The British Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (BSPRM) hosts its annual Medical Student Essay Prize to encourage students to explore rehabilitation medicine as a specialty. Entries are open for 2026, with submissions invited to address key themes in physical and rehabilitation medicine. The prize awards cash, recognition, and engagement with the BSPRM academic community — an excellent way to develop academic writing and engage with an often-overlooked specialty.

The Medical Schools Council and General Medical Council have partnered to run the 2026 Medical Student Competition, inviting students to create social media content, vlogs, podcasts, or blogs addressing bystander intervention and professional behaviour in medicine. Students can work individually or in teams of up to six, with prizes of £600 (grand prize) and £200 (runner-up). Submissions close midday on 7 October 2026, with winning content shared nationally across UK medical schools.

The Royal College of Pathologists runs two annual essay competitions opening in January 2027: the Hugh Platt Foundation Prize for foundation doctors aspiring to specialise in pathology, and the Paola Domizio Undergraduate Essay Prize for medical, dental, and biomedical science students. Both competitions award £250 cash prizes and publication in The Bulletin. Register your interest on the RCPath website to be notified when the 2027 competitions open.

The British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting is one of the UK's leading respiratory medicine conferences, held annually in London. Medical students with research in respiratory medicine are invited to submit abstracts for the 2026 Winter Meeting, with opportunities to present posters or oral presentations to leading respiratory physicians. Successful presenters may also be eligible for student bursaries to attend the conference.

The British Association of Dermatologists Annual Meeting is the premier dermatology conference in the UK, welcoming abstract submissions from medical students and trainees with research in any area of dermatology. Accepted abstracts are presented as oral or poster presentations, providing invaluable conference experience and networking with leading dermatologists. Medical students with an interest in skin disease, clinical research, or aesthetic medicine are encouraged to submit.

The Association of Breast Surgery Annual Meeting 2026 invites abstract submissions from medical students and surgical trainees with research in breast oncology, surgery, or reconstruction. ABS also offers dedicated bursaries to help medical students attend the meeting regardless of available funding. An outstanding opportunity for students interested in surgical oncology to present their work and connect with leading breast surgeons.

UCL's Faculty of Population Health Sciences offers paid undergraduate summer internships in child health, epidemiology, and global health, working alongside leading researchers at one of the world's top universities. Medical students gain experience in population health research, statistical methods, and academic writing — skills that transfer across all specialties. Applications typically open in early spring each year for summer placements; check the website to register your interest.

Health Data Research UK runs an annual Black Internship Programme providing paid placements in health data science for Black undergraduate students, including those studying health-related degrees. Participants gain hands-on research experience across partnering institutions, a supportive peer community, and mentorship from leading researchers. The 2027 programme will open applications in early 2027 — register your interest now on the HDR UK website.

The RCS England Elective Prize awards up to £500 to clinical medical students at UK medical schools planning a surgical elective in a developing country during the 2026/2027 academic year. A separate PKK & SK Elective Fellowship offers up to £1,000 for electives specifically in India. Applicants must be a fully paid affiliate member of RCS England and pursuing a career in surgery. Applications open in summer 2026 via the RCS England Flexi Grant portal.

The Society of British Neurological Surgeons (SBNS) offers up to 14 bursaries of £500 each to UK undergraduate medical students undertaking elective placements in neurosurgery. Placements typically last 2–4 weeks at a UK or international neurosurgical centre. Applicants submit a one-page statement, a medical school reference, and a letter of agreement from the host unit. Successful recipients provide a short report after the placement and may have their work showcased on the SBNS website.

The Royal College of Physicians offers bursaries of up to £500 to medical student members undertaking overseas electives. Applicants must have been a student member of the RCP for at least six months before applying. The scheme reopens in late Autumn each year — check the RCP website from November onwards for the next application window.

Outstanding medical students are nominated annually by their Head of Paediatrics or Undergraduate Lead for this RCPCH prize. Winners receive full registration at the three-day RCPCH Annual Conference and attend the prize ceremony hosted by the RCPCH President, gaining access to networking opportunities with paediatric trainees, consultants and specialists. Nominations are submitted via individual medical schools — contact your Head of Paediatrics to find out how your university nominates.

Guts UK and the Falk Foundation award annual prizes to medical students with a research interest in gastroenterology, hepatology or pancreatology. A £1,000 essay prize is available to students who completed an intercalated degree in these fields, while four £1,500 prizes are awarded to students currently in a full-time science degree focusing on these areas. The next round is expected to open in November 2026 with a deadline around February 2027.

The British Society of Gastroenterology awards bursaries of up to £500 to medical students undertaking elective placements abroad in gastroenterology or hepatology. Free BSG student membership is available to all medical students interested in the field, and membership is required to apply. Applications typically open in the autumn — check the BSG website from September 2026.

The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow awards six scholarships of up to £1,000 each year to medical students undertaking a 4–6 week overseas elective. Applicants must be affiliate members of the College and be enrolled at a UK or Republic of Ireland university. Applications typically close in November for electives taking place the following year, with successful candidates announced in January.

Abstract submissions open for the RCEM Annual Conference 2027 (13–15 April, Manchester). Top abstracts invited for oral or poster presentation. All presenters eligible for 20% conference registration discount. Contact events@rcem.ac.uk.

The British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy provides awards and bursaries to support education, research and professional development in gynaecological endoscopy. Funding opportunities are available for consultants, SAS doctors, GP hysteroscopists, doctors in training, nurses and paramedics who are BSGE members.

Annual essay competition for UK undergraduate medical students and FY doctors on perinatal mental health. Prize: £150 + free conference registration to the annual Perinatal Psychiatry Faculty conference. Run by the Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Annual essay competition encouraging medical students to engage with themes in the psychiatry of intellectual disability. Submit to intellectualdisability@rcpsych.ac.uk by 1 December each year.

Annual essay prize promoting excellence in volunteering and international psychiatry. Up to 3,000 words. Prize: £200 + VIPSIG Annual Conference attendance. Runner-up: £100. Open to medical students, foundation trainees, and psychiatry trainees. Submit to sigs@rcpsych.ac.uk.

Annual essay competition on spirituality in relation to psychiatry. Up to 5,000 words. Prize: £300 + SPSIG conference attendance. Open to medical students and psychiatry trainees. Run by the RCPsych Spirituality and Psychiatry Special Interest Group.

Awarded annually to the best essay on a designated ENT topic. Open to undergraduate medical students and foundation trainees.

Bursaries of up to £300 for medical students and foundation doctors to attend and present at the RCPsych International Congress 2026. Allocated to presenting authors of the highest scoring poster abstracts. Contact congress.posters@rcpsych.ac.uk.

Discretionary travel funding for UKCGG members (including students) to attend national or international meetings to present cancer genetics research. Must be a UKCGG member for at least one year. Apply by email to the Treasurer at beverley.speight@nhs.net.

Award for medical students presenting ophthalmology research or clinical cases at the Annual Midland Ophthalmological Society Summer meeting in Cyprus. Submit declaration of interest by end of January to conference@pantheo.com.

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The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health invites abstracts for its 2027 Annual Conference (19-21 May, LEX Liverpool) across 30+ specialty and special interest groups covering nearly every paediatric subspecialty, quality improvement, ethics, education and trainee-focused categories. Several groups (e.g. Paediatricians with Expertise in Cardiology, the Trainee Committee) explicitly welcome submissions from medical students. Free to submit; no RCPCH membership required. ePoster and oral presentation opportunities, with accepted abstracts published in Archives of Disease in Childhood.

The BGS accepts abstracts for its Autumn Meeting (research and clinical quality studies, not case reports), and explicitly encourages submissions from those at the start of their career, including medical, nursing and AHP students, alongside Foundation/IMT doctors. Prizes are awarded for the best platform and poster presentation from a non-consultant-grade presenter. Symposium proposals for the Autumn Meeting are due by 5pm, 31 August 2026 - check bgs.org.uk/abstracts for the standard scientific abstract deadline, which may differ slightly.

The American College of Cardiology's Annual Scientific Session, held jointly with the World Heart Federation's World Congress of Cardiology, is one of the largest global cardiology meetings. Abstract and case submissions span 10+ learning pathways plus Young Investigator Awards; accepted abstracts are published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC). Open to trainees and students conducting cardiovascular research, not just consultants/attendings - check eligibility details on the submission portal.

A regularly-updated, curated directory maintained by the Medical Schools Council listing dozens of organisations (Royal Colleges, specialty societies and charities) that offer bursaries and grants specifically for medical student electives - amounts typically range from GBP 100 to GBP 1,000+. Includes guidance articles on funding, planning and reflecting on an elective. The single best starting point for elective funding research rather than searching organisation by organisation.