SPEAR ESSAY CONTEST
The Little
Joys of Medicine
RICHARD SPEAR , MD , MEMORIAL ESSAY CONTEST 2022
We hope that every day brings at least one little moment of joy to all of us . In medicine , we can experience some of the lowest lows ; however , more often than not , we also see the highest highs . These rewarding moments remind you of the humanism in medicine and the reason you got into the healing profession in the first place . What little joys of medicine do you carry with you always ? Who or what sparks joy in practice ? What makes you grin , and what can make you smile all over ?
The contest has two entry categories : practicing / retired physicians and in-training physicians / UofL medical students , with both groups writing on the same topic . The prize for each group will be $ 1,125 . The winning essays will be announced at the annual Presidents ’ Celebration and will be published in the July 2022 issue of Louisville Medicine .
Each entry will be considered on excellence in expression , creativity , readability and clarity by the all-volunteer judges . Each entry must be between 800-2,000 words . The essays are due on Tuesday , March 1 , 2022 . All entries must be original , unpublished writing intended solely for publication in Louisville Medicine . Please remember HIPAA guidelines : include no information that could potentially identify real patients in any possible way . Change the gender , age , ethnicity ( anything that could be recognizable ) while still keeping the flavor of the original - look for everything you can change .
Send entries and cover letters via email as Microsoft Word documents to Kathryn Vance at kathryn . vance @ glms . org . Please use a separate cover letter with your name , entry category , essay title and contact information . Staff will remove all identifying information before sending your entry on to the judges . Please note that only GLMS members are eligible .
We look forward to your essays !
GUIDELINES
» THEMED ESSAY CONTEST : All entries must be original , unpublished writing intended solely for publishing in Louisville Medicine . Essays must be pertinent to the following theme . “ The Little Joys of Medicine ”
» LENGTH : 800 to 2,000 words » DEADLINE : Tuesday , March 1 , 2022
» PRIZE : $ 1,125 for practicing and retired ; $ 1,125 for physicians-intraining
» FORMAT : Do not put your name on your essay ! Judges are blinded to authors . Instead , include a separate cover letter with name , entry category , essay title and contact information .
» SUBMISSION : Send via email as a Microsoft Word attachment to Kathryn Vance at kathryn . vance @ glms . org .
6 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE