Medical Student Essay Prize

Twice a year the BSDS sets and essay title on a topic related to dermatological surgery and offers a prize for the winning essays.

The BSDS Medical Student Essay Prize (previously titled Undergraduate Essay Prize) is open to anyone who has medical student status at the time of application or who graduates that year.

The title for the next Essay Prize is:

"Will artificial intelligence and automated technology replace the need for Dermatologists to diagnose skin cancer in the future"?

The prize for the winning essay will be a place on the BSDS Stitch-Up course in September 2018.

Download the Application Form and Guidance

Previous Essay Prize Winners

Click to View Previous Essays

2017, July - "Should NHS patients have access to scar management?" Kelsey Aimar, University of Nottingham
2017, January - Two prizes awarded: "If Mohs skin surgery is the 'gold standard for non-melanoma skin cancer treatment', why doesn't eveyone have it?" Ali Ansaripour, Kings College London GKT School of Medical Education and Antonio Ji Xu, Oxford University Medical School
2016, July - "Discuss the technological advances in dermatological and reconstructive surgery that have had the greatest impact on skin cancer patients" Joseph Jayasundera, King's College London
2016, January - "Discuss the impact of targeted molecular skin cancer therapies on dermatological surgery"
Anna Ascott, Barts and The London
2015, July - "How should we measure the “best” outcomes for skin cancer surgery?"
Mahdi Saleh, Keele University
2015, January - "There is no need to treat any skin cancer with Mohs surgery - discuss"
Monty Lyman, University of Birmingham
2014 - "How can patient expectations relating to skin cancer surgery be assessed and addressed?"
Joseph Colclough, University of Glasgow
2014 - "How can patient expectations relating to skin cancer surgery be assessed and addressed?"
Katherine Farquhar, University of Glasgow
2013 - "Skin Cancer and Vitamin D"
Verity Williams, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London.
2012 - "Skin cancer surgery: who should do it and why?"
James Womersley, Peninsula College of Medicine & Dentistry, Universities of Exeter & Plymouth.
2011 - "Rising skin cancer incidence: current and future impact on dermatological surgery"
Sarah Gentry, University of Exeter and Plymouth College of Medicine.
2010 - "The role of technology in dermatological surgery"
George Coltart, Oxford University.
2009 - "What is the role of the dermatologist in the management of Skin Cancer?"
Justice Reilly, Glasgow University Medical School.
2008 - "The impact of climate change on skin cancer"
Laura Thomas, Imperial College.
2008 - "The impact of climate change on skin cancer"
Rory Honney, Oxford University.
2007 - "Discuss aspects of healing in skin surgery"
Faisal Ali, Oxford University.
2006 - "Surgical and emotional scars of skin cancer"
Daniel Todkill, Warwick University