Medical Communication Competition
2025


Thank you for you interest in our competition!
Are you a student at a UK University interested in medical writing and communications?
VML Health is once again proud to partner with the NWBI to run this year’s Medical Writing Competition. With the rapid advancements in medical and scientific research, effective communication of ideas has become increasingly important to inform and educate a variety of audiences. This competition is designed to celebrate and promote the skilful and effective communication of medical and scientific information. Through the competition, we hope to inspire and encourage upcoming people like you to explore the potential of a career in medical writing, ultimately contributing to advancing medical and scientific knowledge for the benefit of all.
This competition is also an opportunity for you to win a half-day Medical and Scientific Communications Masterclass at the VML office in Manchester and cash prizes. Please note that this competition is open for students only (undergraduate, Masters, PhD).
Successful participants will win a half-day Medical and Scientific Communications Masterclass at the VML office in Manchester. Top applicants will win a share of £1000!
The Brief
"Communicating the findings from a study of novel CRISPR-based therapy to a professional and lay audience"
Task 1: Slides for a professional audience
The pharmaceutical industry frequently partners with clinical and academic experts to present data at scientific congresses. As medical writers, we are often commissioned to help speakers prepare their slides. For this competition, assume that you have been contracted by one of the sponsors of the following study to create slides for a presentation at a sickle cell congress.
Prepare up to 10 slides for the speakers to present at an upcoming sickle cell congress to a healthcare professional audience.
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Communicate the effect of Exagamglogene Autotemcel on sickle cell management
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Your slide deck should include the following:
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Introduction
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Justification for this study
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Methods
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Results
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Clinical implications of the results
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Consider the visual layout of the information
Notes:
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While the majority of your presentation should be focused on the paper provided, consider what other information may be relevant to include
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Consider how much content or text is appropriate for each slide. Remember, someone will be presenting these slides at the congress. If necessary, provide additional comments or direction in speaker notes
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Shortlisted applicants will be invited to present their slides as part of the final assessment
Task 2: Email including summary of the trial that patient advocacy group can distribute to patient members to educate them
Pharmaceutical companies are eager to make sure that their research and major breakthroughs reach patients and the general public. This can take many forms, including news articles, adverts, podcasts, or, in this case, emails. Off the back of your work on the congress slide deck, the sponsors have asked you to write a brief summary of the clinical trial targeted at a lay audience. This email will be distributed to members of a patient organisation they cooperate with.
Prepare a 300-word email summary of the clinical study from Task 1 for the general public. This will aim to
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Inform the readers on what CRISPR is, the background to the trial, the most important outcomes, and what these findings may mean for them
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Provide a balanced account of the information in an engaging way, but bear in mind that you are representing the sponsors, who will want to promote their study without mis-representing the therapy and what it is actually capable of
Notes:
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The readers of this summary will likely have some knowledge of what sickle cell is, given that they are members of a patient organisation. Consider what the minimum necessary disease background that must be included is
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300 words is a very tight word limit. Think about what the most critical information is, and how you discuss it in the most impactful way
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The recipients of this email will be UK-based. UK law prevents the advertising of prescription therapies to patients (including this product). Consider what the implications of this law are when writing this email
How to enter
Send your written pieces to manchester@nwbiotech.co.uk
In your email please include the following information
1. Your name
2. A copy of your email address + backup email address
3. Your degree level (e.g., Undergraduate, Master's, PhD) - note: this competition is only open to students
4. A copy of the slide deck (Task 1) formatted in PowerPoint, Keynote, or equivalent format. Please name this file with the following convention: NAME_MCC25_Slides
5. A copy of your email (Task 2) formatted in Word, Pages, PDF, or equivalent. Please name this file with the following convention: NAME_MCC25_Email
All submissions must be sent by 23:59 on Sunday 2nd March
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to present Wednesday 19th March
Winning applicants will be invited to a half-day Masterclass on Thursday 27th March
Please read the competition brief document before entering.
Any questions please email manchester@nwbiotech.co.uk