“ If I Weren ’ t a Doctor , I ’ d Be A …”
Richard Spear , MD , Memorial Essay Contest 2024
Think back to those career aptitude brochures in school or the quizzes you always see online . Was there a job you always kept in the back of your mind ? Something that seemed impractical , unattainable or just downright silly ? Or something you still dream of pursuing today ? If you ’ d chosen a different path for yourself , what other career would be a perfect fit ? We want to know : if you weren ’ t a doctor , what would you be ?
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 in May and will be published in the July 2024 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 Friday , March 1 , 2024 . All entries must be original , unpublished writing intended solely for publication in Louisville Medicine .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 name , gender , age , ethnicity ( anything and everything that could be recognizable ) while still keeping the flavor of the original .
Send entries via email as Microsoft Word or Pages documents to Kathryn Vance at kathryn . vance @ glms . org . Please include your name , entry category , essay title and contact information ( a separate cover sheet is not necessary , 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THEMED ESSAY CONTEST : All entries must be original , unpublished writing intended solely for publishing in Louisville Medicine .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 : “ If I Weren ’ t a Doctor , I ’ d Be A …”
LENGTH : 800 to 2,000 words DEADLINE : Friday , March 1 , 2024
PRIZE : $ 1,125 for practicing and retired ; $ 1,125 for physicians in-training
FORMAT : Microsoft Word or Pages document . Please include your name , entry category , essay title and contact information ( judges are blinded to authors ).
SUBMISSION : Send via email to Kathryn Vance at kathryn . vance @ glms . org .
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