Creative Writing Award

Stories and poems are powerful ways of sharing the vision and depth of Family Medicine, its philosophy of care and scope of practice.

We invite submissions of written materials that derive from the experience of teaching/learning or practicing Family Medicine. Faculty, clinicians and medical students in the northeast region of the US are eligible to participate. Stories, poems, and other forms of fiction or non-fiction writing are welcomed.

A panel of reviewers composed of Family Medicine faculty and creative professionals experienced in manuscript evaluation will review each submission with an eye to its critical reflection, emotional honesty and technical merit.

Submissions may be no longer than 1500 words. Pieces published or pending publication at a national level (magazines, journals, and books with a national circulation) prior to the award date are not eligible for this award. An author may submit a maximum of one poem and one prose piece.

The best submissions are honored at the annual FMEC Northeast Region Meeting in its Awards Booklet. While submissions remain the property of the author, a submitter grants the FMEC unrestricted use of the material.

Past Award Winners

2020 Prose Winners
Krystal Green, MD - 1st place prose (tie) - "Monday Night"
Luis Garcia, MD - 1st place prose (tie) - "Thirteen Years"

2020 Poetry Winners
Nel Trasybule, MD - 1st place prose/poetry - "Helpless"

2019 Prose Winners

Maureen Litchman, MD - 1st place prose - "Red Was Her Name"
Julia Marsala - 2nd place prose - "Hole In My Bucket"

2019 Poetry Winners
Corey Fogleman, MD - 1st place poetry - "If Only Just"
Corey Fogleman, MD - 2nd place poetry - "Turn It Off.  Turn It Back On Again"

2018 Prose Winners:

Warren J. Ferguson, MD - 1st place prose tie - "An Enduring Relationship in the Medical Home"
Lisa S. Gussak, MD - 1st place prose tie - "How Do You Code That?"
Warren J. Ferguson, MD - 2nd place - "Third Time the Charm or Loser"

2018 Poetry Winners:
Hugh Silk, MD, MPH - 1st place poetry - "Friday, Late Afternoon"
Jessica Bloom-Foster, MD, FAAFP - 2nd place poetry - "Sally at 90"

2017 Prose Winners:
Adam Lake, MD - 1st place prose - "Addiction in Isolation"
Jessica Platt, MD - Honorable Mention - "Code Status"
Suzanne E. Minor, MD, FAAFP - Honorable Mention - "Compassion Fatigue"

2017 Poetry Winners:
Kristen Thornton, MD - 1st place poetry - "Aging"
Virginia Van Duyne, MD - Honorable Mention - "New"
Aimee Burke Valeras, PhD, LICSW - "What Others See"