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Osler Medal Essay Contest, 2012

The William Osler Medal is awarded annually for the best unpublished essay on a medical historical topic written by a student enrolled in a school of medicine or osteopathy in the United States or Canada. First awarded in 1942, the medal commemorates Sir William Osler, who stimulated an interest in the humanities among medical students and physicians. The writer of the winning essay will be invited to attend the 2012 AAHM meeting, April 26-29, in Baltimore, Maryland, where the medal will be conferred. Reasonable travel expenses will be provided, as will a two-year complimentary membership in the AAHM. If the Osler Medal Committee also selects an essay for honorable mention, its author will receive a certificate and a two-year complimentary membership in the association.

All students who are candidates for the degree of Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy, or are graduates of the class of 2011, are eligible. The essay must have been written while the entrant was a student in good standing. Students are not eligible to compete for the Osler Medal if they have completed at least one full year of graduate training in history, the history of science or medicine, or the humanities or social sciences by the closing date of the competition. Medical students who have been enrolled in a graduate program in history or a related discipline should submit their essays to the Shryock competition. No student should submit an essay to both competitions in the same year. Essays that have been awarded an Honorable Mention are not eligible for resubmission.

Essays may pertain to the historical development of a contemporary medical problem, or to a topic within the health sciences related to a discrete period in the past and should demonstrate either original research or an unusual appreciation and understanding of the problems discussed. The essay (maximum 9,000 words, including endnotes) must be entirely the work of one contestant.

Complete contest information may be viewed on the AAHM website (www.histmed.org/Awards) or obtained from the Osler Medal Committee Chair: Peter J. Kernahan, M.D., Ph.D., Program in the History of Medicine, University of Minnesota (e-mail: kerna001@umn.edu). Entries must be postmarked or submitted electronically via e-mail (which is the preferred method of submission) by January 15, 2012.

Shryock Medal Essay Contest, 2012

Graduate students in the United States and Canada are invited to enter the Shryock Medal Essay Contest. The medal honors Richard Harrison Shryock (1893-1972), a pioneer among historians interested in the history of medicine. The award is given for an outstanding, unpublished essay by a single author on any topic in the history of medicine. The essay (maximum 9,000 words, including endnotes) must be the result of original research or show an unusual appreciation and understanding of problems in the history of medicine. In particular, the committee will judge essays on the quality of writing, appropriate use of sources, and ability to address themes of historical significance.

The winner will be invited to attend the 2012 meeting of the association, April 26-29, in Baltimore, Maryland, where the medal will be conferred. Reasonable travel expenses for the winner will be provided, as will a two-year complimentary membership in the AAHM. If the Shryock Medal Committee also selects an essay for honorable mention, its author will receive a certificate and a two-year complimentary membership in the AAHM.

This competition is open to students enrolled in a graduate program in history or a related discipline in the United States or Canada at the time of submission. Medical students who have been enrolled in such a program should submit their essays to the Shryock competition. No student should submit an essay to both the Osler and Shryock competitions in the same year. Essays that have been awarded an Honorable Mention are not eligible for resubmission.

Complete contest information may be viewed on the AAHM website (www.histmed.org/Awards) or obtained from the Shryock Medal Committee Chair: Richard Keller (e-mail: rckeller@wisc.edu). Essays must be postmarked or submitted electronically via e-mail (which is the preferred...