Student Essay Contest

Submissions Due August 31, 2026

The Missouri Academy of Family Physicians and Family Health Foundation of Missouri are sponsoring a  Family Medicine Student Essay Contest for MAFP student members with an interest in family medicine.  The theme of this year’s essay is: As you begin to embark on your career in family medicine, what will the future of family medicine look like, and how will you help shape it? Submissions will be identified and judged by a selected panel of expert judges. 

Prizes are $300 for 1st, $200 for 2nd, $100 for 3rd. 1st place will also be invited to present their essay at our Awards Gala on Friday, November 13 at Margaritaville. 2nd & 3rd place can attend and receive recognition. Top 3 will be published in Missouri Family Physician Magazine.

Criteria

Essays will be judged based on how the students address the following criteria:

• The importance of humanistic medicine as a part of patient care
• The role of communication in effective patient care
• The impact of technology on achieving optimal outcomes for our patients

Submission Process

All information must be submitted before August 1, 2026, by emailing marketing@mo-afp.org and must include:

• Open to MAFP student members currently enrolled in medical school
  • Membership is free for students at https://www.aafp.org/membership/join/student.html
• Essay limited to minimum of 500 to maximum 1,000 words of content, submitted in Word format
• Submissions after the deadline will not be considered
• Graphics, including photographs and charts, are welcome. Please do not include identifying information or faces if photographs of individuals are included.
• Winners will be asked for further information including:
  • Headshot for publication
  • Tax ID number