Building Trust Essay Contest

Medical students have lot to say about building trust with their schools, faculty, peers, patients, and communities. How can we discover what activities or projects medical students are engaged in that build trust?

The Building Trust Essay Contest asks medical students to engage in a reflective writing exercise that illustrates an experience where they built, lost, or restored trust in a health care setting. Submissions must address the topic of trust and may touch upon students’ personal experiences of leadership, mentorship, health equity, faculty relationships, etc.

Submission requirements

The Building Trust Essay Contest is open to medical students at accredited schools of medicine in the United States. Submissions must be an original, unpublished essay of 750 words or less. Essays must be written in English and only one submission per student will be accepted.

Publication

Select essays will be published in the Sept/Oct edition of The New Physician, and published on the AMSA website, social media, and in a monthly newsletter(s). Essays will also be published on the ABIM Foundation’s website, promoted on social media, and in newsletter(s).

Selection criteria

An independent panel of judges, to include a mix of medical students and faculty, will review and select five winning essays. Up to 10 honorable mentions will also be awarded. Essays will be judged on the following equally weighted criteria:

1. Content and connection to the topic of trust
2. Quality of writing and clarity of thought
3. Novelty of the message
4. Opportunity for others to learn

Submit your original, unpublished essay here by June 1, 2022.

Questions, please contact jmcclennen@abim.org
Learn about the American Medical Student Association at amsa.org