The Minds Underground™ Medicine Essay Competition 2026
The Minds Underground™ Medicine Essay Competition invites students in Year 12 – though younger entrants are warmly welcome – to explore medical science, ethics, and innovation through independent research and academic writing.
This competition provides students with an opportunity to develop university-level essay and analytical skills, engage critically with ethical and scientific questions in healthcare, and prepare for medical school admissions tests and interviews at Oxbridge and other leading universities.
Entrants must choose one question to answer.
The 2026 Minds Underground Medicine Essay Competition questions are now live. Submit by 3 April 2026!
2026 Medicine Essay Competition Questions
01.
Are pharmacological treatments always the best approach to managing disease? What are the risks of an over-reliance on drugs in modern medicine, and how might these be balanced with non-pharmacological approaches?
03.
What do you think is the most pressing challenge facing medicine today, and how might you contribute to its solution as a future doctor?
02.
Is ageing a disease, and should we try to treat it?
Are you in Year 11/12 & Thinking of Pursuing Medicine at Degree Level/ Oxbridge?
We offer a range of exciting opportunities for students aspiring to a degree in Medicine at a leading university:
Research Projects in exciting current fields with subject experts (great for personal statement content)
Medicine Summer School for university/ Oxbridge applicants
Long-term Oxbridge / top UK University Medicine mentoring: Boosting knowledge beyond the curriculum, preparing for personal statement and interviews - visit our on-curriculum site, U2 Tuition for more information
Interested in a Medicine Competition Mentor? Looking for specialist support researching & writing? Our Oxbridge-educated masterminds are here to help! Sessions from £75/h + VAT. Enquire.
Medicine Essay Competition FAQs
Why Enter Our Medicine Essay Competition?
Our Medicine Essay Competition provides an excellent chance to enhance your university application by showcasing your passion for and engagement with the medical field. Participation will help you refine key skills such as research, critical analysis, and essay writing—abilities that admissions tutors highly regard.
When Is the Deadline for the Medicine Essay Competition?
Entries must be submitted by 11pm UK time on April 3, 2026.
Who Can Enter the Medicine Essay Competition?
The competition is open to all UK and international students! It is particularly ideal for Year 12 students or gap-year students reapplying to medical school. However, younger students with a keen interest in Medicine are also encouraged to participate.
Can I Get Support for the Medicine Essay Competition?
Absolutely! Our expert Medicine mentors can support you throughout the process, from interpreting essay questions and conducting research to crafting a strong, persuasive argument. They also offer detailed feedback on drafts. Many of our mentors are Oxbridge graduates with experience in medical admissions and can provide further guidance on applications. Sessions start at £75/h + VAT. Enquire here.
Can I Submit More Than One Entry?
You may submit one entry per subject category but are welcome to participate in other categories too!
Useful Medicine Essay Competition Resources
Past Questions
01.
An ex-alcoholic patient [who is a mother of two children], a nine year-old girl, a 75 year old war veteran and a man with terminal cancer need a liver transplant. Who should have it?
02.
Tell us about a key development/invention that you think has been most influential to medicine.
03.
What goes wrong for cancers to develop?
N.B. You may be interested in undertaking one of MU’s online Medicine masterclasses with our experts to give you ideas and help direct your research. Some examples below!
Learn about the principles of medical ethics and how doctors are expected to act in moral/ ethical dilemmas. This is a key part of most university medicine interviews: you will be given challenging questions asking you to make moral decisions acting as a doctor. Learn how to structure an answer with the four principles of ethics and apply this when answering a question.
Hosts: We have a range of Ethics masterclass hosts, all Oxbridge-educated Medics. The host will be confirmed upon booking
Duration: Suggested 1-2hrs, depending on the level of detail the student desires
Explore the role of technology in medicine and health, and the changes we may expect in the coming decades.
Host: We have multiple hosts available for this topic, all Oxbridge-educated Medicine subject specialists. To be confirmed on booking (Full CV sent for reference).
Duration: This masterclass can be taken as a 1-1.5hr session or series of sessions, dependent on the level of depth the student requires.
“150 years ago our life expectancy was just over 40 years old. Now it’s just over 80. How did this change occur, how might life expectancy increase further, and what challenges may an increasingly elderly population bring?”
In this masterclass, we begin with a discussion on how life expectancy has changed over time, and how it continues to change. We go on to discuss how despite medicine’s best efforts, death is unfortunately inevitable: how might modern medicine recognise this, and how should we approach the topic of death and dying in the future? This should be a key area of interest for prospective university applicants.
Host: Harry is currently studying Medicine at Trinity College, Cambridge, having graduated with a First Class degree in Neuroscience. He is recipient of the Trinity College "Rashbass prize" for Medical Sciences and Physiology.
Duration: Suggested 1-2hrs, depending on the level of detail the student desires.