Cover Story
Med Poets Society
Our third annual writing contest winners mix meters and medicine.
For the third consecutive year, Minnesota Medicine and the Minnesota Physicians Foundation sponsored a writing contest for physicians, residents, and medical students.
Last spring, we issued a challenge: Send us your essays, poems, and short stories about memorable patients or events or life as a physician or future physician. We received a number of inspired entries, making the competition tight and the judging difficult.
This year’s panel included Minnesota Medicine editor in chief, Charles Meyer, M.D.; editorial advisory board members Barbara Elliott, Ph.D., Greg Plotnikoff, M.D., and Barbara Yawn, M.D.; and MMA staff members Lorrie Holmgren, Kim Kiser, and Carmen Peota.
Perhaps the biggest surprise about this year’s contest was the fact that all of the winners used poetry to express their feelings about relationships or patients they’ve lost in their journey toward becoming the person they are today.
The following linked pages showcase the work of our three winners and stories of what inspired them to write their winning entries. Each received $200 from the Minnesota Physicians Foundation.
Congratulations and thanks to all who took part in this year’s contest. Keep putting your thoughts on paper.
Click on the title of the entry to read it and the author's name for a profile of them.