Prizes and Awards

About the Essay Prize

Much has been said about undergraduate medical education over the years but it seems that little changed: as far back as 1979 the Council of the British Association of Otolaryngologists (BAO) considered how best to generate interest in ENT and encourage undergraduate medical students into the Specialty.

How better to achieve these aims than by establishing a competition and offering a prize to the winner? It is no surprise that the idea of awarding the prize on the basis of the results of a multiple-choice exam was rejected in favour of an essay competition for undergraduates and the first Undergraduate Essay Prize was awarded in 1981 for an essay entitled "The Social Handicap of Deafness" and the prize continues to be awarded annually to a clinical medical student for an essay the title of which is published each year.

The tradition initiated so many years ago continues to flourish under the auspices of ENT UK.

2022 Essay Prize Title

The topic for the 2022 Essay title will be: "How can otolaryngology as a specialty use technology to reduce our carbon footprint and increase our sustainability while improving delivery of high-quality healthcare and improve outcomes for our patients?"

The maximum word count is 3000 words. The winning essay will be posted on the SFO UK website. The author will be awarded a £500 prize and invited to join the SFO Committee and attend the BACO Conference 15-17 February 2023.

Eligibility: Only "clinical" medical students are eligible to enter (or last 3 years of medical school). Students who have graduated but not yet commenced their Foundation jobs are eligible provided they submit their entry before leaving medical school.

The deadline for applications is Sunday 11 December 2022

Entries will be judged anonymously by an adjudicator appointed by ENT UK.

NOW CLOSED

Enquiries should be sent to: education@entuk.org

Past Essay Titles

• 2021 - "ENT Symptoms of Long Covid: What services do we need? How and by whom should they be organised? In what balance should such a service be virtual, in the community or in the hospital?"
• 2020 - "What should a GP or physician learn about ear, nose and throat diseases? When, how and by whom should they be taught?"
• 2019 - "Can the whole of ENT survive as a specialty in a cash strapped NHS?"
• 2018 - "What can ENT UK do to improve care in the developing world?"
• 2017 - "Global Health: What does it mean for ENT?"
• 2016 - "Is the head and neck surgeon an endangered species?"
• 2015 - "How will rising antibiotic resistance impact otorhinolaryngology?"
• 2014 -  "In the face of increasing sub-specialisation, how does the speciality ensure that the management of ENT emergencies is timely, appropriate and safe"
• 2013 - "Endoscopic nasal surgery - a surgical fashion or genuine progress?"
• 2012 - "What Evidence is there that ENT Operations are Effective?"
• 2011 - "Discuss the Importance of Plasticity in the Auditory Pathway"
• 2010 - "Modern Medicine Benefits the Individual but not Humanity"

Past Winning Essays

About the Prize

Do you have a passion for education? Have you got a great training idea you would like to implement to engage your fellow medical students?​

SFO UK is looking for proposals that incorporate ENT into an innovative training event at your medical school based on one of the following themes:

1. ENT Clinical examination
2. ENT procedures
3. Clinical decision making in ENT scenarios

What will the winner receive?

Past winners have received free entry to the UK's largest ENT conference (BACO).

How do I enter?

Applications for the prize are currently closed. Join us on our Facebook and Twitter to keep to date with announcements of the next prize openings!

About the Prize

Undergraduate electives form an important part of medical education and is a great opportunity to develop your interest in a specialty such as ENT. It gives an avenue to pursue projects either locally or overseas. We felt we would reward such endeavours by establishing a prize award for the best elective.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Be medical students from a UK medical school at the time of undertaking the elective.
• Have conducted a project in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery or one of its sub-specialties.
• Have completed their elective in the most recent academic year.

See the Prize poster advert for further details and see the application form for further terms and conditions

Details of Prize

The prize to be awarded this year is £500

Deadline

The deadline for the 2023 prize will be the 1st of June 2023

How to Apply

Please complete the application form and send the completed form to entuk@entuk.org. The instructions for completion and process are all available in the application form

Previous Winners

Congratulations to Benjamin Talks for winning our Elective Prize for 2019. See the winning essay here.