University School of Medicine
• Third prize:  “Hair and Its Stories” by Jesse Perdily, New York University School of Medicine
• First prize:  “The Price of Pills: A Brief History of the Kefauver-Harris Amendment” by Reid Wilkening, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine
• Second prize:  “The Louse Manifesto” by Prisca Alilio, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
• Third prize:  “Don Ze Pill” by Rebecca Grossman-Kahn, University of Michigan Medical School“Historic Context & Communication: Undoing Medical Mistrust” by Olivier Joseph, University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

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2024 WPA Medical Student Essay Competition

Home  / medical students / essay competition 2024.

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 essay of up to 3000 words on this year’s theme: " Improving Mental Health in the Global World Using the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals ."

This competition is now closed

All Finalists and the full text of their essays will be showcased on the WPA website, spotlighting both the authors and their ideas, and the winning essay will also be translated into all six WHO official languages. The Winner will be acknowledged at the 24th World Congress of Psychiatry (WCP) in Mexico City, will receive a Travel Award to cover his/her costs of WCP travel and accommodation (up to 1500 USD), and will have his/her Congress registration fee waived.

Essay Formatting and Submission Requirements:

Please download and read  about the competition deadlines and the essay formatting and submission requirements.

Submission Deadline and Schedule:

All submissions must be made via the online submission page before midnight on May 15, 2024. We cannot accept any entries received after this date. The Winner will be announced by 30 July, 2024.

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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 . 

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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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.

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• Discover pathology
• Competitions

Essay competitions

The College’s two annual essay prizes offer undergraduates and Foundation doctors the chance to take an in-depth look at a particular aspect of pathology through a written piece. This year's essay questions centre around the impact of climate change on health, disease and pathology. 

Prize winners will be awarded £250, will have their essay published on our website and in the College magazine,  The Bulletin , and will be presented with a certificate at an RCPath event.

The Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize

The Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize is now closed and will re-open in 2025. We will announce the 2024 winner later this summer. 

Foundation Doctors with an aspiration to specialise in pathology are encouraged to take part in the Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize. This competition offers the chance to explore how pathology makes a difference to patients, as well as a unique opportunity to boost your CV ahead of applying for your specialty training. 

The competition is posthumously named after Dr Hugh Platt, an RCPath Fellow who contributed a huge amount to the work of the College, and to the support of postgraduate medical training in pathology disciplines. 

Subject for 2024

The essay subject for this year is  ‘Today's greatest global challenges and health threats are the result of human activity affecting the natural environment. Discuss, with examples relevant to pathology specialties.'  

Further information about the competition

• The Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize will run annually and is open to Foundation doctors in their first two years of postgraduate medical training
• The Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize 2024 opens on 18 January 2024  and closes at 23.59 GMT on 8 May 2024
• The essay has to be no more than 1,000 words, excluding references and bibliography.
• A prize of £250 will be awarded to the winning entrant, as well as having their essay published on our website and in the College magazine, The Bulletin .
• Full details, including essay specifications and format, are in the Terms and Conditions document, which can be found below.

Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize 2024 Terms and Conditions

January 2024

How to enter

Submit your essay in either Microsoft Word (doc, docx) format or PDF format and email it to [email protected] and include subject line 'Foundation Essay Prize 2024'. Please download the front cover below and use it to submit your essay; keep all other pages of your essay anonymous (free of any personal information). The front page will be removed before essays go to the judging panel. Please note that we are only accepting online submissions. Further information is in the Terms and Conditions document below.  

huFoundation Essay Prize documents

Hugh-platt-foundation-essay-prize-front-page-2024,   the paola domizio undergraduate essay prize.

If you are passionate about pathology or are an aspiring pathologist studying any related undergraduate course, the Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize is your opportunity to demonstrate your enthusiasm and explore a fascinating subject through writing. 

The competition is posthumously named after Professor Paola Domizio, an RCPath Fellow who contributed a huge amount to the work of the College, and to pathology education.

2024 Winner

Paola domizio 2024 winner, aleksandra tanaka-paola-domizio-undergraduate-essay-prize-2024.

Congratulations to Aleksandra Tanaka who is a second year medical undergraduate who is studying jointly at Cardiff and Bangor Universities. 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. She commented on the high standard of the essays submitted and said it was 'great to see this level of effort, research and knowledge amongst undergraduates'. 

Interview with Aleksandra Tanaka

How do you feel about winning this year's Paola Domizio Essay Prize?   Winning was a massive surprise, but I feel very honoured and thrilled to have been selected.

Why did you enter this essay competition? This year's topic was an intersection between my interests - pathology and the environment. It was a great opportunity to explore them jointly, which I hadn't really done previously. What course and year are you currently studying and at which university? I'm currently a second-year medical student studying jointly between Cardiff and Bangor University.

What do you hope to do in the future? I'm undecided, but I still have time to figure things out! So far, I've greatly enjoyed pathology, but cardiology, oncology, and tropical medicine all have a draw to them too...

What do you like about pathology? It's a very multi-faceted field, with the opportunity to see a wide range of things from the mundane to the weird and wonderful. It truly is a beautiful example of the breadth and depth of medical profession.

What would you say to students who are considering entering this competition? Don't hesitate to try it out - there is nothing to lose and it provides a great opportunity to explore not just the essay topic, but pathology as a whole.

Previous winners

2023 winners, hugh platt foundation essay prize 2023 winner - sally ashton.

Congratulations to Dr Sally Ashton for winning the Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize 2023. The essay subject for this year was   'How do you think pathologists will shape healthcare over the next 75 years?'. Download and read Sally's winning essay above. 

How do you feel about winning this year’s Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize?  I’m delighted! It was a lovely surprise to receive the news.

Why did you enter this essay competition?  During my foundation year, I have begun to discover the breadth of pathology and the essay question offered an ideal opportunity to further explore this area.

What is the name of your Foundation training programme?  I’m currently at the end of my F1 year in Wales. My rotations were respiratory, geriatrics and general surgery. Throughout the year, I have also spent one day a week in histopathology as part of a LIFT programme (Longitudinal Integrated Foundation Training).

What do you hope to do in the future?  I’m really drawn to dermatology and also enjoy aspects of histopathology and infectious diseases.

What do you like about pathology?  It is such a wide-reaching, ever-evolving specialty that underpins so much of what we do in medicine and surgery. A lot of innovation arises from improving our understanding of pathology.

What would you say to students who are considering entering this competition?  You might be surprised when researching the essay question by some of the interesting concepts you encounter.

Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize 2023 winner - Sam Parsons

Congratulations to Sam Parsons for winning the Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize 2023. The essay question for this year’s prize was  ' When the NHS was introduced, it was said that it would care for people ‘from the cradle to the grave’. 75 years later, how does this apply to pathology?'. Download and read Sam's winning essay above. 

How do you feel about winning this year’s Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize? I am thrilled and honoured to have won this year’s Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize. It’s a wonderful feeling to have my work recognised, and I am grateful to the judges for selecting my essay.

Why did you enter this essay competition? Entering this essay competition was a natural choice for me. This year’s topic provided a fascinating opportunity to explore my thoughts on pathology and expand my knowledge. As someone aspiring to pursue pathology, I saw this competition as a chance to showcase my passion for the subject.

What course and year are you currently studying and at which university? I recently graduated from Swansea University Medical School and I'm excited to begin a Cambridge Specialised Foundation Programme rotation, with a particular focus on research.

What do you hope to do in the future? In the future, my aspiration is toward continuous intellectual growth and exploration, with an inclination towards furthering my knowledge within the field of pathology. I am enthusiastic about contributing to the advancement of medical and scientific understanding.

What do you like about pathology? Pathology, to me, represents the epitome of scientific inquiry in medicine. Its etymological roots are the study of disease, and that aspect captivated me from the beginning. The pursuit of understanding and unravelling the underlying causes of disease is not simply fundamental to clinical medicine but is inherently fascinating.

What would you say to students who are considering entering this competition? To all the students contemplating entering this competition, I would say that while medical school can be demanding, don’t let the challenges deter you from pursuing your passions. If you have a genuine interest in pathology, or any subject, seize the opportunity to try and showcase your dedication and talent. Putting in that extra effort can be immensely rewarding.

2022 essay prize winners

Paola domizio undergraduate essay prize 2022 winner: anamay shetty, paola domizio undergraduate essay prize 2022 winner - anamay shetty.

Congratulations to Anamay Shetty for winning the Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize 2022. The essay question for this year’s prize was   'Which one scientific discovery or pathologist has had the most significant impact on medicine/pathology in the last 60 years?' . Download and read Anamay's winning essay above. 

Anamay is a final year medical student at the University of Cambridge, who will be going on to do his foundation training in Aylesbury and Oxford.

How do you feel about winning this year’s Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize? 

I am very glad that the judges enjoyed my submission as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Why did you enter this essay competition?

I heard about this competition from my medical school, and I enjoy writing about medicine, so I thought it was a good fit. The prize money would also go a (small) way to offset the costs from frequent trips home to see my family and London to see my friends!

What course and year are you currently studying and at which university? 

I am a final year medical student at the University of Cambridge, going on to foundation training in Aylesbury and Oxford.

What do you hope to do in the future? 

I don’t know what I want to do yet – I have heard pathology is a good speciality choice.

What do you like about pathology?  

I like pathology because pathology is modern medicine. Prior to pathology developing as a field in the late 19th century, we had made some progress in understanding the body (anatomy, the beginnings of physiology and infectious disease transmission, some bioactive compounds) but we were stuck without a correct theory of how these integrated together. The development of a theoretical base (germ theory, genetic basis of cancer) and the tools (microscopy, IHC, PCR) from pathology meant we could rationally investigate disease and develop treatments which we associate with medicine today.

What would you say to students who are considering entering this competition? 

You should apply for this competition! It is hard to find time to think about medicine broadly in medical school, so it is a great opportunity to write essays like this.

Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize 2022 winner - Saumya Singh

Congratulations to Dr Saumya Singh for winning the Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize 2022. The essay subject for this year was 'How has pathology changed in the last 60 years?'. Download and read Saumya's winning essay above. 

Saumya is a Foundation Doctor at the Essex, Bedfordshire, and Hertfordshire Foundation School.

How do you feel about winning this year’s Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize?

I am delighted to have won this year’s Foundation prize. I found this year’s question challenging but highly enjoyable. It was not easy trying to summarise sixty years of amazing advancement in pathology into 1000 words! I am pleased my entry was chosen by the judges.

I am at the stage of my career where I am exploring what to do after my Foundation training is complete. I enjoyed learning pathology at medical school and so I entered the competition to explore more about pathology as a field of work. This year’s question was broad and intrigued me.

What do you hope to do in the future?

I am keeping an open mind about my future career. I hope to complete Internal Medical Training as a first step and have been exploring Infectious Disease & Medical Microbiology by doing a taster week in the specialty.

What do you like about pathology?

I always enjoyed pathology at medical school. Pathology reveals the amazing intricacies of the body and its interactions with the outside world. I find the science fascinating and appreciate how an understanding of pathology aids clinical decision making and communication with patients about what is happening to them and why.

What would you say to students who are considering entering this competition?

I would encourage fellow Foundation Doctors to go for it and enter this competition! There is nothing to lose by entering. I learned a lot about pathology by participating and it was a fun challenge to work on.

2021 essay prize winners

Hugh platt foundation essay prize 2021 winner: maeve mclaughlin, hugh platt foundation essay prize 2021 winner - maeve mclaughlin.

Congratulations to Maeve McLaughlin for winning the Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize 2021. Download and read Maeve's winning essay above.  Maeve is currently in her second year of training at the Severn Foundation School. 

I am delighted, I really enjoyed learning about the subject and found it extremely relevant in the current climate.

The title grabbed me - the world is talking about testing strategies to manage COVID-19 and I wanted an opportunity to educate myself further on the current testing methods, and the future ones we are working towards.

I am hoping to specialise in Intensive Care. I worked there as my first foundation job and enjoyed it a lot. Understanding the underlying pathology helped me come to terms with the complex conditions the patients presented with. I was also redeployed there during the first wave of the pandemic. 

I always enjoyed pathology at medical school, I felt it was the bridge to making sense of disease processes. I feel a good understanding of pathology translates into better clinical practice and improves communication with patients. 

Go for it! It is a great way to learn more about a topic that you are interested in. 

Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize 2020 winner: Rebecca Sarsam

Paola domizio undergraduate essay prize 2021 winner - rebecca sarsam.

Congratulations to Rebecca Sarsam for winning the Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize 2021. Download and read Rebecca's winning essay above. 

Rebecca is studying medicine at King’s College London and currently undertaking an intercalated MSc in Immunology of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She will be returning to the fourth year of her medical degree in August.

Pretty great! It was a bit of a surprise, but a very pleasant one.

The question was a very interesting one, given the events of the last two years, and the competition was a good way to practice essay-writing skills and explore areas of pathology that were only touched upon in my medical course, such as the roles of virologists and immunologists.

I'm not totally sure yet. I've really enjoyed studying Immunology during my intercalation so Clinical Immunology sounds like a good specialty, but I also find Haematology very interesting, and there are still many specialties that I haven't had much exposure to yet.

What do you like about pathology? 

I like how the links are made between a disease process and the symptoms suffered by patients, and how understanding the aetiology of a disease can lead to discovery of  effective treatments.

Go for it! It's an excellent opportunity to delve deeper into an area of pathology that interests you and also to hone your writing skills.

2020 essay prize winners

Hugh platt foundation essay prize 2020 winner: chuer zhang, hugh platt foundation essay prize 2020 - winning essay by chuer zhang.

November 2020

Congratulations to Chuer Zhang for winning the Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize 2020. Download and read Chuer's winning essay above. 

Chuer is a FY2 trainee at   Northern Ireland Foundation School and is looking to make an application for histopathology training.

Very ecstatic! I’m so honoured that the panel liked my essay, and to have the chance to have my experience read by more people.

I came across this competition when I was exploring applying to pathology. The title “Tiny test, huge impact” immediately caught my attention. As detailed in my essay, I have had a lot of personal experience of how a pathology result can change a patient’s course of treatment and ultimately affect their lives and their wider social circle.

The variety it offers – it forms the basis of such a wide range of other specialties. Also, it allows further exploration and understanding of the mechanism of health and disease which I find fascinating.

Definitely give it a go! It makes you reflect on your experience more, and appreciate the role pathology plays in the course of a patient’s treatment despite often being in the background.

Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize 2020 winner: Harry Adams

Paola domizio undergraduate essay prize 2020 - winning essay by harry adams.

September 2020

Congratulations to Harry Adams for winning the Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize 2020. Download and read Harry's winning essay above. 

Harry is a final year medicine undergraduate at Newcastle University. We found out what motivated him to enter this year's competition. 

How do you feel about winning this year’s Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize?   

I am absolutely thrilled! It has come as a real surprise to me and I am so excited by it. 

Why did you enter this essay competition?  

Due to the lockdown imposed in response to COVID-19, I was unable to complete my immunology research project, which was the final part of my MRes intercalation. Entering this essay competition allowed me to continue developing my writing and research skills, in a topic that interested me.  

What do you like about pathology?  

I like the idea of how through understanding fundamental disease processes, a pathologist pieces together clinical and laboratory findings to arrive at a diagnosis, ultimately helping to understand the presentations of different patients and guide treatment.

What do you hope to do in the future?  

I am still undecided! I loved learning more about immunology over the last year and am torn between the academic and clinical approaches to medicine. 

What would you say to students who are considering entering this competition?  

Give it a go! It is a great opportunity to practice essay writing skills and appreciate topics not usually taught at university.  

2019 essay prize winners

Hugh platt foundation essay prize 2019 winner: keir edwards, hugh platt foundation essay prize 2019 - winning essay by keir edwards.

October 2019

Congratulations to Keir Edwards for winning the Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize 2019. Download and read Keir's winning essay above. 

Keir is currently in his second year of Foundation training at Poole NHS Foundation Trust and is hoping to enter speciality training in histopathology. We found out what motivated him to submit his essay. 

Why did you decide to enter the competition? 

During my FY2 jobs in haematology and microbiology I became interested in how we can better explain pathology results to patients. I wanted to explore this further in the essay.

The huge variety it offers; being at the intersection of science and clinical medicine; the people - many things!

Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize 2019 Winner: Toal O'Connor

Paola domizio undergraduate essay prize 2019 - winning essay by toal o'connor.

Congratulations to Toal O'Connor for winning the Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize 2019. Download and read Toal's winning essay. 

Toal is a third year medical student training at Queen's University in Belfast.

It was suggested by the module co-ordinator of my student selected component [SSC] that I consider applying for the competition. Dr Kathleen Mulholland at Altnagelvin Hospital gave us a great introduction to pathology in the clinical setting. The topic also seemed very relevant. I'm a graduate entrant to medicine, previously qualifying as a pharmacist, and genomics will also have a big impact on how that profession works.

That's a difficult one! I'm definitely considering a career as a pathologist at the moment, but medicine's so vast that I'm just taking it one step at a time.

What do you like about pathology?  I find pathology very interesting as it's the foundation of understanding all disease processes in medicine. I also quite enjoy the interdisciplinary aspect of the role of a pathologist and the opportunity to specialise further within the field.

• 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.

Previous winners

2023 Zoe Raw, the University of Bristol, 'Pandemic Planet: The Terrifying Ascent of Zoonotic Diseases in an Overpopulated, Warming World during the Anthropocene’

2022 Hannah Lin, Cambridge University, "The Collateral of Conflict: The Effects of War on Health At Home and Away"

2021 K.M. Pavani Senarathne, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, "Burden of a "universal" healthcare system: The story of a common man from Sri Lanka"

2020 Mark Tan, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, "COVID-19 In An Inequitable World: The Last, The Lost, and The Least"

2019 Anouk de Cort, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, "The hidden clinical picture of climate change"

2018 Matthew Spencer, University College London

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!

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]

General Practice with Primary Healthcare

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

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 the Student annual essay award offered to a student who has been involved with interprofessional learning or working, within the community.

Team Award prize:  Certificate of achievement and £600, Student Award prize:  Certificate of achievement and £150

History of Medicine Society

History of Medicine Society: Sarah Hughes Trust Prize in conjunction with the Medical Journalist Association

Deadline: Sunday 1 September 2024 

Open to: Any emerging or established journalist and/ or healthcare practitioner who has written a piece or made a broadcast that debunks fake news in the field of medical journalism over the last 12 months.

Prize:  £1000

Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Dame Josephine Barnes Award

Deadline: Tuesday 1 August 2024 at 11:59pm

Open to: All medical undergraduate students

Prize: £100

Deadline: 11:59pm on Saturday 20 July 2024. 

Open to: Current UK medical students 

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)

Vascular, Lipid & Metabolic Medicine

The Harvey prize

Submission deadline: Thursday 15 August 2024

Open to: Trainees and students

Oral presentation prize: £150 plus one year's RSM membership

Poster presentation prize: £100

"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.

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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 & figure captions, tables, appendices, footers and in-text citations.  It is important to read the for full information on the format of the essay.  Essays may not be accepted if they do not meet the required format:

Read the Guidance Notes

Students must be undergraduates enrolled at a medical school in either England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland on the closing date. Entries from students attending a medical school in overseas countries will not be eligible. The author of the essay judged to be the most outstanding in each medical school will receive a prize certificate and will be entered into the national competition.

The prize for the winner of the national competition is £750 with £500 for the runner-up.  The national winner and runner-up will be presented with their certificates at the BAUS Annual Scientific Meeting, and BAUS will give them guest registration for the conference.

2024 Competition - National Winner & Runner-up

The 2024 Medical Student Essay competitiokn was entitled:

Title awaited ...

... and was organised by Mr Ben Ayres, St George's Hospital, London

Winner: Ranya Kumar from University of Cambridge Runner-up: Srishti Rentala Venkata from UNiversity of Oxford

2023 Competition - National Winner & Runner-up

The 2023 Medical Student Essay competition was entitled:

What steps can be taken in urology to recover from the COVID pandemic? How do we address health inequalities exposed by the pandemic? How do we promote good urological health?

... and was organised by Mr Ben Ayres, St George's Hospital, London.

Winner: Grace Olatunde  from Aston Medical School, Birmingham. Runner-up: Ken Mackay  from University of Aberdeen

Due to the reduced number of entries this year, no list of regional winnners is supplied

2022 Competition - National & Regional Winners

The 2022 Medical Student Essay Competition was entitled:

The healthcare sector generates about 8% of our greenhouse gases, with much coming from the operating theatre. What steps can urology as a specialty take to become more sustainable?

National Winners

Winner: Amelia Crew  (below left) from University of Leicester Medical School Runner-up: Chirag Rao  (below right) from University College London Medical School

Regional Winners

2021 Competition - National & Regional Winners

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

Regional Winners

2020 Competition - National & Regional Winners

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 

2019 Competition - National & Regional Winners

The 2019 Medical Student Assay Competition was entitled ...

Is there a role for kidney cancer screening on the NHS?

National Winner & Runner-up

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.

Charlotte Woodward (Southampton)

Thomas Fisher (Barts & Royal London)

Lee Keng Siang (Bristol)

Description Read more

Krishanth Ganesan  (Sheffield)

Usama Ali (Imperial College)

2018 Competition - National & Regional Winners

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).

2017 Competition - National & Regional Winners

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):

Images of the presentation of certificates to some of the regional winners of the competition are shown below:

Declan Murphy (Norwich)

Mark Hanson (Newcastle upon Tyne)

James Leask (Dundee)

Matthew O'Donnell (Queens' Belfast)

Pooja Shah (Imperial)

Darryl Bernstein (UCL)

2016 Competition - National & Regional Winners

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

We have recorded the presentation of certificates to some of the regional winners of the competition in the image(s) below:

Bruno Gnaneswaran (Norwich)

Philippa Sargent (Bristol)

Kiloran Metcalfe (Oxford)

Sacha Moore (Southampton)

Francis de Castro (Plymouth)

Adam Tollitt (London North)

2015 Competition - National & Regional Winners

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:

Stuart Gallagher (Norwich)  

Mitchell Burden (Sheffield)  

Lucy Loughrey (Queen's Belfast)

2014 Competition - National Winners

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

2013 Competition - National Winners

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

2012 Competition - National Winners

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

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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.

Please complete the form below along with your submission

Deadline July 31st

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.

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

Shaping the invisible

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 Council of New South Wales

Medical students

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.

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 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.

Who are the regulators?

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 .  

What does it mean to be regulated?

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.  

The importance of self-care

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/    

What does mandatory reporting mean for me?

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.  

Common pitfalls

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. 

Reaching out

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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Medical Student Essay Competition

'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 .

Meet the Winners of the 2024 Essay Contest and Read the Essays

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 S. Blake, Washington University in St. Louis

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 M. Bridges, Lexington Medical Center in West Columbia; Medical University of South Carolina

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 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. 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 Vadibeler, University of Leeds; University of Oxford, UK

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.

Sarah Voss, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

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.

University of Utah PA Students Win JAAPA Student Poster Competition

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