Essay competitions

The College’s 2 annual essay prizes offer undergraduates and foundation doctors the chance to take an in-depth look at a particular aspect of pathology through a written piece. This year's essay questions centre around innovation. 

Prize winners will be awarded £250, will have their essay published on our website and in the College magazine, The Bulletin, and will be presented with a certificate at an RCPath event.

The Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize

Foundation doctors with an aspiration to specialise in pathology are encouraged to take part in the Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize. This competition offers the chance to explore how pathology makes a difference to patients, as well as a unique opportunity to boost your CV ahead of applying for your specialty training. 

The competition is posthumously named after Dr Hugh Platt, an RCPath fellow who contributed a huge amount to the work of the College, and to the support of postgraduate medical training in pathology disciplines. 

Subject for 2025

The essay subject for this year is 'Pathologists often work at the cutting edge of medicine. Write about an important recent innovation in any field of pathology, and the impact it has had, or will have, on healthcare. Consider any barriers to use of your chosen innovation in frontline patient care, and possible solutions to these.'

 The Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize

If you are passionate about pathology or are an aspiring pathologist studying any related undergraduate course, the Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize is your opportunity to demonstrate your enthusiasm and explore a fascinating subject through writing. 

The competition is posthumously named after Professor Paola Domizio, an RCPath fellow who contributed a huge amount to the work of the College, and to pathology education.

Question for 2025

The essay question for this year’s prize is 'Pathologists often work at the cutting edge of medicine. Write about an important recent innovation in any field of pathology, and the impact it has had, or will have, on healthcare.'

2025 winners

Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize 2025

Congratulations to Dr Laura Stark, this year’s winner of the Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize. Laura is a foundation doctor in Cardiff, who hopes to train as a haematologist. The essay subject for 2025 was 'Pathologists often work at the cutting edge of medicine. Write about an important recent innovation in any field of pathology, and the impact it has had, or will have, on healthcare. Consider any barriers to use of your chosen innovation in frontline patient care, and possible solutions to these.'

Download and read Laura's winning essay above. Professor Marta Cohen, the RCPath Vice President for Learning, and Dr Matthew Clarke, the RCPath Undergraduate and Foundation Lead, were the judges for the 2025 competition.

Interview with Dr Laura Stark

How do you feel about winning this year’s Hugh Platt Foundation Essay Prize?
I thoroughly enjoyed writing the essay and was very surprised to find out that I had won!

Why did you enter this essay competition?
I was inspired to enter as I felt the topic allowed me to explore and reflect on my time as an FY1 in haematology. It gave me an opportunity to research a novel therapy that is constantly evolving and developing.

What is the name of your foundation training programme?
I am just coming to the end of my FY2 year in Cardiff.

What do you hope to do in the future?
I hope to pursue a career in haematology. I am excited to start a new role as a haematology clinical fellow in the coming weeks.

What do you like about pathology?
I find the combination of laboratory diagnostics and clinical medicine fascinating. Pathology is often a less visible aspect of medicine but forms an essential part of clinical care in many specialties.

What would you say to students who are considering entering the competition?
Entering this competition is a great way to develop your understanding in an area of pathology that you are interested in!

Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize 2025

Congratulations to Lewis O'Brien, this year’s winner of the Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize. Lewis is a third-year medical student at the University of Glasgow. The essay subject for 2025 was 'Pathologists often work at the cutting edge of medicine. Write about an important recent innovation in any field of pathology, and the impact it has had, or will have, on healthcare.' 

Download and read Lewis' winning essay above. Dr Noha El Sakka, the RCPath Vice President for Communications, and Dr Matthew Clarke, the RCPath Undergraduate and Foundation Lead, were the judges for the 2025 competition.

Interview with Lewis O'Brien

How do you feel about winning this year's Paola Domizio Essay Prize?
I was surprised to hear that my essay was selected, especially after learning that this year was the most competitive one yet.

Why did you enter this essay competition?
The topic felt like a good excuse for me to dive a bit deeper into some interesting stuff I had heard about in the news but didn’t really know too much about.

What do you hope to do in the future?
I’m interested in surgery but keeping my options open until I’ve had the chance to experience different specialties in later years. Hopefully I’ll get the chance to see what it’s like to work in pathology soon.

What do you like about pathology?
I find that understanding how disease processes work in more detail helps me better understand and identify the signs and symptoms that I see every day in the hospital.

What would you say to students who are considering entering this competition?
Try to use it as an opportunity to research something you’re already interested in.