The BalintANZ Medical Student Reflective Essay Competition

Medical Student Writing Prize 2025

This writing competition is an opportunity for medical students to reflect deeply on their clinical work and their learning. There were 70 entries from students in Australia and New Zealand. Essays covered a wide variety of clinical situations, but all focused on challenges within the clinical relationship. Many students have commented on how much they enjoyed this sort of writing and how much they learned from doing so.

There is considerable evidence that reflection, emotional awareness and peer support will contribute to professional growth and resilience. This competition addresses these goals, as does the online Balint groups for students that is also run by the Society (see https://balintanz.org/about/join-a-balint-group/balint-groups-online-for-medical-students/)

We had three rounds of reviewing in order to find the winners, runners up and highly commended entries. These insightful essays focused on a particular student-patient interaction, especially when students took some initiative to act in service of the patient. Many patients were facing major challenges in their lives and it was gratifying to read of students’ willingness to engage and their compassion for the patient.

The top essayists are listed below. The two winners each receive the Lawrence Gilbert Memorial Prize of $500 from the Balint Society of Australia and New Zealand. All top students will also receive a copy of the Dr Lucy O’Hagan’s recent memoir “Everything but the Medicine: A Doctor’s Tale.” This is a fascinating book of short but insightful medical stories, demonstrating the importance of the patient’s experience of illness, the felt experience of the doctor, and the relationship between them, truly the essence of clinical practice.

The next essay competition will be in 2027. In the meantime, there is another international writing competition called the Ascona Prize, which is run every second year by the International Balint Federation. The next closing date is January 31st, 2026.  For further information see: https://www.balinternational.com/ascona-prize-for-students/

We would like to thank all the students who entered an essay this year, as well as our reviewers who generously gave their time.

Hamish Wilson and Alexa Gilbert-Obrart
Conveners

Results 2025

Balint Online for Medical Students (BOMS)

BalintANZ also offers a time-limited experience of Balint groups for medical students through our Balint Online for Medical Students (BOMS) project. For more information CLICK HERE.