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.

FAQs

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?

Yes, you may include graphs and/or images. Any accompanying text will be included in the word count.

Does the word count include references and figures?

The word count does not include your references/figures/tables, including in-text references, but does include the accompanying text to any included figures.

What referencing style shall I use?

There is no preferred referencing style.

When is the final deadline?

The deadline for submissions for the 2024 BOA Medical Student Prize is 23:59 on 28th February. There is NO deadline extension.

When will the winner be announced?

All participants will be informed of the result of their submission and the winner will be contacted directly. The prize is presented at the BOA Annual Congress in September.

Will I receive feedback?

Due to the high number of submissions that we receive each year, the BOA are unfortunately unable to provide individual feedback.

Who can I contact if I have a problem?

Our policy team are happy to help you with any queries you may have regarding the essay prize. You can contact us by email at [email protected] or by telephone on 02074056507.

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.