The WPA Medical Students Essay Competition 2026

January 26, 2026

Partnerships for SDGs in Implementation of Science-Based Preventive Methods to Improve Global Mental Health

The World Psychiatric Association's flagship activity for Medical Students is a WPA Presidential initiative with the support of the United Nations Secretariat, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Division for Sustainable Development Goals and the WPA Medical Students Special Interest Group.

We invite medical students from around the world to submit an essay titled “Partnerships for SDGs in implementation of scientific based preventive methods to improve global mental health.” Your essay should focus on concrete suggestions that align with the principles of United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #17.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a global framework of 17 goals designed to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, addressing critical challenges such as poverty, health, education, and inequality by 2030.

Prizes:

Two Winners will each receive a Travel Award and Free Registration for the 2026 World Congress of Psychiatry (WCP 2026) in Stockholm, this September. The Winners will be acknowledged at WCP 2026, and their winning essays will be translated into all six WHO official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, or Spanish). All Finalists and the full text of their essays will be showcased on the WPA website, spotlighting both the authors and their ideas.

Deadline and Schedule:

All submissions must be made online via the submission portal before midnight on 15 April 2026. We cannot accept any entries received after this date. The Winner will be announced at the end of June 2026.

Judging:

Essays will be scored by a panel of distinguished psychiatrists from around the world using a modified version of the Harvard Crimson Global Essay Competition (HCGEC) judging criteria. Scoring will take into account originality, clarity/accessibility, and feasibility, as well as the author’s evident synthesis of complex information, good academic practice (referencing), clear evidence-based conclusions, and good research integrity.

Please pay attention to the requirements below. Failure to comply with these requirements will lead to disqualification from the competition.

Essay Submission Requirements:

1. Entry to the Essay Competition is FREE.
2. Entrants must be currently enrolled in an accredited medical school, and proof of enrollment must be submitted with the essay (e.g., Medical School ID).
3. A link to the online submission portal can be found here
4. The deadline for submission is 23:59 GMT on 15 April 2025.

Essay Formatting Requirements:

1. Entries must be typed in Microsoft Word in English.
2. Essays must be the entrant’s own original work and must not have been published previously, either in print or online.
3. Essays that use AI (e.g. Chat GPT) will be disqualified.
4. Essays must be 3000 words or less, excluding references.
5. Essays are allowed a maximum of 10 references, which must be in Vancouver format.
6. The essay file name should include the entrant's name, country, and essay title. However, the entrant's name and country should NOT be found anywhere in the document itself.
   e.g., Victoria Jones_Canada_Partnerships for SDGs to improve global mental health
7. The essay title should be formatted as follows:
   • Title font style – Arial
   • Title font size & format – 12, Bold, Not Underlined
8. The essay title should be included as a header on all pages of the essay.
9. The essay body text should be formatted as follows:
   • Body font style – Arial
   • Body font size & format – 12, Regular, Not Bold, Not Underlined
   • Line spacing – Double-space

With warmest regards,

Professor Danuta Wasserman
President
World Psychiatric Association

Professor Muhammad Waqar Azeem
Director, WPA Collaborating Center
Chair, Medical Students SIG