This is a wonderful way for students to network with professionals within the specialty, demonstrate a commitment to their own career development and expand their portfolio.
What we offer
Each year we award outstanding medical students with this prize, including entry to RCPCH Conference where you can network with other medical students, foundation doctors, paediatric trainees, consultants and other specialists. It includes:
- Prize ceremony the evening before the conference where you meet senior clinicians and staff and is awarded a prize certificate by RCPCH President.
- Registration for all three days of the conference, including free access to all workshops, seminars and practice sessions as well as attending the annual conference dinner.
- Travel and accommodation are provided.
Eligibility criteria and how to apply
Nominations have now closed.
This prize is available to all medical students in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Students will need to submit a 500-word max personal statement to their Head of Paediatrics or Undergraduate Lead of your medical school/University. The personal statement should also explain the reason why they are applying for this award, providing evidence of their passion towards the paediatric specialty. A single winner per medical school/university will be selected and submitted to the RCPCH by the Head of Paediatrics/Undergraduate Lead, and the RCPCH will contact the individual once they have chosen their winner.
We will be contacting each university/medical school to nominate their own single winner - an outstanding medical student, from any year, with a keen interest in paediatrics.
Presenting our 2025 winners!
Some of the feedback!
A massive thank you to the College for their invite, and incredibly warm welcome, to the #RCPCH25 Conference in Glasgow! I had a wonderful time meeting other medical students from across the UK with a shared interest in paediatrics. Having the opportunity to attend talks on interesting new developments in child health was particularly inspiring. As well as an amazing opportunity professionally, it was an incredibly enjoyable experience. This was particularly pertinent at the conference dinner, where we were able to 'network' with leading clinicians in the form of Cèilidh dancing. I would really encourage anyone interested in paediatrics to enter this prize, I promise you won't regret it!
The RCPCH conference was a fantastic experience for me as a medical student. I made new friends and connections and attended brilliant talks and workshops. It was an invaluable opportunity to learn about new developments from leading paediatricians in the field in of paediatrics.
The RCPCH team were so welcoming and I had a brilliant time at the conference in Glasgow. I would highly recommend to any student and I look forward to attending more RCPCH conferences in the future!
Attending the RCPCH 2025 Conference as a medical student prize winner was an incredible experience, for which I am very grateful. From making new friends and networking with inspiring doctors to attending the annual dinner, lectures, and workshops, every part of the event was amazing. The RCPCH team were so welcoming, and it was truly an honour to be part of such a friendly community. The whole experience has only strengthened my ambition to pursue a career in paediatrics. Thank you for such a memorable opportunity!
I’m incredibly grateful to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health for this award and the opportunity to attend the 2025 Conference in Glasgow. It was an inspiring few days filled with insightful talks, practical workshops, and brilliant conversations. The College’s commitment to engaging and supporting medical students is truly commendable—it makes a huge difference to aspiring paediatricians like myself. This experience has strengthened my passion for paediatrics and made me even more excited for the journey ahead.
I'd like to say a huge thank you to the Royal College for providing me the opportunity to attend the 2025 conference. It was an incredible experience and I met some amazing student colleagues who I hope to stay in contact with. Attending the talks from such inspiring paediatricians reaffirmed my passion for the specialty and I look forwards to pursuing it further!
Thank you all for the incredible experience!
The RCPCH 2025 conference was filled with inspiring keynote and subspeciality talks including, ultra-process food, young people’s health, palliative care, sustainable medicine, rare diseases, and emergency medicine. I was able to attend talks on fascinating topics not able to be included at an undergraduate level that have further fuelled my ambitions of a career in Paediatrics. It was a privilege to be amongst, and meet, some of the clinicians shaping the future of Child Health in the UK, as well as the next generation of paediatricians.
I was honoured to represent my university as a Medical Student Prize Winner for the 2025 Conference in Glasgow. I was not sure what to expect however the conference went above and beyond my expectations from the award drinks reception on the first day to the conference dinner and learning to Ceilidh dance to everything in between; including the networking with other medical students aspiring to follow a career in paediatrics and healthcare professionals already working within child health. I thoroughly enjoyed the abundance of talks and workshops on a vast array of important topics in child health. I am already looking forward to attending the 2026 conference!
Contact
For any more information, please contact: choosepaediatrics@rcpch.ac.uk