OXFORD MEDICAL SCHOOL
ESSAY COMPETITION 2015
NOW CLOSED
The title of the Essay
“A fast-changing world means modern medicine must adapt
to new challenges. What is the biggest challenge facing medicine over
the next 50 years?“
Who can enter: The Essay Competition is open to students in years
11, 12, and 13. Gap year students are not eligible to apply.
How long should the essay be: The essay should be up to 1000
words (not including references).
What are the prizes: All entrants will receive a certificate of
participation. The winner of the competition will receive £100 of
Amazon vouchers and their essay will be published in the Gazette.
How will the essays be judged:
The judging will take place in two rounds. In the first round, each essay will be marked by two separate members of the Gazette committee. After this, the top 5 entries will be assessed by a panel of senior judges comprising four senior lecturers from the medical school (both pre-clinical and clinical lecturers). The senior panel will then decide upon a winning essay. All essays will be marked anonymously, and marks will be rewarded according to the mark scheme.
What will the judges be looking for:
– Essays which interpret the title in a creative way. Essays should aim to consider some of the different types of boundaries encountered in medicine.
– Essays that demonstrate a good knowledge of the underlying science, and that use references to back up their arguments.
– Essays that are well structured and develop their arguments clearly.
When is the closing date: The deadline for entries is Friday 8th January 2016. The marking process will take place throughout January and February, and the results of the competition should be released during March 2016.
How to enter:
Once you have written your essay and added any references, please email it to us as a word or PDF attachment. Entries should be emailed to: omsgessaycompetition@gmail.com. Please do not include any personal details in the essay itself (so that we can keep all entries anonymous for marking).
In your email, please include the following information:
– Your full name / gender / age / year at school / name of your school / type of school it is (state school, grammar school, independent school, etc)