Medical Student Council Physiatry Essay Contest

AAP Medical Student Council (MSC) Physiatry Essay Contest

The AAP and the AAP MSC are excited to share the reinstating of our international physiatry essay contest! This is an opportunity to engage with and demonstrate your commitment to the specialty of physiatry. Develop your critical thinking and research skills and exercise your creative muscle by presenting your work, perspectives, and thoughts related to PM&R while competing for a cash prize and publication in one of the AAP’s affiliated member newsletters and magazines.

Be sure to read up on the guidelines before submitting:

Eligibility

• You must be enrolled in medical school in the U.S. or internationally
• You must be an AAP member
• Entries must be written specifically for this contest and not have been previously published or submitted to any or other publication

Prompt Theme

• Choose one of the these two themes to write about:
  • Theme #1: Describe an instance in which you observed how medical care for a patient impacted their family/loved ones.
  • Theme #2: Describe an instance in which you or a physiatrist you observed advocated for the holistic care of a patient, taking into consideration environmental or community needs beyond the medical aspect of recovery.

Submission Guidelines

• One submission per person
• Essay must be in English
• Essay must be an original work
• Any patient information must be de-identified
• Essays must be submitted as a Word document (.doc or .docx), Times New Roman, 12-point font, single-spaced and should not exceed 750 words

Prizes

• $500 for the first place winner
• $350 for second place winner
• $150 for third place winner
• All three winners published in Physiatry Forward

Timeline

Submissions will open Saturday, March 1, 2025 and remain open until Monday, March 31 at 11:59PM. Winners will be notified mid-April and will be published in the Spring 2025 issue of Physiatry Forward. Entries which have not met the above guidelines will not be considered.