The Student Voice Prize

What is The Student Voice Prize?

The Student Voice Prize is an annual, international essay competition that focuses on raising the profile of rare disease within the medical field, particularly with medical students, nurses, and scientists, who may have never come across rare diseases in their training.

Findacure and Medics4RareDiseases host the competition together and the winner gets published in The Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases!

Why Rare Disease?

Rare diseases affect approximately 350 million people worldwide and are some of the most difficult conditions to diagnose. Despite the large number of people affected around the world, little time is dedicated to rare disease training in medical school. It is why The Student Voice Prize challenges the doctors, nurses, and scientists of tomorrow to think about rare disease today. After all with a lifetime risk of 1 in 17 in the UK, it’s not rare to come across them! 

Prizes

The 2020 Prizes include:

•    Publication in one of the world’s most widely read scientific journals
•    Speaking engagements
•     Free trip to scientific conferences with all travel expenses paid*
•     Become an advocate for rare disease 
•     Money

Who Can Enter?

If you fall under any of the following categories, you can enter The Student Voice Prize essay competition!

• Medical students
• Trainee nurses
• Undergraduate and masters students enrolled in biological sciences studies (pharmacy, biology, genetics, biomedical science, pharmacology etc.)

How to Enter

We’re thrilled that you want to enter!

Was it the publication in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Disease that drew you in? We don’t blame you.

Here’s how it works:

In 1,500 words or less, please answer one of three essay questions provided.

You can enter up to one essay for each question, but each essay will require its own completed entry form.

We ask that you kindly submit your essay alongside your completed entry form to studentvoice@findacure.org.uk before 9:00 am GMT on 16th November 2020 when the competition closes.

Question 1: How has the global COVID-19 pandemic affected clinical research into rare diseases? What lessons can we take from the current situation to improve the delivery of rare disease research in the future?

Question 2: Rare disease patients often experience disjointed care, being passed from specialist to specialist, or having to attend numerous poorly planned hospital appointments. Use a case study to demonstrate the rare disease patient experience of the health service, the importance of coordinated care plan, and the role technology (such as digital health and telemedicine) can play in supporting the patient experience.

Question 3: Reflect on the impact of shielding during COVID-19 on rare disease patients and their families. How has COVID-19 changed the rare disease experience?

Deadline for Entry is 9:00 am GMT on 16th November 2020 

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