Ascona Prize for Students 2011
founded in 1976 in honour of Michael and Enid Balint.

An International Balint Award for Medical Students Ascona Model (WHO)

The Foundation for Psychosomatic and Social Medicine invites medical students to apply for the International Balint Award 2011. Prize monies of SFR 5,000 are available for the authors of the best three essays.

Papers must be in English. They should describe a student-patient relationship, an experience, or experiences, from the student?s medical studies and include critical reflection on personal meetings with patients. The papers should be between 3,000 and 10,000 words.

The criteria by which the papers will be judged are as follows:

1. Exposition
The paper should include a presentation of a truly personal experience of a student-patient relationship.
(Manuscripts of former medical theses or diplomas cannot be accepted.)

2. Reflection:
A description of how the student experienced this relationship, either individually or as part of the medical team.

3. Action
The student?s own perception of the demands to which s/he felt exposed and an illustration of how s/he responded.

4. Progression
A discussion of both ways in which the student?s own approach might change in the future, and also possible ways in which future medical training might enhance the state of awareness for individual students.

Submissions of 3,000-10,000 words should be sent by email, as a Word attachment to:
geschaeftsstelle@balintgesellschaft.de and: heideotten@gmx.de

They must be received before 31st December 2010

The awards will be presented at the 17th International Balint Congress in Philadelphia, USA in 2011

The prize-winners will be expected to give a short presentation of their essay (not more than 15 minutes) at the Congress and the full text of the papers will be published in the Proceedings of the Congress and other Balint journals.

The Congress fee will be waived for prize-winners and they will be provided with free accommodation. In addition, each prizewinner may claim up to 350 Euros for travel expenses on the production of appropriate receipts.