royal college of pathologists essay prize

Royal Medical Benevolent Fund

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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.

Oxford Pathology Society

Competitions and prizes

The brian johnson essay prize.

The Brian Johnson Essay Prize is a yearly essay competition for University of Oxford medical students. Please look out for details of the prize in the Osler Bulletin, Medical School emails, or on the Laboratory Medicine canvas page . The competition is run at the beginning of the calendar year.

This prize is awarded to the best essay dealing with any aspect of the pathological basis of disease. The first prize is worth £200, and second prize £100. Advice on the suitability of specific topics may be sought from any of the subject coordinators (Drs Corrigan, Ghosh, Guha, Hay or Jain). Please see the canvas page for more details.

National essay prizes

Various pathology-related national societies also run student essay prizes. Please do consider applying for these prizes.

Links to external websites:

The Royal College of Pathologists

British Society of Haematology

The Royal Society of Medicine

The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

The Biochemistry Society (Communication prize)

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UKFPO Bulletin: 2nd June 2021

This week, I’m keen to remind you that the new 2021 UKFP curriculum was published on 25 th  May. Details of how to access the document are given below and I would encourage you all to take a look at it. By way of introduction we are creating a series of resources which will gradually appear on the UKFPO website. So far, you will find a YouTube presentation s  for trainers and another for foundation doctors (and potential FDs).  Thank you to Charlotte Perry, one of our UKFPO Fellows, for her hard work on this. The slides used in the presentations will be made available for use by curriculum champions and FSDs who will disseminate this information to admin teams, FTPDs, ESs and CSs and others associated with the programme. Those for FDs will be rolled out via FDAB reps.  

On the website, you will also see links to a series of podcasts explaining some specific aspects of the curriculum along with relevant fact sheets.  Please take a listen. We also have a series of webinars planned including one for supervisors, one for FDs which will be hosted by the Scottish Foundation School and another for IMGs. 

The curriculum will be going live from  4 th  August  so please familiarise yourself with it. 

Trainees with queries about the curriculum should contact their educational supervisors or local postgraduate centres in the first instance for tailored advice. General queries about the new curriculum can be addressed to  [email protected] . 

New UK Foundation Programme Curriculum 2021

The Foundation Programme (FP) curriculum, which underpins the training and professional development of newly graduated doctors, relaunches for the first time in five years this summer. The curriculum sets out a holistic approach to care including physical health, mental health and social health and the skills required to manage this in both acute and community settings and for patients with chronic conditions. Foundation doctors must demonstrate that they are competent in the traditional elements of medical training but also in areas such as communication and consultation skills, patient safety and teamwork. The curriculum provides a framework for educational progression that will help them achieve these skills and supports them through the first two years of professional development after graduation from medical school.

Resources such as podcasts and fact-sheets will be added to the website over the course of 8 weeks to help trainers and trainees understand what the curriculum means for them.

For more information please visit our New UK Foundation Programme Curriculum page and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for regular updates.

UKFPO Call for Foundation Doctor Case Studies

To help prepare new F1 doctors for life in foundation training, we are requesting case studies from current foundation doctors for the UKFPO website. Have a read of our  new case studies , submitted by current foundation doctors, for an idea of what this can look like, but we are open to ideas on what aspects of foundation training you would like to write about. Please contact Ellie at [email protected] to discuss your ideas or request more information. Thank you!

Survey on the experiences of foundation doctors moving region

The Foundation School Director for East of England, Helen Johnson, is conducting research into the impact of moving for foundation doctors. The research is predominantly through a questionnaire, but we will be able to invite some participants to talk through their experiences in more depth. You are invited to email at the end of the questionnaire if you wish to do this, and we will then send the interview participation information sheet.

If you would like to participate, please complete this questionnaire . If you would like to find out more before participating, please watch this short video .

Health Education England – Diagnostic Imaging Project

The HEE Global Engagement Directorate is advertising volunteer opportunities in diagnostic imaging in Uganda. This is part of a pilot project and may appeal to foundation trainees with experience in diagnostic imaging. There are opportunities for both long and short term volunteering overseas, and also virtual UK based volunteering. For more information, please visit the  Global Engagement page .

The Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare Programme contains a 30 minute module called Building a New Zero NHS, which would help foundation doctors to meet their learning outcome on “sustainable use of finite resources”, as well as inform them of NHS England’s “Net Zero” carbon emissions plans. The module can be accessed via the  e-Learning for Healthcare website .

Events, Information and Opportunities from External Partners

UCLMS Evening Seminar – 10th June

All those interested in medical education are invited to join this free virtual evening seminar held via Zoom. The seminar is on Trust, Professionalism and Regulation: how these interact in Medicine and Law by Kirsty Alexander, Research Fellow in Research Department of Medical Education, UCL.

Join for a short presentation on the project, and then a space for a friendly, critical discussion of how trust, professionalism and regulation interact medicine and law. For more information, please review the flier or visit the website .

General Surgical Trauma Series – 10th June 2021

All foundation doctors are invited to this series of lectures on trauma, delivered by speakers from a range of specialties. This is a free event which will be delivered via Microsoft Teams. For more information, please review the flier or contact [email protected] .

To book your place, please use this booking form .

RCPath Competitions and Events

Essay Prize Competition:

The Royal College of Pathologists has been holding a Foundation Essay Prize Competition for the last 3 years to offer foundation doctors the chance to take an in-depth look at a particular aspect of pathology through a written piece. The winning entry will be published on the RCPath website and the writer of the winning essay will be rewarded with a certificate and a cash prize presented at an RCPath event. For more information please review their website and the flier . Entries must be submitted to [email protected] by 23.59 on Friday 11th June .

Royal College of Pathologists Foundation Taster Event – 23rd June 2021 :

All foundation doctors are invited to the joint RCPath/BDIAP Foundation Taster Event 2021. This is an exciting opportunity to explore pathology and see what the career has to offer. This virtual programme will be delivered with a mixture of specialty-specific sound bite videos from a variety of consultants and trainees (sent to attendees a few days before the meeting), followed by a live virtual session held on Wednesday, 23rd June at 7pm via Zoom (approximately 1.5 hours).

RCPath Foundation Fellowships:

The College will again be making a number of Foundation Fellowships available this year. The Foundation Fellowship scheme is open to Foundation doctors who secure a post rotating through any pathology specialty – this includes histopathology, haematology, medical microbiology and infectious diseases or any other specialty represented by the College. Foundation doctors undertaking longitudinal integrated foundation training (LIFT) in pathology are also eligible to apply. Candidates will be selected through a competitive application process, and successful applicants will hold the status of Foundation Fellow throughout the period of their Foundation rotation. Fellows will be eligible for a range of benefits and opportunities.The closing date is 31 August 2021 . More information can be found on the College website.

4th Annual Core Surgical Training Interview Course

The 4th Annual Core Surgical Training Interview Course will take place again this year. The high yield Lectures and Mock interview circuit will be running both Virtually and Face-To-Face this year. The first set of courses will be running over September and October, with further details provided on the CST website . Last year’s selection process was extremely competitive and those that prepared early benefitted. The feedback received from the most successful candidates has allowed the course to be tailored to your needs. Examiners for the mock interview circuit are the highest scoring Core Surgical Trainees and Registrars who will give you person specific feedback.The trademark lecture will take place before the circuit and is always a useful resource for our candidates. One-to-one coaching and online resources are also offered, which are all available on the website. Please visit the website to find out more details and book on to the course. The course tends to book up soon so don’t miss out! 

If you have been considering applying for specialist training in pathology and would like to know more about the different specialties, make sure you  register for this event  for free to explore the exciting opportunities that our pathology specialties have to offer you.

Belfast Eye Conference – 3rd and 4th July 2021

Foundation trainees are invited to attend the first ever virtual Belfast Eye Conference, hosted by Queen’s University Belfast. Here you will meet like-minded healthcare students, early-stage doctors and early-career vision scientists from around the world who are equally fascinated by clinical opthalmology and vision related research. The conference is free of charge to attend.

The conference will provide the stage for speakers who will give broad and varied perspectives on eye related disease. Consultant ophthalmologists will give clinical talks relating to their sub-specialty, and members of the multi-disciplinary team will discuss how they support eye health. Vision science is a strong and active research field, particularly in Northern Ireland. We are excited to showcase cutting edge vision related research from scientists at Queen’s University Belfast.

You will also have an opportunity to showcase your vision related research, in oral and poster formats. You may have completed a vision related case study or audit, summer studentship, intercalated project, special study module work or PhD. Whatever the level, submit an abstract today! The deadline for submissions is  15th June 2021 .

To register, view the programme or download an abstract submission form, please visit the  Queen’s University Belfast website .

British Society of Medical Dermatology (BSMD) – Video Prize

The BSMD is launching a new prize for a patient education video on a topic related to Medical Dermatology. Prizes include a Medical Dermatology textbook as well as the opportunity for a credited video on the official BSMD YouTube channel for the winners. There will be two streams of prizes open to undergraduate medical students and foundation doctors studying or working at a university or hospital in the UK or Ireland. The video  must not exceed 5 minutes.  

The deadline for submissions is  6th August 2021 . For more information, please visit the  BSMD website  and view the  information flyer .

DEMEC Conference – 6th and 7th December 2021

For the 4th time, the leading organisations in medical education and training across the UK come together to provide highly successful joint national UK Medical Education conferences. The conference will be delivered both face to face and virtually. DEMEC welcomes everyone involved in medical education including medical students and trainees.

Poster abstract submissions are strongly encouraged and are eligible for awards.  The deadline for poster submissions is 23:59 on Wednesday 30th June . Please submit your poster on the  DEMEC poster submission page .

To register your attendance, please visit the  DEMEC registration page . For more information, please review the  event flyer .

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Awards and Grants

About the Faculty of Psychotherapy Essay Prize:

The Faculty of Psychotherapy Essay Prize recognizes the best essay submitted by a RANZCP psychiatry trainee or recent Fellow (within one year of Fellowship) on a psychotherapy topic.

Eligibility Criteria

The Essay Prize is available to all RANZCP psychiatry trainees, and to Fellows within one year of admission to Fellowship.

Application Process

Applications are made by submission of a suitable paper.  Papers should be 2000 to 3000 words in length and must be suitable for publication in a refereed scientific journal. Papers may present original research data, a suitably referenced clinical report, or a detailed review of a psychotherapy-related topic.

Form of award

• A framed award certificate
• An invitation to accept the award at the College Ceremony during Congress
• The prize does not include travel support for the recipient/s to attend Congress

Contact If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]  

The Faculty of Psychotherapy Essay Prize 2025

Sep 1 2024 12:00 am (aest), oct 31 2024 11:59 pm (aedt).

Medical Student Essay Prize

Twice a year the BSDS sets and essay title on a topic related to dermatological surgery and offers a prize for the winning essays.

The BSDS Medical Student Essay Prize (previously titled Undergraduate Essay Prize) is open to anyone who has medical student status at the time of application or who graduates that year.

The title for the next Essay Prize is:

“ Use your creativity to show us how you would safely and efficiently train a medical student to perform an ellipse excision”

This could take the form of:

• A PowerPoint lesson plan (maximum 3 slides)
• An instructional video (real life or computer animated – maximum 5 minutes)
• An artistic presentation (drawings/photographs/combination of) (No PDF please)

The prize for the winning essay will be £300.

BSDS Medical Student Essay Prize Application Form – July 2024

Deadline for submissions:  31st July 2024

Previous Essay Prize Winners

Click to view previous essays.

• 2024, January – “ Crea te a PIL on Mohs Micrographic surgery” – (concept design) by Talia Patel, University of Nottingham Medical School.
• 2023, July –      “How can we ensure valid consent in dermatologic surgery in the era of teledermatology and one-stop clinics? ” –  Zoe Hemsley, Cambridge University.
• 2023, January –  “What are the most important priorities for skin surgery and skin cancer research and why?”   –  Mohammed J Ali, Hull York Medical School  
• 2022, July – “ You’re on mute! – Potentials and pitfalls with remote teaching in skin surgery” – Jessica McKeever, University of Dundee
• 2022, January –  “What beneficial changes has the pandemic made to dermatological surgery?” Sukhmunni Johal Oxford University
• 2021, July – “Will artificial intelligence and automated technology replace the need for Dermatologists to diagnose skin cancer in the future?” Laura Leeves, Kings College London.
• 2021, January –   “How do we optimise operator safety during dermatological surgery?”   Mahaveer Singh Sangha University of London Medical School
• 2020, July –  “How do we optimise patients experience of dermatological surgical procedures?”   Anastasia Constantinou, University of Cambridge
• 2020, January –   “How can dermatological surgery become more environmentally friendly?”   Chaplin Catriona, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry
• 2019, July –       What will dermatological surgery look like in 2050?  For this submission, the essay format had been changed to a 5-minute long video.  Outcome Details coming soon.
• 2019, January  –  “Which doctors would make the best skin surgeons? Can we predict ability prior to training?”  Pimentel-Velazquez Diana, Barts & The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London
• 2018, July  –  “Will artificial intelligence and automated technology replace the need for Dermatologists to diagnosis skin cancer in the future? ” Selvendran Sara, Imperial College London
• 2018, January  –  “Skin cancer and patients’ use of Dermatology apps – a cause for concern or the future of healthcare provision?”  Yi Jia Teo, University College Cork School of Medicine, National University of Ireland
• 2017, July –  “Should NHS patients have access to scar management?”   Kelsey Aimar, University of Nottingham
• 2017, January –  Two prizes awarded: “If Mohs skin surgery is the ‘gold standard for non-melanoma skin cancer treatment’, why doesn’t eveyone have it?”  Ali Ansaripour , Kings College London GKT School of Medical Education and  Antonio Ji Xu , Oxford University Medical School
• 2016, July –  “Discuss the technological advances in dermatological and reconstructive surgery that have had the greatest impact on skin cancer patients”  Joseph Jayasundera, King’s College London
• 2016, January –  “Discuss the impact of targeted molecular skin cancer therapies on dermatological surgery” Anna Ascott, Barts and The London
• 2015, July –  “How should we measure the “best” outcomes for skin cancer surgery?” Mahdi Saleh, Keele University
• 2015, January  –  “There is no need to treat any skin cancer with Mohs surgery – discuss “ Monty Lyman, University of Birmingham
• 2014  –  “How can patient expectations relating to skin cancer surgery be assessed and addressed?” Joseph Colclough, University of Glasgow 2014  –  “How can patient expectations relating to skin cancer surgery be assessed and addressed?”  Katherine Farquhar, University of Glasgow
• 2013  – “ Skin Cancer and Vitamin D “ Verity Williams, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London.
• 2012  – “ Skin cancer surgery: who should do it and why? “ James Womersley, Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth.
• 2011  – “ Rising skin cancer incidence: current and future impact on dermatological surgery “ Sarah Gentry, University of Exeter and Plymouth College of Medicine.
• 2010  – “ The role of technology in dermatological surgery “ George Coltart, Oxford University.
• 2009  – “ What is the role of the dermatologist in the management of Skin Cancer? “ Justice Reilly, Glasgow University Medical School.
• 2008  – “ The impact of climate change on skin cancer “ Laura Thomas, Imperial College. 2008  – “ The impact of climate change on skin cancer “ Rory Honney, Oxford University.
• 2007  – “ Discuss aspects of healing in skin surgery “ Faisal Ali, Oxford University.
• 2006  – “ Surgical and emotional scars of skin cancer “ Daniel Todkill, Warwick University

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• Awards for training, education and exams

The clinical radiology undergraduate essay prize

Member benefits

Applications for the current round are now closed

The clinical radiology undergraduate essay prize is for an essay either on a topic relevant to clinical radiology or describing a personal experience of working in a department of clinical radiology during an elective period or vacation.

Funded by the family of Dr Steven Carstairs, this is one of two prizes intended to enhance medical students' experience of clinical radiology.

Eligibility

UK medical students

Enquiries should be directed to  [email protected]

Previous recipients of the clinical radiology undergraduate research and essay prizes

Clinical radiology undergraduate research prize recipients.

Clinical Radiology Undergraduate Essay Prize recipients

Find out about all our awards for training, education and exams

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• About RCS England

• Rosetrees Essay Prize

The RCS is pleased to announce the winners of the Rosetrees Essay Prize 2018. The winning essays below were selected from a field of 19 applicants in answer to the following question:

‘Describe how your research project will contribute to improvements in patient care within the next five years?’

Miss Natalie Allan MRCS

"Defining Molecular Signatures to Personalise Management of Patients with Early Breast Cancer"

Runners up:

Ms Vanessa Brown MRCS

Can beetroot juice improve fitness before and outcomes after major surgery?

Mr Paul Vulliamy MRCS

Zombie platelets trigger dysfunctional blood clotting after major trauma

Fellows were awarded their prizes at the RCS Diplomates’ Ceremony in March 2019 and we congratulate them  on their achievement.

About The Rosetrees Trust

The Rosetrees Trust is a family charitable trust established in 1987 with the aim of supporting the best in medical research and that which is likely to lead to early diagnosis, treatment, therapies and medication. The Trust has supported the College’s Surgical Research Fellowship Scheme since 2000 and is particularly interested in helping surgeons develop the practical application of their skills and experience for the direct benefit of patients.

Supporting RCS fellows and members

Each year the RCS awards a range of annual prizes, grants, bursaries and fellowships to support travel, education and research, details of which can be found on Surgical Awards and Grants .

These awards are only possible through the generosity of individual donors, legacies, charitable trusts and companies. If you would like further details on how to establish a named prize or award please contact us on 020 7869 6086.

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Awards & Prizes Reports

Read the reports from previous successful applicants and hear what they achieved with their awards and prizes.

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Essay Prize for Foundation Doctors

The winners of the competition are expected to provide the full text of their essay for publication on the College website. You can read these below.

The College is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Essay Prize for Foundation Doctors:

1 st place: Dr Isabel Bunola-Hadfield

2 nd place: Dr Arun Thirunavukarasu

3 rd place: Dr Shaswath Ganapathi

Their essays will be available to read here shortly.

2022 Winners of the Essay Prize for Foundation Doctors

1st prize winner rishikesh gandhewar.

Read the first place prize-winner's essay here

2nd joint Prize winner Louise Darwich

Read the second place prize-winner's essay here

3rd Prize winner Jonathan Malcolm

Read the third place prize-winner's essay here

2021 Winners of the Essay Prize for Foundation Doctors

1st prize winner stacey law, 2nd prize winner david mcmaster, 3rd prize winner emma kerr, 2020 winners of the essay prize for foundation doctors, 1st prize winner olivia baker, 2nd prize winner eleanor watts, 3rd prize winner joseph aslan.

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• About the College

Awards and bursaries

College Research Medals

Dr Neera Patel Travelling Bursary

RCPath Achievement Awards 2023

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