medical case study competition

Office of Academic Clinical Affairs

Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility

• Social Responsibility
• Our Approach
• Our Focus Areas
• Education & Training
• Research & Discovery
• Outreach & Engagement
• Our Services
• Our Grants & Awards
• Our Global Partnerships
• Work With Us
• Connect With Us
• Support Global Health
• Our Latest News
• Our Newsletter
• Our Upcoming Events
• Our Resources

Global Health Case Competition

Our Global Health Case Competition is a unique opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students from multiple schools and disciplines to come together to develop innovative solutions for 21st century global health issues.

The Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility hosts the Global Health Case Competition, an interprofessional student learning competition for students to gain simulated professional experience while building a network of interdisciplinary students that will soon become their colleagues. The competition features teams comprised of 4 to 6 students from three or more UMN schools.

Interested in solving one of today's global health challenges?

Meena Murugappan, member of the Global Health Case Competition 2018 winning team, shared several tips for participating in the competition.  

• Dedicate as much time and effort as you can during competition week.
• Create a draft presentation by Tuesday and then host a mock presentation for experts on Wednesday.
• Make your team's presentation cohesive and keep it simple.
• The presentation is 50% content and ideas— and 50% how you market it.

Discover How to Apply

The Global Health Case Competition is an interprofessional student learning competition sponsored by the Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility. An information session for the competition is held each fall, and applications open in November each year.

+ Eligibility

Eligibility.

Graduate students (masters and doctoral level), professional students, and upper-level undergraduate students from across the U of M who are interested in global health are encouraged to participate. Post-graduate and post-doctoral fellows/residents are eligible to participate in teams this year as well.

We hope to involve students from across the health sciences, College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS), the Humphrey School, the Carlson School, Law School, Science and Engineering, Liberal Arts and more – anyone with an interest in global health solutions.

Teams will be comprised of four to six students from three or more U of M schools. Students may apply as individuals and will be assigned to a multidisciplinary team. Students who prefer to assemble their own team must ensure that the team has three or more U of M Schools are represented. Students from Duluth and Rochester should assemble their own team to enable full participation.

Teams are welcome to recruit and nominate their own faculty or staff coach or they will be assigned one. To nominate someone to be a coach, please fill out the  coach nomination form . 

Interested in coaching a team during the UMN Global Health Case Competition?

Please fill out the  coach form  or email  [email protected]  for more details. 

Teams are welcome to recruit and nominate their own faculty or staff coach or they will be assigned one. To nominate someone to be a coach, please fill out the  coach form . 

+ Application

Application.

Applications for the 2024 Global Health Case Competition are now closed. Applications for the 2025 competition will open in November of 2024. 

If you have questions about the application process, contact Shannon Benson , CGHSR Student Coordinator. 

+ Competition Week Timeline

Competition week timeline.

Teams have a full week to work on their proposals and presentations.

Key Competition Dates

• January 18, 2024: Case Released to Teams 
• January 27, 2024: Virtual Competition Day

Example Timeline

• Wednesday Before Competition Week - Attend Required Team Training
• Thursday Before Competition Week - Teams Receive Case
• Friday to Thursday - Teams Work on Case
• Thursday - Turn in Presentation for First Round
• Saturday of Competition Week - Final Teams Present at the Second Round: Competition Day

Note that competition week looks different for each team based on individual schedules and coach schedules. Competition week is intense. Expect to log many hours working individually and meeting as a team. 

+ Credit Options & IPE Approval

Credit options & ipe approval.

Students may be allowed to apply this experience to academic requirements and should confer with their academic advisors to determine if it meets their specific requirements. The following approvals have been acquired:

• The Global Health Case Competition is part of the  1Health  interprofessional education curriculum at the University of Minnesota. This means that the Case Competition offers a valuable interprofessional learning experience that has been carefully designed to expand upon your skills and knowledge in preparation for your future as collaborative health professional.  Inclusion in the 1Health interprofessional education curriculum also means that upon completion of the Global Health Case Competition, a record demonstrating your involvement in this experience will be added to your personal "1Health IPE Transcript" which can be accessed via the  1Health Database .  
• Pharmacy students can earn credit for their participation as a directed study with faculty Dr. Jason Varin.

+ Awards & Competition at Emory University

Awards & competition at emory university.

A distinguished multi-disciplinary panel of judges will evaluate the teams’ recommendations on Competition Day. Cash prizes to first and second place teams will be awarded.

The first place team will then go on to compete at the 2024 Virtual International Emory Global Health Case Competition. The competition will take place in March of 2024.

+ Key Dates

Key Dates for the UMN Global Health Case Competition 2024*

• November 1, 2023: Applications Open
• December 8, 2023: (5 pm): Applications Close
• December 13, 2023: Teams notified of acceptance & placement 
• January 17, 2024 (4:00 – 5:00pm): Virtual team training (required)
• January 18, 2024: Case released to teams 
• January 25, 2024 (8 am): First-round submissions due 
• January 25-26, 2024: Submission review and first-round judging
• January 26, 2024 (by 4 pm): Finalist teams announced 
• January 27, 2024: (10 am - 12 pm): Virtual competition day 
• March 22-23, 2024: Emory International Global Health Case Competition 

*Dates and times are subject to change.

Global Health Case Competition Results

+ global health case competition 2024 (virtual), global health case competition 2024.

In 2024, more than 60 students from 13 different UMN colleges took part in the Global Health Case Competition. This year’s case revolved around providing mental health services to children in China while also reducing the stigma surrounding mood disorders. As part of the case, the teams acted as consultants to government officials in Jiangsu, China, who wanted to provide more mental health resources for school-aged children. 

First Place in the 2024 Global Health Case Competition 

• Amal Suri, UMN Medical School
• Jasmine Adam, UMN Humphrey School of Public Affairs
• Annie Griebie, UMN Medical School
• Afra Suri, UMN College of Veterinary Medicine
• Erica Rapheal, UMN School of Public Health
• Zaynab Somani, UMN Medical School

Second Place in the 2024 Global Health Case Competition

• Noor Ibrahim, UMN Medical School
• Sanjana Molleti, UMN Medical School
• Rohan Raikar, UMN Medical School
• Sajel Dutt, UMN Medical School
• Bianca Turman, UMN Carlson School of Management and College of Liberal Arts (undergraduate dual degree)
• Vishnu Kilambi, UMN School of Public Health

+ Global Health Case Competition 2023 (Virtual)

Global health case competition 2023.

In 2023, over 60 students across 12 schools competed in 10 teams. Each team had students from at least three UMN schools and colleges. The case scenario for this year’s competition centered on a case of avian influenza that crossed over to humans, with the potential to become a new pandemic.

This year's competition was development as a partnership with the School of Public Health Minnesota Prepared project, designed to expand the state and local public health workforce to support emergency preparedness and response initiatives in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

First Place in the 2023 Global Health Case Competition 

• Ayush Shah, Team Captain (Medical School)
• Jamel Benhamida (Medical School)
• August Glomski (School of Public Health)
• Olivia Jensen (College of Liberal Arts)
• Diya Patel (Continuing and Professional Studies)
• Jason Roycraft (School of Public Affairs)
• Coach: Whitney Waldsmith, College of Veterinary Medicine

Second Place in the 2023 Global Health Case Competition

• Rashika Shetty, Team Captain (Medical School)
• Jeremy Giannone (Continuing and Professional Studies)
• Chuyi Sun (College of Liberal Arts)
• Nicole Wendel (College of Pharmacy)
• Jacqueline Wille ( Medical School)
• Coach: Rob Thames

+ Global Health Case Competition 2022 (Virtual)

Global health case competition 2022.

In 2022, over 50 students across 13 schools competed in 10 teams. Each team had students from at least three UMN schools and colleges. The case scenario for this year’s competition centered on a tragic case of a fictionalized young woman in Ethiopia who experienced obstructed labor resulting in obstetric fistula, a traumatic injury to their bladder, vagina and/or rectum.

First Place in the 2022 Global Health Case Competition 

• Sarah Fenno (Medical School)
• Nick Hable (Medical School)
• Sophia Park (College of Biological Sciences)
• Afra Suri (College of Veterinary Medicine)
• Amal Suri (College of Biological Sciences)
• Coach: Corrie Fielder (Carlson School of Management)

Second Place in the 2022 Global Health Case Competition

• Abigail Boettcher (School of Public Health)
• Meghan Ford (School of Public Health)
• Bhavana Goparaju (Institute of Health Informatics)
• Ratchada Jantraporn (School of Nursing)
• Anna Pirsch (School of Nursing)
• Coach: Vanessa Tennyson

+ Global Health Case Competition 2021 (Virtual)

Global health case competition 2021.

In 2021, over 80 students across 12 schools competed in 15 teams. Each team had students from at least three UMN schools and colleges.  The case scenario for the 2021 competition centered on a hypothetical outbreak of an infectious disease during the 2023 Cricket World Cup in India. Teams analyzed the case and proposed their recommendations. While normally the competition takes place in a one day-long event, this year, the first round was done with a pre-recorded video presentation and the final round was live on Zoom in front of a panel of judges. 

First Place in the 2021 Global Health Case Competition 

• Jesse Abelson, Medical School
• Kelly Reger, Medical School
• Christopher Prokosch, Medical School
• Sarah Kenney, College of Veterinary Medicine
• Paige Palomaki, dual-degree Veterinary Medicine and Masters of Public Health program
• Rees Parrish, dual-degree Veterinary Medicine and Masters of Public Health program

Second Place in the 2021 Global Health Case Competition

• Chenwei Yan, College of Liberal Arts
• Asmaa Ferdjallah, Medical School
• Karen Chen, School of Public Health
• Isabella Bennett, College of Liberal Arts
• Moriam Yarrow, School of Public Health

Third Place in the 2021 Global Health Case Competition

• Narmada Venkateswaran, School of Public Health
• Yukino Nakamura, College of Science and Engineering
• Carmel Ann Largosa, College of Liberal Arts
• Katerina Graf, College of Science and Engineering
• Gitanjali Raman, School of Public Health

+ Global Health Case Competition 2020

Global health case competition 2020.

In 2020, over 80 students from 13 different schools at the University of Minnesota participated in the case competition. The 15 teams were comprised of both undergrad and professional students that spent a week working on proposals for solutions to the 2020  case  addressing electronic nicotine delivery systems in China's Guandong Province. On final presentation day, each team presented their thoroughly researched plans on both prevention and cessation proposals.

First Place in the 2020 Global Health Case Competition 

• Sophie Zielke, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
• Ethan Robertson, College of Biological Sciences
• Lucas Simpson, College of Education and Human Development
• Geneva Taylor, College of Science and Engineering
• Marali Singaraju, College of Liberal Arts

Second Place in the 2020 Global Health Case Competition

• Caitlin Varquez, School of Public Health
• Jacqueline Warehime, College of Design
• Kate Shaughnessy, School of Public Health
• Emily Vance, College of Liberal Arts
• Kalid Dalu, College of Liberal Arts

Third Place in the 2020 Global Health Case Competition

• Gabriel Richardson, Carlson School of Management
• Melanie Iversen, College of Liberal Arts
• MacKenzie Differding, College of Liberal Arts
• Victoria Clouse, School of Journalism
• Ally Martin, College of Education and Human Development

+ Global Health Case Competition 2019

Global health case competition 2019.

Students spent a week developing sustainable, feasible, and creative solutions to address challenges around refugee health and well-being in St. Cloud, Minnesota. The judges and case competition staff were very impressed by the dedication and quality of work from all of the teams. This year, there were 78 students from sixteen different schools and colleges within the University of Minnesota who competed and fifteen dedicated faculty and staff coaches who supported them throughout. Our judging panel this year spanned a wide variety of professions and ways of interacting with refugee and immigrant health services around the state.

First Place in the 2019 Global Health Case Competition 

• Malvikha Manoj, College of Liberal Arts
• Pang Chaxiong, College of Education and Human Development
• Tounhia Khang, School of Public Health
• Anne Li, School of Public Health
• Coach Karin Hamilton, College of Veterinary Medicine

Runner Up in the 2019 Global Health Case Competition 

• Hibo Wehelie, College of Biological Sciences
• Kristine Kancans, College of Liberal Arts
• Julia Kancans, College of Liberal Arts
• Tsegereda Lamesgin, School of Public Health
• Atticus Wolfe, School of Public Health
• Khadija Mohamed, College of Liberal Arts

Runner Up in the 2019 Global Health Case Competition

• Lauren Tehan, College of Biological Sciences
• Neelam Chandiramani, College of Biological Sciences
• Tripura Talagadadeevi, College of Liberal Arts
• Alexandra Mueller, College of Biological Sciences
• Elizabeth Johnson, College of Biological Sciences, School of Public Health
• Carolyn Handke, Allied Health Programs

+ Global Health Case Competition 2018

Global health case competition 2018.

After spending the week immersed in the topic of developing a palliative care system for either Indonesia or Papua New Guinea, 11 teams made their presentations to a panel of expert judges.

First Place in the 2018 Global Health Case Competition

• Meena Murugappan, Public Health
• Sailee Tambe, Public Health 
• Hannah Cowan, Biological Sciences
• Emma Fiala, Liberal Arts
• Mateo Frumholtz, Public Health
• Team Coach : Bill Toscano, Public Health

Runner Up in the 2018 Global Health Case Competition

• Samuel Lee, Science and Engineering
• TaeJun Park, Biological Sciences
• Augustus Pendleton, Biological Sciences
• Virginia Pendleton, Public Health
• Pushkar Chaubal, Mangement
• Tiffany Cheng, Liberal Arts
• Team Coach : Fred Rose, Institute on the Environment 
• David Begelman, Biological Sciences
• Rachel Astashinsky, Science and Engineering
• Abhi Ramesh, Liberal Arts
• Shray Malik, Biological Sciences
• Team Coach : Jess Roberts, Public Health 

+ Global Health Case Competition 2017

Global health case competition 2017.

Thirteen teams spent the week immersed in the global topic of sex trafficking, seeking local solutions for the city of Atlanta. On competition day, they made their presentations to an expert panel of judges.

First Place in the 2017 Global Health Case Competition

• Mara Smith, School of Nursing
• Noureldin Saad, School of Public Health
• Iana Panovkina, School of Nursing
• Brendan Coutu, Medical School
• Yasmeen Saad, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
• Spencer Cahoon, School of Public Health
• Team Coach : Linda Frizzell, School of Public Health

Runner Up in the 2017 Global Health Case Competition

• Carrie Degerness, School of Nursing
• Natalie Loots, School of Public Health
• Pam Potempa-Rivers, College of Liberal Arts
• Maya Rivera, School of Public Health
• Team Coach : Megan Voorhees, Institute on the Environment
• Sheila Kennedy, School of Nursing
• Sarah Lentz, College of Biological Sciences
• Anshumaan Atriwal, Carlson School of Management
• Christy Choi, School of Pharmacy
• Olasunmbo Okedele, School of Public Health
• Team Coach : Fred Rose, Institute on the Environment

+ Global Health Case Competition 2016

Congratulations to the University of Minnesota team for their outstanding performance at the  2016 International Emory Global Health Case Competition .  The team was the winner of the Participants Choice Award and was awarded Honorable Mention (4th place) after advancing to the finals for their solutions for Obstetric Fistula in India.  We congratulate Besufekad Alemu (College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Sciences), Hiwote Bekele (School of Public Health), J'Mag Karbeah (School of Public Health), Kimani Cyrus Ndung'u (College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Sciences), Shuangqi Wang (Law School), and Patrick Williams (School of Public Health) along with coach Carolyn Porta (School of Nursing) for their hard work and dedication to global health professional development.

The team advanced to Emory by winning the University of Minnesota Global Health Case Competition in January.

+ Global Health Case Competition 2015

Global health case competition 2015.

The 2015 U of M Global Health Case Competition brought 14 teams together to propose a bid to the International Olympic Committee highlighting their cities' ability to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

First Place in the 2015 Global Health Case Competition

• Kathryn Gustafson, College of Pharmacy
• Balvindar Singh, College of Biological Sciences
• Tarun Jain, Carlson School of Management
• Nils Johnson, School of Public Health
• Brian Mikolajczyk, College of Science and Engineering
• Team Coach : Dr. Srinand Sreevatsan, College of Veterinary Medicine

Second Place in the 2015 Global Health Case Competition

• Julia Lee, School of Public Health
• Uzoma Abakporo, School of Public Health
• Ainslee Neu, College of Biological Sciences
• Oriana Beaudet, School of Nursing
• Erin Weslander, College of Pharmacy
• Simon Cecil, School of Public Affairs
• Team Coach : Dr. Carolyn Garcia, School of Nursing

Third Place in the 2015 Global Health Case Competition

• Cesar Dominguez Marquez, School of Public Health
• Bonnie Baumgartner, College of Science and Engineering
• Faiza Aziz, College of Biological Sciences
• Alex Vo, Medical School
• PaHoua Vang, School of Public Health
• Jessie Jiang, Carlson School of Management
• Team Coach : Noel Jarvis, Psychiatrist
• Sirikan Rojanasarot, College of Pharmacy
• Joy Hwang, College of Pharmacy
• Rebecca St. Germaine, College of Pharmacy
• Emily Myers, College of Liberal Arts
• Prajwal Pradhan, School of Public Health
• Felicia Hansell, Medical School
• Team Coach : Karin Hamilton (Veterinary Medicine

"I learned how to interact and engage with individuals that had very different academic and personal lived experiences than me. As the only undergrad on the team, I also had another layer that I was learning to interact with. The experience further reinforced my views on the advantages of diversity in race, gender, age and other perspectives. I developed skills in learning when to step back and when to step forward, as well as how to ensure that my voice is heard, and how to genuinely listen to other voices at the table."

Malvikha Manoj College of Liberal Arts, University of Minnesota First Place Team, Global Health Case Competition 2019

The Experience

• Career Impact
• Global Opportunities
• Inclusion + Belonging
• History + Legacy
• Convocation Ceremony

Academic Expertise

• AI + Data Analytics
• Family Business
• Social Impact + Sustainability
• Entrepreneurship

Degree Programs

• Full-Time MBA
• Executive MBA
• Master in Management
• Evening & Weekend MBA
• Certificate Program for Undergraduates
• Which Program is Right for Me?
• Admissions Events
• Academic Calendars

Executive Education

• Online Programs
• Programs for Individuals
• Nonprofit Programs
• Programs for Groups
• The Kellogg Advantage
• Contact Executive Education
• Request a Brochure
• Find a Program
• Alumni Network
• Career Journeys
• Global Impact
• Student Stories
• Applying to Kellogg
• Inclusion and Belonging

Publications and blogs

• Kellogg Magazine
• Kellogg Insight
• See All News + Stories

Academics + Research

• Faculty Directory
• Institutes + Centers
• Case Studies
• Faculty Teaching Awards
• Academic Departments
• Research + Books
• Faculty Recruiting
• Evening + Weekend MBA
• Deferred Enrollment
• PhD / Doctoral
• Undergraduate Certificate

Additional resources

• Tuition + Financial Aid
• Log into my account portal
• Companies + Recruiters

Kellogg Biotech + Healthcare Case Competition

Save the Date

Next competition will be in January 2025, check back for date.

Kellogg Global Hub 2211 Campus Drive Evanston, Illinois

Hotel Accommodations

Hilton Garden Inn 1818 Maple Ave., Evanston, IL

Validated permit parking available for both South (1847 Campus Drive) and North (2311 N. Campus Drive) campus parking garages

Sponsored By

How to apply.

Applications for the 2024 competition are now closed.

A Top Global Case Competition

“When you have this many really talented, gifted and experienced individuals working on healthcare problems you realize that over time, they can have an impact and make the world a better place.” Hear from Professor Tim Calkins, Academic Director of the competition, about what makes this event so special.

Kellogg Biotech + Healthcare Case Competition 

The Kellogg Biotech + Healthcare Case Competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious case competitions in the world. The 2025 competition will be the 24 th annual event.

The format of the competition has remained relatively consistent: teams of students from top universities gather in Evanston, Illinois, to present their recommendations for addressing a complex healthcare problem. Judges from top healthcare firms evaluate the presentations and select the winners.

The topic is new each year. The one constant is that it is a complex question. One year teams had to consider how to build acceptance for the COVID vaccine, another year the topic was increasing chlorhexidine use in Nigeria, and still another year teams had to forecast revenues for Palforzia, a treatment for peanut allergies.

The competition brings together some of the most talented and enthusiastic emerging healthcare leaders. The goals of the event are to build connections, enhance skills and hopefully have a small impact on improving health outcomes.

Applications are due in November and the competition is in January.

Previous Case Competitions

Kellogg team wins 2024 biotech and healthcare case competition.

On January 27, twelve teams from eleven top business schools competed in the 2024 Kellogg Biotech + Healthcare Case Competition in Evanston, Illinois. This was the 24 th year of the event, and once again competition was fierce. Moderna sponsored the weekend.

A team from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management won the competition, with a team from Chicago Booth finishing second.

The topic this year: how can Novo Nordisk ensure that under-served communities in the United States benefit from the weight-loss drug, Wegovy? The case was complex, forcing teams to consider a range of dynamics from market access to physician education to patient acceptance. Given the enormous potential population for weight-loss drugs as well as capacity constraints, how should Novo approach the opportunity? Obesity is linked to a range of health-issue, but the cost and patient hesitancy are major barriers.

The winning teams developed thoughtful plans that addressed multiple stakeholders in a creative, strategic way. The teams then presented their recommendations with confidence and conviction.

The final round teams came from a remarkable collection of schools: SDA Bocconi School of Management, Johnson School of Business at Cornell, Chicago Booth, Duke Fuqua, Northwestern Kellogg, Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University, Jones School of Business at Rice University, Michigan Ross School of Business, and Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.

A total of 64 teams from 25 schools in 7 countries applied to the event. Judges were healthcare executives from companies including AbbVie, Astellas and Lundbeck.

The winning team from Kellogg: Allie Myers, Kyle Reed, Olivia Bounadere, Jon Chuko and Mahbod Pourriahi.

The second place team from Chicago Booth: Hayden Koerwer, Liisa Parts, Amrish Soundararajan, Pengyu Yi.

Tuck Wins 2023 Kellogg Healthcare Case Competition

On January 28, eleven teams from ten business schools and three countries gathered in Evanston to compete in the 2023 Kellogg Biotech + Healthcare Case Competition sponsored by Moderna. The topic: How should Pfizer bring its new RSV vaccines to market? After the COVID challenges, this next vaccine has enormous potential to help people. But in healthcare nothing sells itself.

A team from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth won the event and the team from University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business finished a close second. Third place went to a team from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

Honorable mentions went to teams from Boston University Questrom School of Business and University of Virginia Darden School of Business. 

This was the 20th year of the event, making it one of the oldest and most recognized case competitions in the world.

Congratulations to all the teams that made it to the final round: Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, McMaster University DeGroote School of Business, SDA Bocconi University, UCLA Anderson School of Management and Columbia University Business School.

The winning team from Dartmouth Tuck: Leslie Akplah, Hanz Mangan Antony, Xinzhe Fang, Caitlyn Garland, Marie Smoak and Xiangyu Zhao.

The second place team Michigan Ross: Matthew Friedland, Jason Herzfeld, Denny Lai, Arushi Mahajan, Karthik Ramasubramanian

Wharton Team Wins 2022 Kellogg Biotech + Healthcare Case Competition

In the case competition this year, teams had to analyze the launch of two cholesterol lowering medications: Repatha and Praluent. Wharton team won the top prize, second place was a Kellogg team, with the Tuck team placing third place. Moderna sponsored the competition.  

First Place: The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania Shubham Chatterjee, Lauren Gardanier, Zaid Malhees, David Mui, Shang Wang

Second Place: Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University Abbey Austin, John Kim, Swarun Kulasekaran, Forrest Yeakley, Rachel Yen

Third Place: Tuck School of Business Nathan Busam, Joanna Weng, Sherry Yang 

Chicago Booth Team Wins 2021 Kellogg Biotech + Healthcare Case Competition  

The 18th annual Kellogg Biotech + Healthcare Case Competition focused on an emerging issue: how can business leaders build COVID19 vaccination rates in a world with anti-vaxxers and vaccine hesitancy? Teams evaluated the issue and developed plans to address it.

This year’s competition featured a new three round structure. In round 1, teams applied to the competition. Twenty teams then advanced to round 2, where they were asked to develop video presentations. A panel of judges then selected four teams to move on to the live, final round held on  Zoom on January 30.

More than eighty teams applied to event. Sixteen schools were represented in the second round, including Duke-Fuqua, Maryland-Smith, Berkeley-Haas, HBS, Wharton, LBS and UT-McCombs.

In the end, a team from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business took home the top prize. Second place went to a team from Georgetown University McDonough School of Business, with teams from DeGroote School of Business - McMaster University and Esade rounding out the Final Four.

It was a tough competition! More than 150 people tuned in to watch the final round. The teams came up with impressive and creative ideas.

Special thanks to our sponsor Astellas Pharma US and our incredible judges: Shaon Ahsan, Dr. Georges Benjamin, Julie Fitzgerald, Barry Fleischer, Marty Golden, Asavari Gupte, Eric Johnson, Sally Kolta, Emily Mason, Michael McGrath, Lisa Nicoll, Sasha Preble, Britt Prescott, Nico Rivelis, Mike Senical, Dr. Mona Siddiqui, Jonas de Souza, Steve Steinhagen and Natalie Wu.

Congratulations to the winning team: Rachel Wallace, Danny Stakland, Swan Lee, Kyle Birmingham, CFA and Jennifer Antane.

Congratulations also to the second place team: Adriana González-Caballero, David Angarita, Mark Brahier, Ted Cho and Kavya Sankhavaram. 

Texas McCombs Wins 2020 Case Competition

Johns Hopkins Team Wins 2019 Kellogg Biotech + Healthcare Case Competition

Contact us about Healthcare at Kellogg

• SELECT A LOCATION
• Give to SPH
• Open dashboard
• Open main menu

Fleming Center for Healthcare Management

Developing students to excel in positions of management and leadership in healthcare environments..

Explore degree programs >

• EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

Welcome to the George McMillian Fleming Center for Healthcare Management!

We are dedicated to shaping and empowering the next generation of pioneering healthcare management scholars, leaders, visionaries, and clinicians who will influence the future of health care in the United States. At the George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management, our commitment is to advance health care through education and innovation.

We have redesigned programs and certificates launching later this year to expand the knowledge base of health care professionals. These initiatives will provide clinician leaders with the essential management skills and knowledge required to effectively lead health systems. Our new offerings will feature a comprehensive curriculum covering key areas such as health care finance, ethics, quality improvement, and the latest innovations in AI. These programs are tailored for the next generation of health system leaders, including physicians, nurses, health care administrators, and other dedicated professionals committed to driving change in the health care industry.

Speaker Series

We are also pleased to announce the launch of our podcast series, The HealthSpark: Igniting Healthcare Management Change with Dr. Raya , which is more than just a podcast—it's a catalyst for thought-provoking discussions and actionable ideas.  This podcast will feature interviews with industry leaders who are driving innovation and transformative change. Tune in to discover how leading experts are navigating the complexities of health care, pioneering new solutions, and ultimately shaping a better future for patients and providers alike. Join us and ignite your passion for change in healthcare management. Look out for our featured annual Fleming Center Healthcare Management Case Competition speaker, who will kick off our spring case competition.

I am honored to lead such a comprehensive, vibrant, and growing center. Looking ahead, we are exploring innovative plans to enhance our educational offerings and support health care leaders in overcoming the challenges of tomorrow. We encourage you to stay connected with our Center and consider us a partner in your ongoing development as an emerging leader in health care innovation.

Thank you for visiting our site,

--Ginger Raya, EdD, MHA, MPA, Center Lead, George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management

Beyond the classroom

Practical experience in healthcare management.

Research, real-world cases, internships (practicums) and fellowships give students hands-on experience integrating healthcare management theory into practice. Our students also benefit from our faculty’s extensive academic and professional experience. Many faculty members serve as consultants to industry and offer valuable insight into the inner workings of health care organizations.

Before graduating, each healthcare management MPH student completes a practicum through the Fleming Center: 180 hours of hands-on experience in a community setting. Akin to an internship, the practicum is an essential part of a student’s public health education and should reflect their academic goals and professional interests. Check out these student projects, which highlight the diversity of our practicum experiences:

Surveying Parental Attitudes on Vaccination

A Fleming Center student worked with the Immunization Project to administer a survey on parental hesitancy towards childhood vaccines. She helped enroll more than 250 pregnant patients and co-parents to gauge their beliefs about childhood vaccines. Data from the study will be used to better understand attitudes and beliefs about vaccines among expectant parents and help determine effective vaccine education. 

“Enrollment was an opportunity to connect with patients on a personal level.”

Improving access to healthcare

Working with a Houston area multispecialty medical practice, another student helped implement projects under the Medicaid Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment, a statewide program that increases quality and access to health care. He analyzed project data, used to report milestones to governmental organizations, and helped implement a project that integrates behavioral health with primary health care services.

“A practicum is an invaluable experience that contextualizes your in-class learning.”

Reducing appointment no-shows

Developing and implementing a new policy aimed at reducing appointment no-shows was the focus of one student’s work. The policy focused specifically on hypertensive and diabetic patients who visited a charity care clinic in the Houston area. Our student encouraged patients to maintain their regular follow-up appointments and educated them about their medications and health conditions.

“A unique chance to see and appreciate the patient-clinic flow from eligibility to follow-up.”

Learning the financial processes of an academic medical center

A student developed skills involved in the financial planning and budgeting process in his practicum at the financial department of a major Houston academic medical center. He created budget templates, learned how medical service revenue is discovered and how start-up funds are provided to newly hired physicians.

“If you cannot find a practicum that interests you, don’t be afraid to create your own. After all this is YOUR experience!”

Supporting teens with HIV

After observing HIV-positive teens in the juvenile justice system and a teen clinic, one of our students focused her research on finding support groups for this vulnerable population. She crafted a white paper outlining the need for support groups for teens living with HIV in Houston, and listed funding sources to help fill in the gaps in health care services.

“I had the opportunity to observe physicians provide healthcare to adolescents at the Harris County Juvenile Justice Center and the UT Physicians Adolescent HIV Clinic.”

Rigorous training in healthcare management

Degree programs.

The Fleming Center offers rigorous training in healthcare management paired with a one-of-a-kind focus on population health. We currently offer a master’s degree and doctoral degree in public health with an emphasis in health management and health policy. We also offer a graduate certificate in healthcare management for individuals considering an MPH in healthcare management, but would first like exposure to many of the courses.

Our degree programs are designed to prepare students for the modern health care workplace through a challenging curriculum and real-world learning experiences. Students gain in-depth knowledge of the public health industry and graduate from the program confident they can:

• Manage multidisciplinary managerial and public health functions within the health delivery system
• Develop relationships and processes with other members of the health delivery system, including physicians, community partners, and insurers
• Create a vision for the organization and the community and champion that vision internally and externally to stakeholders
• Lead a team and participate with team members to achieve outcomes
• Achieve their professional and personal goals

Master of Public Health

The MPH in Healthcare Management provides students with a solid foundation for managing in a complex health care environment. The program provides training for students with interests in administration and the management of a variety of health care environments, including hospitals, public health agencies, nursing homes, health systems, pharmaceutical firms, insurers and other organizations in the health care sector.

CAHME Accreditation

The MPH degree program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation Healthcare Management Education (CAHME). Considered the benchmark that ensures the integrity of healthcare management education, CAHME accreditation is highly sought after by students and employers. The Fleming Center's healthcare management program is one of just five MPH programs in the country to receive the prestigious accreditation.

Doctor of Philosophy in Management and Policy

The PhD in Health Management and Health Policy offers training for students who wish to practice health management at an advanced level or pursue academic careers in health management. The program develops researchers who can ask relevant questions, identify answers and drive policy and organizational change to improve health care access, quality and cost.

Certificate in Healthcare Administration

The Certificate in Healthcare Administration is intended for health practitioners and individuals wishing to increase their knowledge in healthcare management. The five courses in this non-degree program cover the core content of healthcare management. In-person classes are available at the Houston campus and via ITV across other UTHealth School of Public Health Campuses. Most courses are taught in the early evening, allowing working professionals to easily pursue the certificate.

A certificate is awarded to students who pass all five courses. The certificate program is designed to be completed in one year.

Teaching methods and assessments

Students are taught through a combination of lectures, cases and hands-on assignments. In-person classes are available at the Houston campus and via ITV across other UTHealth School of Public Health campuses. Some classes are also available online.

Assessments include case studies, field work, essays, short answer tests, class leadership, and individual and team presentations.

Grading policy

Letter grades are given for all MPH core courses. Elective courses may be letter-graded or graded on the basis of pass/fail at the discretion of the instructor. Letter grades in pass/fail courses will not be included in the GPA calculated for letter-graded courses. A GPA will be calculated from all letter-graded courses.

In 2021-2022, the HCM MPH program had:

80 MPH Students

12 faculty members with academic and professional experience in healthcare management

100% of graduates completed the M.P.H. program within 3 years; 24 months is median time to graduate

100% of graduates report the degree prepared them to meet the demands of their job

80% of alumni reported acquiring knowledge and skills needed to advance in the field

80% of graduates reported being employed full time <6 months after graduation; 60% within 3 months

About half of enrolled students work full-time

Graduates in fellowships earn an average salary of $63,600

Median job salary for graduates $70,000 

CAHME website

The Fleming Center Executive Edge

Our executive education courses help busy health care professionals sharpen their skills and build the sought-after managerial and leadership expertise necessary to excel in today’s evolving health care industry. Classes feature engaging instruction with an emphasis on organizational dynamics, planning and implementing change, working in teams and real-world problem solving. Courses are available in the following:

Physician leadership

Target audience: Physicians in mid-level management positions or individuals desiring leadership experience.

Course description: In this course, participants learn critical business concepts necessary to support their roles as developing leaders within the organization. They also learn to analyze their organization and prioritize options; plan, communicate and implement change; confidently lead teams within their organization; and identify, plan and operationalize a strategic project.

Format: Available to healthcare organizations. Course is customized to fit the organization that requests it, and the number of class sessions may vary accordingly.

Additional courses

We also provide courses on Academic Medical Department Leadership and Nursing Leadership upon request.

Executive Education Leadership      

Our advisory panel includes:

Aanand Naik, MD , Nancy P. and Vincent F. Guinee, MD, Distinguished Chair Professor, Joan and Stanford Alexander Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, Internal Medicine at McGovern Medical School UTHealth Houston, Professor and Chair of Management, Policy, and Community Health, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Executive Director UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging.

• Ginger Raya, EdD, MHA, MPA , Center Leader, George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management, Associate Professor
• Theresa Tran, MD, MBA, FACEP , Clinical Population Health and Advocacy  
• Robert B. Morrow, MD, MBA , Associate Professor, Executive in Residence
• Linda Cole, DNP, RN, APRN, CCNS, CNE, FCNS , Associate Professor, Non-tenured Instructional, Co-Director, DNP Program

Opportunities to lead, collaborate and learn

The Fleming Center offers students many activities emphasizing leadership, teamwork, and learning from industry leaders, further enriching their academic experience.

A student organization focused on leadership and management, The Board seeks to enrich students academically, professionally and socially as they transition into their careers. The organization offers course selection help, peer to peer coaching, alumni networking and opportunities for involvement in professional organizations including the American College of Healthcare Executives and Healthcare Financial Management Association. The Board also sponsors career development workshops, and provides activities that encourage students to forge relationships with their peers and successful professionals in their field.

Case Competitions

The Fleming Center’s annual case competition , co-sponsored by The Board, provides students with an exciting way to apply what they have learned in the classroom to a real-world problem. Teams of students compete to develop the best solution to a healthcare management-related case study. In the process, they bridge the academic and practice worlds, collaborate with their peers and take on leadership roles in a competitive setting. Last year, eight teams from seven universities participated--five from schools within Texas. Teams from UTHealth School of Public Health routinely take top honors in the competition. Fleming Center students also participate in case competitions sponsored by the National Association of Health Services Executives and Medical Group Management Association. 14th Annual Flemming Center Case Competition Highlights below:

CENTER FACULTY

Experts in education and research.

DR. GINGER RAYA

Meet the center director, preparing leaders to address complex health care systems.

The George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health prepares students to meet the health needs of our communities while addressing the ever-changing facets of the health care system.

Read More Preparing leaders to address complex health care systems

Raya to Lead George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management and El Paso Chamber Healthcare Coalition

Ginger Raya, EdD, MHA, MPA, was recently announced as the new lead for the George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management effective May 16, 2024.

Read More Raya to Lead George McMillan Fleming Center for Healthcare Management and El Paso Chamber Healthcare Coalition

To learn more about the Fleming Center, email us at  [email protected]  or call 713-500-9199.

MPH program information

For more information about our CAHME-accredited MPH program, including admissions requirements, please see the Healthcare Management MPH degree card . 

Admissions and Student Services Main: 713-500-9032 [email protected] [email protected]

Austin 1836 San Jacinto Blvd., Suite 510 Austin, TX 78701 Main: 512-482-6160 Austin Admissions

Brownsville 780 Ringgold Rd, Brownsville, TX 78520 Main: 956-755-0600 Brownsville Admissions

Dallas Trinity Towers 2777 N. Stemmons Freeway, Suite 8400, Dallas, TX 75207 Main: 972-546-2920 Dallas Admissions

El Paso Medical Center of the Americas Foundation 5130 Gateway Boulevard East MCA 110, El Paso, TX 79905 Main: 915-975-8520 El Paso Admissions

Houston 1200 Pressler Street, Houston, TX 77030 Main: 713-500-9050 Houston Admissions

San Antonio 7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 1100, San Antonio, TX 78229 Main: 210-276-9000 San Antonio Admissions

© 2019 - Present University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, All Rights Reserved. UTHealth Houston

Alumna Voted President-Elect of Society for Epidemiologic Research

Alumna Wendy Nembhard, PhD, MPH, FACE, voted as the new incoming president-elect of the Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER.) As president-elect, Nembhard serves on the Executive Committee for SER, which hosts the nation's oldest epidemiology society.

Researchers argue: “Does every movement count towards better health?”

A 2020 press release from the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that “every move counts towards better health”, suggesting that 5 million deaths per year could be averted if physical activity increased throughout the globe. Offering a new perspective and published in June’s open access journal of The Lancet Global Health is Assistant Professor of Epidemiology and Center for Health Equity (CHE) researcher, Andrea Ramirez Varela, PhD, MD, MPH, who poses a counter to the statement, that context is key.

New dual degree program offering MJur/MPH enrolling students for Spring 2025 in collaboration with St. Mary's University School of Law

This innovative program will begin admitting students for the spring 2025 semester, and is the first of its kind in Texas, as well as the only degree program in Texas certified by the Compliance Certification Board (CCB).

Researchers Evaluate Most Effective Methods of Preventing Heat Stress and Illness in Workers

Brett Perkison, MD, MPH, is leading a new study to evaluate the effectiveness of cooling vests in protecting construction workers from heat stress, part of a broader effort to develop better practices for protecting at-risk workers from heat-related illness.

UTHealth Houston School of Public Health Announces New Collaboration with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the National Coordinator

This partnership aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue successful careers in public service, particularly in health and human services.

UTHealth Houston research reveal a disproportionate increase of homelessness among women in the U.S.

In an analysis of population data spanning five years from 2018 through 2022, researchers have uncovered significant trends in homelessness rates among various population groups, with a noteworthy rise in the number of women experiencing unsheltered homelessness. The study, recently published in Public Health Reports , utilized data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the findings shed light on the changing dynamics of homelessness among women, with a particular focus on female veterans.  

Residents of redlined communities experience higher rates of violence, according to new study from Alexander Testa, PhD

A new study conducted by Alexander Testa, PhD, assistant professor at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, found that residents of historically redlined communities have a higher probability of experiencing violent crimes such as assault, robbery, and gun violence.

Center for Health Equity Summer Intensive Fellowship Experience

The Center for Health Equity (CHE) launched a paid summer intensive fellowship experience (SIFE) in health equity as an opportunity for graduate students at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.

CHPPR-Partner the DAWN Center Provides Diabetes and Chronic Disease Prevention and Management Services throughout Houston

The DAWN Center at the Houston Health Department has spent more than 10 years providing Houstonians with free health education and other services to manage and prevent diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Young adults with cancer living in socially vulnerable neighborhoods in Texas have a higher mortality risk, new study finds

Adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer that live in more socially vulnerable neighborhoods in Texas have a higher risk of dying, according to new research from UTHealth Houston. 

Cardiometabolic Syndrome Conference 2024

8:00:00 AM - 5:00:00 PM The Texas Heart Institute, Houston, TX

Welcome Week: Getting to Know Handshake

12:00:00 PM - 1:00:00 PM See event description

Welcome Week: Alumni Panel

Welcome week: coffee with faculty.

8:00:00 AM - 12:00:00 PM RAS Deck

Welcome Week Resource Fair

11:00:00 AM - 12:30:00 PM RAS Lobby

Welcome Week: Practice Starts Now and Get PHIT

Getting to know handshake for faculty and staff.

12:00:00 PM - 1:00:00 PM Teams

Implementation Science Networking Event - Houston

4:00:00 PM - 6:00:00 PM TMC Innovation Building

Dissertation Defense by Isaac D. Valdez, MS: Assessing the Impact of Prior Authorization on Medical Dosimetrists

11:00:00 AM - 1:00:00 PM UTHealth Houston: 1200 Pressler St, Houston, TX 77030 | Building: RAS | Room: W-102A

Graduate Archer Fellowship Program Information Session #1 (Summer 2025)

12:00:00 PM - 1:00:00 PM In-person (MSB B.612) & Virtual (Teams)

LinkedIn Lab with Dr. Ginger Raya

12:00:00 PM - 1:30:00 PM RAS W 102-A/Teams

Graduate Archer Fellowship Program Information Session #2 (Summer 2025)

12:00:00 PM - 1:00:00 PM In-person & Virtual (Teams)

Partnerships between Health Care and Community Based Organizations for Food Is Medicine

12:00:00 PM - 1:00:00 PM Virtual Webinar

Center for Infectious Diseases Fall Lecture with Megan Duffey, MD

12:00:00 PM - 1:00:00 PM RAS Building, Suite E705 and Webex

• Meet Our Advisory Board
• Global Connections at Yale
• Kalyanpur-Maheshwari Grant for Global Health Innovation
• SHI Mentors-in-Residence
• SHI Fellows
• Innovation Exchange
• Staff and Advisors
• Yale Global Health Insights Podcast
• Global Health Symposium
• YIGH Global Health Conversation Series
• YIGH Events
• Burkina Faso
• South Africa
• Eligibility
• Selection Process
• Contact Information
• A Successful GHES Applicant
• Current Fellows
• Past Fellows
• Publications
• Search International Activity
• Search Keywords
• Yale Antimicrobial Resistance Faculty Network (AMR)
• Yale Biological Embedding, Global Research & Intervention Network (BEGIN)
• Yale Emergency, Critical Care and Disaster Medicine Network (ECCDM)
• Yale Global Addictions Network
• Yale Global HIV/AIDS Research Network (GARNER)
• Yale Global Health Ethics Network
• Yale Network for Global Non-Communicable Diseases (NGN)
• Yale Global Surgery Network
• Yale Global Women's Health Network
• Yale Planetary Health Interdisciplinary Network Exchange (PHINEX)
• Yale-Uganda
• Yale Network for Vaccine Initiatives
• Yale Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases (VB&ZD) Network
• Global Health Spark Awards
• Frequently Asked Questions
• CIRA 2024 Pilot Projects in HIV Research
• Other Yale Opportunities
• International Travel Resources
• Global Health Seminar
• Topics in Global Medicine and Health
• Digital Media for Health Outcomes
• Student Funding Opportunities
• 2024 Leadership in Global Health Fellows
• 2023 Leadership in Global Health Fellows
• 2022 Leadership in Global Health Fellows
• 2021 Leadership in Global Health Fellows
• 2020 Leadership in Global Health Fellows
• 2024 Case Competition
• 2023 Case Competition

2022 Case Competition

• 2021 Case Competition
• 2020 Case Competition
• Global Health Ethics Program
• YIGH Student Fellows

INFORMATION FOR

• Residents & Fellows
• Researchers

What’s an MHA Case Competition? Tips & Strategies

For the 2023-2024 academic year, we have 112 schools in our MHAOnline.com database and those that advertise with us are labeled “sponsor”. When you click on a sponsoring school or program, or fill out a form to request information from a sponsoring school, we may earn a commission. View our advertising disclosure for more details.

Case competitions deliver outstanding opportunities for healthcare administration students to showcase their skills and knowledge—so much so that students might feel surprised when they first learn about all the value these events offer.

These competitions enable students to research and analyze a challenging real-world healthcare problem, develop their collaboration and teamwork skills, network with industry leaders who are often hiring managers, and potentially win recognition, cash prizes, and even job interview invites.

Coming up, we’ll explore what case competitions entail, why these events have gained popularity among MHA students in recent years, famous strategies that can help teams win, and examples of some of the most prestigious and best-known recent competitions.

What Does an MHA Case Competition Look Like?

Case competitions are events where teams of university students present their analyses of a complex, real-world organizational challenge and recommend solutions to a panel of expert judges. These events offer a unique opportunity for students to apply classroom knowledge and research to real-world scenarios, and to develop and demonstrate a vast array of skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, public speaking, and team building.

We first covered competitions for MBA students in a 2019 feature article on our other platform about graduate management education, BSchools , and case competitions for MHA students are similar. All case competition teams receive the same written information about the client’s problem, and all have the same amount of time—with the same deadlines—before they deliver their presentations to the judges’ panel.

Then, the judges evaluate the quality of each team’s analysis, solutions, and overall presentation. Moreover, most case competitions are structured like tournaments, with several rounds where the winning teams advance to the next round.

However, there’s one big difference. In MHA competitions, the teams compete to solve challenging problems for a specific client operating in only a single industry: healthcare . For example, here’s the mission statement for the UCLA Global Health Case Competition, which reads just like the mission statement of an MBA case competition except for the next-to-the-last word:

Facilitate student networking, mentorship, and real-world problem-solving opportunities through collaboration in multidisciplinary teams that will develop innovative solutions to complex global health issues.

Who Are the Sponsors?

Traditionally, healthcare case competitions have been staged by master’s degree programs in healthcare administration affiliated with academic medical centers. However, today this isn’t always the case.

A collaborative multidisciplinary approach has become increasingly common in recent years, where professional societies or other graduate divisions like business schools or medical schools might join with the MHA programs to co-sponsor these events. These days, the competitions—and their cash prizes awarded to the winning teams—are often funded through the financial support of healthcare companies like hospital systems, pharmaceutical firms, and equipment manufacturers.

What Are the Topics?

These are called “case” competitions because each team receives a 20- to 30-page written scenario to analyze—similar to a typical Harvard Business School case study—that details a complex problem facing a healthcare organization. The case topics vary each year, but they usually focus on strategic, managerial, financial, or operational issues healthcare systems encounter.

From the recent topics in the competitions listed at the bottom of this article, one can observe that quality improvement, patient experience, population health, and digital health are common categories these days. Topics also focus on current controversies , such as strategies that might help reduce clinician burnout amid today’s increasingly frequent staffing shortages.

What’s more, some competitions’ topics are international in scope. For example, as this YouTube video shows, a 2021 sample topic at UCLA asked teams to provide innovative and creative solutions to address the most severe post-hurricane health challenges in various locations such as Florida, Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines. And a 2023 topic at Yale University titled “ Flood Recovery and Resilience in Pakistan ” asked teams to recommend interventions that would address waterborne diseases that resulted from floods in Sindh Province—and could be widely implemented for $1.5 million or less.

Who Are the Judges?

The judges’ panel often comprises executives and managers from the medical center’s healthcare system. At some competitions, the panel might even include members of the system’s board of directors and seasoned C-suite executives, like chief medical, strategy, operating, or marketing officers. Because hundreds of hiring managers often work for senior executives like these, a compelling presentation by a student before such judges can lead to transformative career benefits—including job interview invites before graduation.

For example, the Cleveland Clinic is well known for its nine-year track record of populating its judges’ panels with high-profile chief executives. Just look at the senior officer roles of the judges during the 2023 competition:

• Chief Strategy Officer Jim Cotelingam
• Chief Caregiver Officer Kelly Hancock, DNP, RN, NE-BC
• Chief of Operations William M. Peacock, III
• Chief Marketing Officer Will Rowberry, Cleveland Clinic London
• Executive Director of International Strategy Abigail Stapleton

Think about it: Unless an MHA student benefits from an enthusiastic introduction from a highly-respected mutual acquaintance like a university dean or a tenured professor, the probability that the student could gain any exposure in person or on video before a busy chief executive at a prestigious employer like the Cleveland Clinic would be nearly impossible. The opportunity such an on-stage spotlight provides is one of the main incentives encouraging MHA students to enter these competitions.

Are There Other Benefits Besides Exposure?

Since 2008, one of the top authorities on the applications of business case studies—and especially case competitions—has been the unique online resource Management Consulted . MC provides one of the most accurate and comprehensive websites about best practices in both the management consulting industry and graduate management education, and several BSchools feature articles rely on this astute team’s analyses and insights.

MC strongly encourages joining or creating a team and taking part in a case competition during graduate school. Here are two of their most compelling arguments:

There are a myriad of reasons for you to give a business case competition a shot. For one, working with a team will challenge your teamwork and leadership skills, including your ability to build consensus with peers over whom you have no direct hierarchical power. When you have people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives coming together to work towards a goal, you will undoubtedly have conflict, and conflict demands growth. Collaborative teamwork is a necessary component of any consulting career, and your team’s ability to execute under time pressure can put your skills in this area on display. Another benefit of competing is to gain near-real world experience. The simulated experience of a case competition is more realistic than classroom discussions and develops your thinking and communication skills in a different way. In a case competition, you’re solving real issues that your “clients” have faced or are facing. You’re digging deep into thorny business issues, often sifting through and analyzing tons of data, all to crystallize and communicate data-driven solutions. And the practice of pitching your recommendations to a seasoned panel of judges (i.e., learning how to sell and persuade) is invaluable.

How Do Teams Deliver Their Presentations?

Usually, three to six students will present a 15-minute PowerPoint slide presentation to the judges that explains the team’s analysis and recommendations, with each student discussing a key aspect for about three minutes. Then, before voting, the judges will have their own 15-minute opportunity to ask the students questions about their insights and analyses.

How does this work in practice? For example, 52 teams from universities across the nation flew to Los Angeles for the 2023 UCLA Center for Healthcare Management’s Case Competition . The top four teams’ final presentations—including the presentation by the University of Michigan team that won the $12,000 first-place award—appear in these YouTube videos .

Competition Tips: How to Win

Although there’s no one strategy that guarantees finishing first in any case competition, Management Consulted argues that there are indeed several steps that entrants can take that will boost their probabilities of success. Although a thorough discussion of these strategies lies beyond the scope of a single article like this one, here’s a brief summary of MC’s recommendations.

1. Divide Teamwork Into “ME/CE” Work Streams

The amount of data that a case team has to review and analyze under time pressure is massive. Accordingly, MC argues that efficiency requires the team to divide their work into “equal, non-overlapping areas.” In other words, each member’s work stream should be:

• Mutually exclusive (ME) , meaning it has no overlap with any teammate’s work, and
• Collectively exhaustive (CE) , meaning the team’s work covers all of the case objective’s main areas.

2. First Focus With a Hypothesis—Then Pivot

One of the first lessons that work experience teaches recent graduates is that inductive reasoning often won’t work in the real world, and this approach certainly won’t work under time pressure in a case competition. There’s not enough time for all teammates to review all the data first before envisioning their recommendations and drawing their conclusions.

What will work? First start with a hypothesis —an initial hunch about the key driver of the problem, and where the potential solution lies.

Next, here’s the approach MC recommends:

Defining this early hypothesis should be done in conjunction with establishing your work streams, ensuring that the team’s efforts will prove out and build a specific recommendation (or disprove the draft recommendation, allowing you to pivot!). A hypothesis-driven approach allows you to be efficient in your analysis—if your initial hypothesis is right, you just saved yourself a lot of time looking at data that would not be useful. If you’re wrong, you’re learning information to help you pivot to a new hypothesis. As you work through your case competition, report any findings that lead to a need to update or change the team’s hypothesis to the Team Leader.

3. Structure Presentations Using the Pyramid Principle

Effective presentations in the real world demand deductive reasoning, with the specific recommendation or conclusion first, followed by the arguments supporting the proof.

Called the Pyramid Principle , this is the structure Management Consulted recommends for PowerPoint presentation storytelling because executive attention spans are ridiculously short. “If you don’t make your point in the first 10 seconds, you’ve already lost your audience,” says Columbia Business School MBA, former Bain & Company management consultant, and MC’s owner and CEO Jenny Rae Le Roux in her article accompanying this YouTube video .

The first post-MBA female professional hired by the management consulting firm McKinsey & Company in the 1960s, Harvard Business School alumnae Barbara Minto invented the Pyramid Principle and wrote a book about it in 1985.

4. Leave Judges With a Strong and Compelling Final Recommendation

The judges should have no doubt following the presentation about a team’s proposed solution and evidence-based rationale. Judges also need the team’s recommendations ranked in the order in which the client should attack the next steps.

Case Competition Examples

Nationwide competitions.

These events are open to qualifying teams from universities across the United States.

American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) ACHE of South Florida Healthcare Leadership Development Case Competition

Business School Alliance for Health Management Global BAHM Case Competition

Baylor University Hankamer School of Business Robbins Case Competition in Healthcare Management

Cleveland Clinic Administrative Fellowship Program Case Competition

Cornell University Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy Sloan Master in Health Administration Healthcare Students Association Case Competition

Emory University Emory Global Health Institute Emory Morningside Global Health Case Competition

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Johns Hopkins Graduate Consulting Club Danaher Case Competition

Ohio State University College of Public Health Association of Future Healthcare Executives (AFHE) First-Year Health Administration Case Competition

Pennsylvania State University College of Health and Human Development Department of Health Policy and Administration Penn State Health Policy and Administration Case Competition

Texas A&M University Mays Business School Humana-Mays Healthcare Analytics Case Competition

Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Department of Health Policy and Management Tulane Health Policy Case Competition

University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Health Professions Health Administration Case Competition

University of California at Los Angeles UCLA Center for Healthcare Management Case Competition

University of Michigan School of Public Health Health Policy Case Competition

University of Pennsylvania Penn Biotech Group and PennHealthX Penn Healthcare Case Competition (PHCC)

Campus Competitions

These events are restricted to qualifying teams of students who currently attend the sponsoring universities. The winners represent their universities in one or more national competitions, such as those listed above.

University of Minnesota School of Public Health Minnesota Prepared Case-Study Competition

UMN Carlson School of Management Interdisciplinary Health Data Competition

Yale University Yale School of Medicine Yale Institute for Global Health Global Health Case Competition

Douglas Mark

While a partner in a San Francisco marketing and design firm, for over 20 years Douglas Mark wrote online and print content for the world’s biggest brands , including United Airlines, Union Bank, Ziff Davis, Sebastiani and AT&T.

Since his first magazine article appeared in MacUser in 1995, he’s also written on finance and graduate business education in addition to mobile online devices, apps, and technology. He graduated in the top 1 percent of his class with a business administration degree from the University of Illinois and studied computer science at Stanford University.

Related Programs

• 1 Online Executive MHA Programs (5 Years of Professional Experience Required)
• 2 Online MHA Programs (2-4 Years of Professional Experience Required)
• 3 Online MHA Programs That Do Not Require Professional Experience

Related FAQs

• 1 Are There Part-Time MHA Programs?
• 2 Are there 100 Percent Online MHA Programs?
• 3 Are there Online MHA Programs that Waive or Do Not Require the GRE?
• 4 CAHME: Which Online MHA Programs Are CAHME-Accredited?
• 5 Tuition: How Much Do Online MHA Programs Cost?

Related Posts

Online mha programs ranked by affordability (2023-2024).

To help students find affordable master of healthcare administration (MHA) degrees, we’ve outlined the top 20 most affordable online programs based on 2023-2024 tuition.

An MHA’s Guide to Earning Your Master of Health Administration Degree

The master of healthcare administration (MHA) degree provides professionals with the credentials and educational background for roles in healthcare leadership, across all types of health-related organizations. In a matter of two to three years of both formal education and hands-on field experience, graduating with an MHA degree will provide invaluable skills in management, data analytics, and operating performance—all of which are required to succeed in today’s healthcare environment.

Eta Sigma Gamma

National Case Study Competition in Health Education®

What is the National Case Study Competition in Health Education®?

Every year, NCSCHE® brings together student teams from leading universities to compete in solving a real-life challenge. Three weeks prior to the competition, students and their advisor will be emailed a community-based public health education case. Students work independently to develop a resolution to the issue and a presentation for a panel of judges. Teams will have free reign to address the issue as they see fit, but generally they will have to show competence in the NCHEC Core Competencies for a Health Education Specialist. Students present to a panel of judges, given approximately 15 minutes to present, and then 10 minutes for questions from the panel.

    2024 National Case Study Competition coming this Spring!

• Utility Menu

harvardchan_logo.png

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Case-Based Teaching & Learning Initiative

Teaching cases & active learning resources for public health education, case library.

The Harvard Chan Case Library is a collection of teaching cases with a public health focus, written by Harvard Chan faculty, case writers, and students, or in collaboration with other institutions and initiatives.

Use the filters at right to search the case library by subject, geography, health condition, and representation of diversity and identity to find cases to fit your teaching needs. Or browse the case collections below for our newest cases, cases available for free download, or cases with a focus on diversity. 

Using our case library

Access to cases.

Many of our cases are available for sale through Harvard Business Publishing in the  Harvard T.H. Chan case collection . Others are free to download through this website .

Cases in this collection may be used free of charge by Harvard Chan course instructors in their teaching. Contact  Allison Bodznick , Harvard Chan Case Library administrator, for access.

Access to teaching notes

Teaching notes are available as supporting material to many of the cases in the Harvard Chan Case Library. Teaching notes provide an overview of the case and suggested discussion questions, as well as a roadmap for using the case in the classroom.

Access to teaching notes is limited to course instructors only.

• Teaching notes for cases available through  Harvard Business Publishing may be downloaded after registering for an Educator account .
• To request teaching notes for cases that are available for free through this website, look for the "Teaching note  available for faculty/instructors " link accompanying the abstract for the case you are interested in; you'll be asked to complete a brief survey verifying your affiliation as an instructor.

Using the Harvard Business Publishing site

Faculty and instructors with university affiliations can register for Educator access on the Harvard Business Publishing website,  where many of our cases are available . An Educator account provides access to teaching notes, full-text review copies of cases, articles, simulations, course planning tools, and discounted pricing for your students.

What's New

Atkinson, M.K. , 2023. Organizational Resilience and Change at UMass Memorial , Harvard Business Publishing: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Available from Harvard Business Publishing Abstract The UMass Memorial Health Care (UMMHC or UMass) case is an examination of the impact of crisis or high uncertainty events on organizations. As a global pandemic unfolds, the case examines the ways in which UMMHC manages crisis and poses questions around organizational change and opportunity for growth after such major events. The case begins with a background of UMMHC, including problems the organization was up against before the pandemic, then transitions to the impact of crisis on UMMHC operations and its subsequent response, and concludes with challenges that the organization must grapple with in the months and years ahead. A crisis event can occur at any time for any organization. Organizational leaders must learn to manage stakeholders both inside and outside the organization throughout the duration of crisis and beyond. Additionally, organizational decision-makers must learn how to deal with existing weaknesses and problems the organization had before crisis took center stage, balancing those challenges with the need to respond to an emergency all the while not neglecting major existing problem points. This case is well-suited for courses on strategy determination and implementation, organizational behavior, and leadership.

The case describes the challenges facing Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhD, the newly appointed Chair of UMass Memorial Health Care’s Department of Ophthalmology. Dr. Schaal had come to UMass in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the summer of 2016 from the University of Louisville (KY) where she had a thriving clinical practice and active research lab, and was Director of the Retina Service. Before applying for the Chair position at UMass she had some initial concerns about the position but became fascinated by the opportunities it offered to grow a service that had historically been among the smallest and weakest programs in the UMass system and had experienced a rapid turnover in Chairs over the past few years. She also was excited to become one of a very small number of female Chairs of ophthalmology programs in the country. 

Dr. Schaal began her new position with ambitious plans and her usual high level of energy, but immediately ran into resistance from the faculty and staff of the department.  The case explores the steps she took, including implementing a LEAN approach in the department, and the leadership approaches she used to overcome that resistance and build support for the changes needed to grow and improve ophthalmology services at the medical center. 

This case describes efforts to promote racial equity in healthcare financing from the perspective of one public health organization, Community Care Cooperative (C3). C3 is a Medicaid Accountable Care Organization–i.e., an organization set up to manage payment from Medicaid, a public health insurance option for low-income people. The case describes C3’s approach to addressing racial equity from two vantage points: first, its programmatic efforts to channel financing into community health centers that serve large proportions of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and second, its efforts to address racial equity within its own internal operations (e.g., through altering hiring and promotion processes). The case can be used to help students understand structural issues pertaining to race in healthcare delivery and financing, to introduce students to the basics of payment systems in healthcare, and/or to highlight how organizations can work internally to address racial equity.

Kerrissey, M.J. & Kuznetsova, M. , 2022. Killing the Pager at ZSFG , Harvard Business Publishing: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health case collection. Available from Harvard Business Publishing Abstract This case is about organizational change and technology. It follows the efforts of one physician as they try to move their department past using the pager, a device that persisted in American medicine despite having long been outdated by superior communication technology. The case reveals the complex organizational factors that have made this persistence possible, such as differing interdepartmental priorities, the perceived benefits of simple technology, and the potential drawbacks of applying typical continuous improvement approaches to technology change. Ultimately the physician in the case is not able to rid their department of the pager, despite pursuing a thorough continuous improvement effort and piloting a viable alternative; the case ends with the physician having an opportunity to try again and asks students to assess whether doing so is wise. The case can be used in class to help students apply the general concepts of organizational change to the particular context of technology, discuss the forces of stasis and change in medicine, and to familiarize students with the uses and limits of continuous improvement methods. 

Yatsko, P. & Koh, H. , 2021. Dr. Joan Reede and the Embedding of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Harvard Medical School , Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health case collection. Available from Harvard Business Publishing Abstract For more than 30 years, Dr. Joan Reede worked to increase the diversity of voices and viewpoints heard at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and at its affiliate teaching hospitals and institutes. Reede, HMS’s inaugural dean for Diversity and Community Partnership, as well as a professor and physician, conceived and launched more than 20 programs to improve the recruitment, retention, and promotion of individuals from racial and ethnic groups historically underrepresented in medicine (UiMs). These efforts have substantially diversified physician faculty at HMS and built pipelines for UiM talent into academic medicine and biosciences. Reede helped embed the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) not only into Harvard Medical School’s mission and community values, but also into the DEI agenda in academic medicine nationally. To do so, she found allies and formed enduring coalitions based on shared ownership. She bootstrapped and hustled for resources when few readily existed. And she persuaded skeptics by building programs using data-driven approaches. She also overcame discriminatory behaviors and other obstacles synonymous with being Black and female in American society. Strong core values and sense of purpose were keys to her resilience, as well as to her leadership in the ongoing effort to give historically marginalized groups greater voice in medicine and science.

Cases Available for Free Download

In the aftermath of the atrocities endured by the Cambodian people, Friends-International (FI) was established in 1994 to address some of the many protection needs faced by the country’s marginalized children and youth. In the intervening quarter century, FI has grown substantially, both in the scope and complexity of its operations. The organization’s core mission consists of providing comprehensive, innovative, and high quality services to children, youth, and their families, based on a child rights-based approach that informs all of the organization’s programs. FI has established a strong and highly respected presence in Cambodia, building social services for children, operating effective social businesses , and initiating the global ChildSafe Movement. Over time , they have expanded their community-based model to multiple countries. But amidst their expansion, FI has continued to face financial insecurity and a constantly shifting landscape of challenging child protection concerns. At what point might they have been trying to do too much, possibly unduly stretching themselves across too many sectors and borders? Innovation had been a core strength of FI, but was it always appropriate to innovate? The case addresses these common problems.

Kane, N.M. & Alidina, S. , 2008. Attacking Heart Disease in Suffolk County , Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health case collection. Download free of charge Abstract “Suffolk County is experiencing elevated cardiovascular disease mortality relative to New York State,” explained Dr. Humayun Chaudhry, Commissioner for the Department of Health Services of Suffolk County. Given the general affluence of the area, he finds the CVD mortality rates "a paradoxical situation. We need to determine strategies to address this high priority health issue for our county."  Teaching note available for faculty/instructors .

Gordon, R., Rottingen, J.-A. & Hoffman, S. , 2014. The Meningitis Vaccine Project , Harvard University: Global Health Education and Learning Incubator. Access online Abstract This case follows the vaccine development for Meningitis A, a disease that routinely caused deadly epidemics in Sub-Saharan Africa. The case explores why such a vaccine had not been developed previously and how the creation of the Meningitis Vaccine Project (MVP) - a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and PATH, a non-governmental organization - enabled the vaccine to be successfully developed over 10 years by creating a novel product development partnership. Students examine why the public/private partnership was successful and how such a model could be applied to the development of other vaccines and health technologies. Additionally, the case explores the strategies applied by Marc LaForce, the MVP’s director and veteran public health advocate, to make the MVP a success. In particular, the case examines the management skills LaForce exercised during his tenure to develop a vaccine that affected African countries could afford through their own health budgets.

"The foundation of Integrated Health Services is the relentless pursuit of value. Our fundamental purpose is to help IBM win in the marketplace through the health and productivity of our workforce." ---Martín Sepúlveda 

Martín Sepúlveda, Vice President of Integrated Health Services at IBM, had played a central role in establishing IHS as a vital and ongoing contributor to the corporation's success. IBM's IHS organization, as it had come to be known in 2008, was a global team of approximately 250 occupational medicine, industrial hygiene, safety, health benefits and wellness professionals responsible for ensuring the health and well-being of IBM's over 400,000 employees worldwide. This case, set in 2011, highlights the many challenges and his team faced in developing strategies and approaches to creating a culture of health within IBM, and maintain its commitment to the well-being of every employee. 

In August of 2020, after a day treating patients, John McAdams, MD, gets ready to meet with a young couple from the community. He is excited to share the latest progress on his institution’s Cancer Treatment and Control Center, which is set to open in 3 years. The $230+ million project is something that Dr. McAdams has been building in his mind for years. Its brick and mortar location will strive to be a truly different cancer center that emphasizes population health alongside acute treatment. Cutting edge technologies and innovative public health initiatives working in tandem will close the gap between rural and urban cancer patient outcomes.

After decades of diligence, vision, and advocacy from John, Midwest Regional Health (MRH) has purchased the physical location of what will be a state-of-the-art cancer treatment and control center—a rarity for rural America. The site is on the main campus and will be connected to the inpatient and pediatric hospitals by tunnels to have the cancer center be better integrated into the continuum of cancer care than an outpatient center at a separate location. According to John, “The architects have worked very hard to make the center what we wanted…very welcoming and reassuring but intertwining all the workings of the various departments.”

However, with just three years before the grand opening, questions remain about how to structure the management of the cancer center relative to the medical center and the oncology service line, how to expand the research base in oncology, and how to drum up excitement and support in the community.

Focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Al Kasir, A., Coles, E. & Siegrist, R. , 2019. Anchoring Health beyond Clinical Care: UMass Memorial Health Care’s Anchor Mission Project , Harvard Business Publishing: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health case collection. Available from Harvard Business Publishing Abstract As the Chief Administrative Officer of UMass Memorial Health Care (UMMHC) and president of UMass Memorial (UMM) Community Hospitals, Douglas Brown had just received unanimous and enthusiastic approval to pursue his "Anchor Mission" project at UMMHC in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was extremely excited by the board's support, but also quite apprehensive about how to make the Anchor Mission a reality. Doug had spearheaded the Anchor Mission from its earliest exploratory efforts. The goal of the health system's Anchor Mission-an idea developed by the Democracy Collaborative, an economic think tank-was to address the social determinants of health in its community beyond the traditional approach of providing excellent clinical care. He had argued that UMMHC had an obligation as the largest employer and economic force in Central Massachusetts to consider the broader development of the community and to address non-clinical factors, like homelessness and social inequality that made people unhealthy. To achieve this goal, UMMHC's Anchor Mission would undertake three types of interventions: local hiring, local sourcing/purchasing, and place-based community investment projects. While the board's enthusiasm was palpable and inspiring, Doug knew that sustaining it would require concrete accomplishments and a positive return on any investments the health system made in the project. The approval was just the first step. Innovation and new ways of thinking would be necessary. The bureaucracy behind a multi-billion-dollar healthcare organization would need to change. Even the doctors and nurses would need to change! He knew that the project had enormous potential but would become even more daunting from here.

Weinberger, E. , 2017. Coloring the Narrative: How to Use Storytelling to Create Social Change in Skin Tone Ideals , Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED). Download free of charge Abstract Many millions of people around the world experience the pervasive, and often painful, societal messages of colorism, where lighter skin tones are asserted to be more attractive and to reflect greater affluence, power, education, and social status. Even in places where the destructive effects of colorism are fairly well understood, far less is known about the problem of skin-lightening (really, it’s “skin bleaching”) creams and lotions, and the health risks that consumers assume with these products. In this teaching case, the protagonists are two women who have recently immigrated to the United States from Nigeria and Thailand, both with a life-time of experience with these products like many of the women of their home countries. As the story unfolds, they struggle along with the rest of the characters to copy with the push and pull of community norms vs. commercial influences and the challenge of promoting community health in the face of many societal and corporate obstacles. How can the deeply ingrained messages of colorism be effectively confronted and transformed to advance social change without alienating the community members we may most want to reach? Teaching note and supplemental slides available for faculty/instructors .

Johnson, P. & Gordon, R. , 2013. Hauwa Ibrahim: What Route to Change? , Harvard University: Global Health Education and Learning Incubator. Access online Abstract This case explores Nigerian attorney Hauwa Ibrahim’s defense of a woman charged with adultery by Islamic Shariah law. One of Nigeria’s first female lawyers, Ibrahim develops a strategy to defend a young married woman, Amina Lawal, against adultery charges that could potentially, if the court judged against her, result in her death. While many Western non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups viewed Lawal’s case as an instance of human rights abuse and called for an abolition of the Shariah-imposed punishment, Ibrahim instead chose to see an opportunity for change within a system that many – especially cultural outsiders – viewed as oppressive. Ibrahim challenged the dominant paradigm by working within it to create change that would eventually reverberate beyond one woman’s case. Willing to start with a framework that saw long-term opportunity and possibility, Ibrahim developed a very measured change approach and theory framed in seven specific principles. Additionally, Ibrahim’s example of challenging her own internal paradigms while also insisting that others do the same invites students to examine their own internal systems and paradigms.

On February 1, 2020, Jessie Gaeta, the chief medical officer for Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP), received news that a student in Boston had tested positive for the novel coronavirus virus that causes COVID-19 disease. Since mid-January, Gaeta had been following reports of the mysterious virus that had been sickening people in China. Gaeta was concerned. Having worked for BHCHP for 18 years, she understood how vulnerable people experiencing homelessness were to infectious diseases. She knew that the nonprofit program, as the primary medical provider for Boston’s homeless population, would have to lead the city’s response for that marginalized community. She also knew that BHCHP, as the homeless community’s key medical advocate, not only needed to alert local government, shelters, hospitals, and other partners in the city’s homeless support network, but do so in a way that spurred action in time to prevent illness and death. 

The case study details how BHCHP’s nine-person incident command team quickly reorganized the program and built a detailed response, including drastically reducing traditional primary care services, ramping up telehealth, and redeploying and managing staff. It describes how the team worked with partners and quickly designed, staffed, and made operational three small alternative sites for homeless patients, despite numerous challenges. The case then ends with an unwelcome discovery: BHCHP’s first universal testing event at a large city shelter revealed that one-third of nearly 400 people there had contracted COVID-19, that most of the infected individuals did not report symptoms, and that other large city shelters were likely experiencing similar outbreaks. To understand how BHCHP and its partners subsequently popped up within a few days a 500-bed field hospital, which BHCHP managed and staffed for the next two months, see Boston Health Care for the Homeless (B): Disaster Medicine and the COVID-19 Pandemic.  

Filter cases

Author affiliation.

• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (98) Apply Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health filter
• Harvard Business School (22) Apply Harvard Business School filter
• Global Health Education and Learning Incubator at Harvard University (12) Apply Global Health Education and Learning Incubator at Harvard University filter
• Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED) (11) Apply Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders (STRIPED) filter
• Social Medicine Consortium (8) Apply Social Medicine Consortium filter
• Harvard Kennedy School of Government (1) Apply Harvard Kennedy School of Government filter
• Harvard Malaria Initiative (1) Apply Harvard Malaria Initiative filter
• Women, Gender, and Health interdisciplinary concentration (1) Apply Women, Gender, and Health interdisciplinary concentration filter

Geographic focus

• United States (63) Apply United States filter
• Massachusetts (14) Apply Massachusetts filter
• International/multiple countries (11) Apply International/multiple countries filter
• California (6) Apply California filter
• Mexico (4) Apply Mexico filter
• India (3) Apply India filter
• Israel (3) Apply Israel filter
• New York (3) Apply New York filter
• Bangladesh (2) Apply Bangladesh filter
• Colorado (2) Apply Colorado filter
• Guatemala (2) Apply Guatemala filter
• Haiti (2) Apply Haiti filter
• Japan (2) Apply Japan filter
• Kenya (2) Apply Kenya filter
• South Africa (2) Apply South Africa filter
• Uganda (2) Apply Uganda filter
• United Kingdom (2) Apply United Kingdom filter
• Washington state (2) Apply Washington state filter
• Australia (1) Apply Australia filter
• Cambodia (1) Apply Cambodia filter
• China (1) Apply China filter
• Connecticut (1) Apply Connecticut filter
• Egypt (1) Apply Egypt filter
• El Salvador (1) Apply El Salvador filter
• Honduras (1) Apply Honduras filter
• Liberia (1) Apply Liberia filter
• Louisiana (1) Apply Louisiana filter
• Maine (1) Apply Maine filter
• Michigan (1) Apply Michigan filter
• Minnesota (1) Apply Minnesota filter
• New Jersey (1) Apply New Jersey filter
• Nigeria (1) Apply Nigeria filter
• Pakistan (1) Apply Pakistan filter
• Philippines (1) Apply Philippines filter
• Rhode Island (1) Apply Rhode Island filter
• Turkey (1) Apply Turkey filter
• Washington DC (1) Apply Washington DC filter
• Zambia (1) Apply Zambia filter

Case availability & pricing

• Available for purchase from Harvard Business Publishing (73) Apply Available for purchase from Harvard Business Publishing filter
• Download free of charge (50) Apply Download free of charge filter
• Request from author (4) Apply Request from author filter

Case discipline/subject

• Healthcare management (55) Apply Healthcare management filter
• Social & behavioral sciences (41) Apply Social & behavioral sciences filter
• Health policy (35) Apply Health policy filter
• Global health (28) Apply Global health filter
• Multidisciplinary (16) Apply Multidisciplinary filter
• Child & adolescent health (15) Apply Child & adolescent health filter
• Marketing (15) Apply Marketing filter
• Environmental health (12) Apply Environmental health filter
• Human rights & health (11) Apply Human rights & health filter
• Social innovation & entrepreneurship (11) Apply Social innovation & entrepreneurship filter
• Women, gender, & health (11) Apply Women, gender, & health filter
• Finance & accounting (10) Apply Finance & accounting filter
• Population health (8) Apply Population health filter
• Social medicine (7) Apply Social medicine filter
• Epidemiology (6) Apply Epidemiology filter
• Nutrition (6) Apply Nutrition filter
• Technology (6) Apply Technology filter
• Ethics (5) Apply Ethics filter
• Life sciences (5) Apply Life sciences filter
• Quality improvement (4) Apply Quality improvement filter
• Quantative methods (3) Apply Quantative methods filter
• Maternal & child health (1) Apply Maternal & child health filter

Health condition

• Cancer (3) Apply Cancer filter
• COVID-19 (3) Apply COVID-19 filter
• Obesity (3) Apply Obesity filter
• Breast cancer (2) Apply Breast cancer filter
• Disordered eating (2) Apply Disordered eating filter
• Ebola (2) Apply Ebola filter
• Influenza (2) Apply Influenza filter
• Injury (2) Apply Injury filter
• Malaria (2) Apply Malaria filter
• Alcohol & drug use (1) Apply Alcohol & drug use filter
• Asthma (1) Apply Asthma filter
• Breast implants (1) Apply Breast implants filter
• Cardiovascular disease (1) Apply Cardiovascular disease filter
• Cervical cancer (1) Apply Cervical cancer filter
• Cholera (1) Apply Cholera filter
• Food poisoning (1) Apply Food poisoning filter
• HPV (1) Apply HPV filter
• Malnutrition (1) Apply Malnutrition filter
• Meningitis (1) Apply Meningitis filter
• Opioids (1) Apply Opioids filter
• Psychological trauma (1) Apply Psychological trauma filter
• Road traffic injury (1) Apply Road traffic injury filter
• Sharps injury (1) Apply Sharps injury filter
• Skin bleaching (1) Apply Skin bleaching filter

Diversity and Identity

• Female protagonist (13) Apply Female protagonist filter
• Health of diverse communities (11) Apply Health of diverse communities filter
• Protagonist of color (5) Apply Protagonist of color filter

Supplemental teaching material

• Teaching note available (70) Apply Teaching note available filter
• Multi-part case (18) Apply Multi-part case filter
• Additional teaching materials available (12) Apply Additional teaching materials available filter
• Simulation (2) Apply Simulation filter
• Teaching pack (2) Apply Teaching pack filter
• Teaching example (1) Apply Teaching example filter

Browse our case library

Kane, N.M. , 2017. Strategic Planning in Lesedi District, South Africa , Harvard Business Publishing: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health case collection. Available from Harvard Business Publishing Abstract Mr. Joseph Nkosi, the Manager of the Lesedi District Health Department, South Africa, was hopeful that he could bring increased resources and better health to the area. Lesedi District, one of about 50 districts in 9 provinces in South Africa, was a largely rural area saddled with high levels of poverty, poor infrastructure, and high mortality rates; medical needs were high but almost half of the positions in the health department were unfilled, and turnover among staff was high. In South Africa, there was a push to improve primary care and to decentralize management to local levels in order to respond to local needs more effectively, but the processes for planning, reporting and budgeting were extremely complex and did not seem to support that goal. Mr. Nkosi wondered what additional skills he needed in order to work the system, and was also thinking about how the system itself could be improved.

Teaching note available for faculty/instructors .

Siegrist, R. , 2013. Children's Hospital in Transition , Harvard Business Publishing: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health case collection. Available from Harvard Business Publishing Abstract John Leader, president of Simsbury Children’s Hospital, was reviewing the recommendations put together by his senior management team to resolve the growing problems his hospital was facing. The recommendations, totaling some $10 million, could put the hospital back on a sound financial footing. But John was unsure which of the recommendations made sense and should be implemented. He was particularly interested in understanding the financial, operational and political impact of each one. He was due to meet with the senior management team that afternoon to develop an action plan.

Weed, L., Lipsitch, M. & Kane, N.M. , 2010. Protecting the Population from the 2009 Pandemic H1N1 Virus , Harvard Business Publishing: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health case collection. Download free of charge Abstract Dale Morse, MD, MS, could feel the tension rising in the room. He was chair of a special meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) called for July, 2009, that would make recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) on whether to prioritize vaccine distribution to protect the population against a possible H1N1 influenza pandemic in the fall.  Dr. Morse was particularly concerned that if ACIP did not set priorities now, he and other state and local public health officials could be faced with a vaccine shortage amid high demand—a situation he described as a potential public health disaster.

Madden, S.L. , 2015. The Merger of UCSF Medical Center and Stanford Health Services , Harvard Business Publishing: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health case collection. Available from Harvard Business Publishing Abstract On November 15, 1996, Stanford’s Board of Trustees and the University of California (UC) Board of Regents voted to merge their two academic medical centers; on November 1, 1997, the merger became official. However, less than two years later, in October 1999, the merger came to an abrupt end. Was the merger an ill-conceived “snakebit venture” or a reasonable response to the environmental and economic pressures of the time that fell apart in its execution? Would the same ills have befallen Stanford and UCSF regardless of the merger? 

Quelch, J.A. , 2014. Dumb Ways to Die: Advertising Train Safety (Parts A, B & C) , Harvard Business Publishing. Available from Harvard Business Publishing Abstract The case series focuses on Melbourne Trains' viral advertising campaign to improve safe behaviors around trains among young people. This iconic, low budget campaign swept the Cannes Lions advertising awards in 2013 and became a social media sensation.

This case describes and explores the development of the first medical transitions clinic in Louisiana by a group of community members, health professionals, and students at Tulane Medical School in 2015.  The context surrounding health in metro New Orleans, the social and structural determinants of health, and mass incarceration and correctional health care are described in detail. The case elucidates why and how the Formerly Incarcerated Transitions (FIT) clinic was established, including the operationalization of the clinic and the challenges to providing healthcare to this population. The case describes the central role of medical students as case managers at the FIT clinic, and how community organizations were engaged in care provision and the development of the model.  The case concludes with a discussion of the importance of advocacy amongst health care professionals.

Health & Medicine

• Current students

News & events

• Our history & achievements
• Reconciliation Action Plan
• Student opportunities
• Research & innovation
• ANU Joint Colleges of Science Partnerships with Indigenous Organisations & Communities Fund
• Indigenous Professional Staff Traineeship Program
• College structure & governance
• Award winners
• Grants & fellowships
• Diversity, inclusion & gender equity
• Academic career support
• MChD Admission Guidelines
• Pathway programs to MChD
• Pathway to secondary teaching with UC
• Vertical Double Degree Pathways
• Doctor of Medicine and Surgery
• Graduate certificates
• Joint & Dual Award PhD programs
• Health Executive Education
• How to apply
• ANU Scholarships
• Commonwealth Supported Places
• Future Research Talent Awards (Indonesia)
• Future Research Talent Travel Awards (India)
• The Biosocial Shaping of Conservation and Biodiversity in Australia's Capital
• Dean's International Science Excellence Scholarship
• International students
• Internships & careers
• Course guides
• Student experience
• Student stories
• COVID-19 research
• Research schools
• Partnerships
• Research stories
• Academic profiles
• Research projects
• 2024 National Poster Competition
• STEM Boxes 2023
• Health & Medicine Case Study Competition 2023
• STEM Challenges
• Indigenous engagement
• Past events
• Drop-in session
• Student blog
• Future students - General enquiries
• Current student enquiries
• Student appointments
• Forms, policies & guidelines
• Structuring your degree
• Coursework research
• Scienceshop
• Feedback & grievances
• Mentoring & volunteering
• Search ANU web, staff & maps
• Search current site content

Read about the ANU College of Health & Medicine.

• Reconciliation
• Science Teaching & Learning Centre

What causes food poisoning and how can we avoid it? »

Study health & medicine at ANU, one of the world's most prestigious universities.

• Bachelor degrees
• Double degrees
• Master degrees
• PhD & MPhil
• Scholarships

Discover our health and medical research capabilities.

Academic profile, Research story:

In a field of daffodils, this cancer researcher is standing out »

Participate in workshops, seminars, and challenges to see what Health & Medicine at ANU has to offer!

• Schools outreach
• Community outreach

Community outreach:

International Case Study Competition 2024 »

Find out what’s happening in the ANU College of Health & Medicine.

Find contact details for all general enquiries and outreach programs.

• Future students enquiries
• Get involved (alumni)

International Case Study Competition 2024

The ANU International Case Study Competition 2024, a collaborative effort between the College of Health & Medicine and the College of Science, invites students worldwide to showcase their problem-solving skills in tackling critical global challenges. 

This year's competition focuses on the critical issues of energy transitions and climate change, and the global issue of mental health.

Running from September to December 2024, this competition offers an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful contribution. Join the waitlist for updates on the official launch!

Topic 1: Energy transitions and climate change

Topic 2: the global challenge of mental health, why should i apply:.

By participating in the ANU International Case Competition, you will get the opportunity to:

• Solve critical issues in global health and science
• Apply and integrate knowledge gained from your classes
• Deepen your research, analytical and problem-solving skills in a practical setting
• Boost your confidence and communication skills

Key Dates for 2024:

• 18 September - Registrations open
• 9 October - Registrations close
• 11 October - Case study released via email
• 4 November - Case study submissions due
• 15 November - Top 5 Finalists notified - request video explanation of submission
• 25 November - Finalists video submissions due
• 2 December - Winners announced

How it works

The Case Competition gives students the chance to engage with Australian National University Researchers and academics. Students pitch their solutions to multi-disciplinary judges. The teams can register for both case studies or one of their choices.

After the preliminary round, selected teams move on to the final round, for a chance to win the 2024 international winner title. 

• Students form teams with groups of 2-4 people. All members of a team need to be students of the same university/college.
• Choose a topic - there are 2 available. Each team can register for one or both topics.
• All teams must register for the competition and provide supporting documentation.
• To ensure all teams have the same amount of preparation time, teams will all receive an email containing a link to download the case study, marking rubric and the upload link.
• Teams will then have three weeks to complete their response to the case study and submit it via the upload link. 
• The Australian National University values the richness that gender diversity brings. As such, we encourage teams whose candidature represents this diversity.
• The data submitted may be used for research purposes; it will be anonymised to ensure that no personal information is identifiable.

Who can apply? 

• All international students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree program in a non-Australian university course are eligible to apply. Teams of 2-4 members are required. 
• We highly encourage students to form interdisciplinary teams to present a most well-rounded and holistic solution to the issue.
• Participants must be enrolled in at least three subjects in the current semester to be eligible to compete.

How to apply 

Applications for the 2024 Case Competition will open in September 2024. Complete the  Expression of Interest  form to be kept up to date about competition timelines and to be notified when registrations open.

Responses will be reviewed and assessed by Australian National University academics, and the top five submissions for each topic will be invited to record a 5-minute video presentation of their submission to the case study.

The top three submissions for each topic (based on their written and video submissions) will be awarded prizes by the Australian National University.

The Australian National University values the richness that gender diversity brings. As such, we encourage teams whose candidature represents this diversity. 

• 1st prize: $2,000 AUD equivalent gift card
• 2nd prize: $1,000 AUD equivalent gift card
• 3rd prize: $500 AUD equivalent gift card

Prizes will be awarded for each topic. All participants will receive a certificate of participation from The Australian National University. Participants selected to submit a video presentation will receive a finalist certificate of achievement. Winners of 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize will receive a gift card and a certificate.

Winners will be notified by email and SMS.

I am not studying a science, health & medicine (or related) program and have no science background. Am I still eligible to apply?  Yes, of course! While a health & medicine and science background is certainly relevant, we encourage students to form interdisciplinary teams to present the most well-rounded and holistic solution possible. 

I am studying at an Australian university outside of Australia. Am I still eligible to apply?  No, the competition is for international students studying a program at a non- Australian University.  

2023 Case Study Competition Winners:

Science Case Study                                                             Health & Medicine Case Study 

Terms and Conditions:

The Australian National University College of Science (ABN: 52 234 063 906)

Information on how to enter the  International Case Study Competition 2024  is included in the Terms and Conditions below.

All international students currently enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree program at a non-Australian university are eligible to apply.

• All participating members of a team need to have an aggregate percentage of 70% or more in their current undergraduate or postgraduate degree.
• Entry to the competition is via the ANU College of Science or ANU College of Health and Medicine website:  science.anu.edu.au  or  health.anu.edu.au.
• There is no entry fee for the competition.
• The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine Staff and their immediate family are excluded from participation
• The competition registration opens on 18 September 2024 and closes on 9 October 2024. More information will be provided on the registration page. Registrations are not allowed outside of this period.
• First Prize is a Gift card to the value of AUD $2000; Second Prize is a Gift card to the value of AUD $1000; and Third Prize is a Gift card to the value of AUD $500;
• All prizes are in Australian Dollars, provided by gift card in local currency converted amount.
• The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine reserves the right to modify or remove any prizes if required, or not to award a prize.
• Gift cards are valid for 24 months from the date of the prize draw.
• The Prize must be taken as stated and no compensation will be payable if the Prize Winner is unable to use the prize as stated. The prize is not transferable to another person or exchangeable for other goods and services and cannot be redeemed as cash.
• The entrant will be solely responsible for any costs or taxes incurred as part of the competition, or claiming of the prize, including but not limited to any taxes.
• As a condition of accepting the ANU International Case Study Competition 2024 Prize, the Prize Winners consent to a photograph with ANU staff and consent to the use of the image and video for relevant marketing activities.
• Prize winners will be notified in writing (email/SMS) within fourteen (14) days of the academic panel completing their review of each case study. Results of the Case Study Competition will be published on the ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine website.
• Entries must not exceed the 5000 word limit (excluding references, headings and title text) and the ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine reserves the right to use its discretion should entries exceed this limit.
• Only one entry is allowed per group. Each group must contain two (2) to four (4) students from the same university.
• By entering the competition, you declare that the submitted work is entirely your own. The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine will immediately disqualify any work suspected of being plagiarised, generated by AI or suspected to be subject to academic misconduct.
• Entries must be written in English and submitted in a pdf format.
• By entering the competition, entrants declare that material does not infringe on any copyright or licenses. It remains the entrants’ responsibility to ensure this is the case. The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine are not liable for any losses as a result of entering this competition.
• The views expressed in the essays do not reflect on the views of the ANU College of Science or ANU College of Health and Medicine, and remain solely the views of the entrant.
• By entering the competition, you declare that all information provided is correct and not misleading, and you meet the eligibility requirements. If the ANU College of Science or ANU College of Health and Medicine suspects that any false information has been provided, or if an entrant is ineligible, the work will be disqualified.
• The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine reserves the right to withdraw applications at any stage for any reason determined appropriate..
• The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine reserves the right to extend or modify the closing date.
• Submissions will be marked by a panel of judges chosen by the ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine. As part of the competition the submissions and entrant details will be provided to each member of the judging panel.
• The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine reserves the right to determine the final outcome of the competition, and to name and order winners and prizes, in discussion with sponsors and judges.
• By entering the competition, the entrant gives permission to the ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine and sponsors to use the winners name, likeness and work for promotional purposes, and other purposes deemed appropriate.
• Participants agree that the ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine and sponsoring entities are not liable for any damages or losses arising from the competition.
• All submitted work is subject to the ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine Privacy Policy.
• Incomprehensible and incomplete entries will be deemed invalid.
• The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine reserves the right to verify the validity of entries and to disqualify any entry which, in the opinion of the ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine, includes objectionable content, profanity, and potentially insulting, inflammatory or defamatory statements.
• The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine reserves the right to disqualify any entrant/team that tampers with the entry process, submits an entry that is not in accordance with the terms and conditions of entry or that has, in the opinion of the ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine, engaged in conduct which is fraudulent, misleading, deceptive or generally damaging to the goodwill or reputation of the promotion and/or ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine.
• The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine reserves the right to disqualify a winner if the ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine becomes aware that the winner and/or the winner’s entry is of a type described in the terms and conditions.
• The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine accepts no responsibility for any late, lost or misdirected entries including delays in the completion of tasks due to technical disruptions, network congestion or for any other reason.
• The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine’s decision is final and the ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine will not enter into correspondence regarding the competition result or winning entries.
• In the case of the intervention of any outside act, agent or event which prevents or significantly hinders the ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine’s ability to proceed with the competition on the dates and in the manner described in these terms and conditions, including but not limited to vandalism, power failures, tempests, natural disasters, acts of God, civil unrest, strike, war, act of terrorism, the ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine may in its absolute discretion cancel the competition and recommence it from the start on the same conditions, subject to any directions given under State Regulation.
• The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual they believe has breached any of these conditions, or engaged in any unlawful or other improper misconduct calculated to jeopardise the fair and proper conduct of the promotion.
• The ANU College of Science and ANU College of Health and Medicine collects personal information about you to enable you to participate in this promotion.
• Dates are subject to change.

Updated:   18 June 2024 / Responsible Officer:   Science Web / Page Contact:   Science Web

Case Study Competition

Compete to win points, earn a prize, and improve health outcomes!

Test your knowledge, learn something new, gain practical insights, engage in a friendly competition with your peers, and win BIG. Case studies highlight both successes and challenges providing valuable lessons from real-world experiences.

How Does It Work?

You’ll receive daily questions via email during the competition. Most participants answer in under five minutes. Earn points based on the speed and accuracy of your responses

Who Should Join?

Professionals seeking to enhance their understanding of diabetes or obesity using real-world examples to apply the recommended guidelines for treatment and care based on the Standards of Care in Diabetes . 

Sign Up Today

Share your information below to get registered for upcoming competitions.

Topic Overviews

Our case study competitions cater to professionals seeking to enhance their understanding of diabetes using real-world examples to apply the recommended guidelines for diabetes treatment and care. Access terms and conditions .

Cardiovascular and Diabetes Science (Know Diabetes by Heart™)​

• Assessing and treating diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) 

Diabetes Technology, Nutrition, & Medication Management for Type 2

• Continuous and blood glucose monitoring
• Cutting-edge diabetes technologies
• Using technologies to influence nutritional decisions
• Effective weight management plans

Behavioral Health/Psychosocial

• Challenges of living with diabetes 
• Treatment of mental health disorders 
• Diverse cultures in managing diabetes
• Incorporate supportive terminology

Primary Care

• Diagnosing and preventing diabetes
• Medication management
• Care and transition management
• Diabetes self-management

Type 1 Diabetes

• Diabetes technology
• Screening and prevention
• Management care plans
• Emerging therapies

Obesity Care and Weight Wellness (not eligible for prize)

• Patient-centered obesity care planning
• Stigma-free communications
• Monitoring obesity and related measurements
• Behavioral and lifestyle counseling
• Obesity pharmacotherapy

Diabetes 101

• Diabetes basics
• Gestational diabetes (GDM)
• Type 2 diabetes in youth
• Impact of diabetes on mental health

• [email protected]
• (650) 338-8226

Cupertino, CA

• Our Philosophy
• Our Results
• News, Media, and Press
• Common Application
• College Application Essay Editing
• Extracurricular Planning
• Academic Guidance
• Summer Programs
• Interview Preparation

Middle School

• Pre-High School Consultation
• Boarding School Admissions

College Admissions

• Academic and Extracurricular Profile Evaluation
• Senior Editor College Application Program
• Summer Program Applications
• Private Consulting Program
• Transfer Admissions
• UC Transfer Admissions
• Ivy League Transfer Admissions

Graduate Admissions

• Graduate School Admissions
• MBA Admissions

Private Tutoring

• SAT/ACT Tutoring
• AP Exam Tutoring
• Olympiad Training

Research Programs

• Science Research Program
• Humanities Competitions
• Passion Project Program
• Ad Hoc Consulting
• Athletic Recruitment
• National Universities Rankings
• Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings
• Public Schools Rankings

Acceptance Rates

• University Acceptance Rates
• Transfer Acceptance Rates
• Supplemental Essays
• College Admissions Data
• Chances Calculator
• GPA Calculator

National Universities

• College Acceptance Rates
• College Overall Acceptance Rates
• College Regular Acceptance Rates
• College Early Acceptance Rates
• Ivy League Acceptance Rates
• Ivy League Overall Acceptance Rates
• Ivy League Regular Acceptance Rates
• Ivy League Early Acceptance Rates

Public Schools

• Public Schools Acceptance Rates
• Public Schools Overall Acceptance Rates
• Public Schools Regular Acceptance Rates
• Public Schools Early Acceptance Rates

Liberal Arts

• Liberal Arts Colleges Acceptance Rates
• Liberal Arts Colleges Overall Acceptance Rates
• Liberal Arts Colleges Regular Acceptance Rates
• Liberal Arts Colleges Early Acceptance Rates

15 Medical Competitions for High School Students

By Eric Eng

Participating in medical competitions for high school students can be a transformative experience. These competitions provide a platform for students to showcase their knowledge and skills and offer numerous benefits that can shape their future careers in the medical field. This article will explore the importance of medical competitions, different types of competitions, how to prepare for them, and their impact on college admissions.

1. International Brain Bee

• Location:  Chicago, Illinois
• Registration Fee:  $200
• Important Dates:  unspecified
• Eligibility:  13 and 19 years old at the time of the competition

The International Brain Bee is a neuroscience competition for high school students around the world. The aim of the Brain Bee is to motivate students to learn more about the brain and to inspire them to pursue careers in neuroscience. The competition consists of a written test and an oral quiz, where students are asked questions related to various topics in neuroscience, including brain anatomy, neural pathways, neurological disorders, and neuroscience research. The winners of each Local Brain Bee competition advance to their national competition, and the winners of each National Brain Bee competition compete in the International Brain Bee World Championship. The International Brain Bee has grown to include participants from over 50 countries and has become a major event in the neuroscience community.

The eligibility requirements for the International Brain Bee vary by country, but the competition is typically open to high school students between the ages of 13 and 19. Students may need to meet certain eligibility requirements, such as attending a participating school or having a certain level of academic achievement in science or mathematics. The registration fee for the International Brain Bee is not specified in the search results, but it is recommended to check the official International Brain Bee website for the most accurate and up-to-date information. The important dates for the International Brain Bee vary by country and region, but the competition typically takes place in the spring or summer. Students can participate in the International Brain Bee by registering for their local Brain Bee competition and advancing through the various levels of competition.

2. USA Biology Olympiad (USABO)

• Location:   United States
• Registration Fee:  $95
• Important Dates: March 13, 2024
• Eligibility:  High school students in grades 9 to 12

The USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) is a biology competition for high school students in the United States. The competition consists of a series of exams that test students’ knowledge of biology, including topics such as biochemistry, genetics, and ecology. The competition is open to all high school students in the United States, and students can participate by registering through their schools. The registration fee for the USABO is $95 for a one-year school registration, and the competition typically takes place in the spring or summer. The exact dates for the competition vary from year to year, but they can be found on the USABO website.

To participate in the USABO, students must first register through their school. The first round of the competition, the USABO Open, is administered online by individual schools and teachers. Students who score in the top 10 percent on the USABO Open exam qualify to progress to the USABO Online Semifinal Exam. The top 20 students from the Semifinal Exam are invited to attend the USABO National Finals, where they compete for a chance to represent the United States at the International Biology Olympiad. The USABO is a great opportunity for high school students to deepen their knowledge of biology and to compete against other talented students from around the country.

3. National Science Bowl

• Location:  Washington, D.C.
• Registration Fee:  unspecified
• Important Dates: October 2, 2023
• Eligibility:  High school students must be enrolled for the current school year in grades 9, 10, 11, or 12 at the team’s school, and be born between April 30, 2004, and April 25, 2014, inclusive

The National Science Bowl is a prestigious academic competition that challenges teams of high school and middle school students to showcase their knowledge in various areas of science and mathematics. The competition, organized and sponsored by the United States Department of Energy, features a fast-paced, quiz-show format with buzzers, where teams compete to answer questions on a wide range of science topics, including biology, chemistry, physics, Earth and space science, energy, and mathematics. The competition is designed to encourage teamwork, research, and studying ability, and to promote excellence in STEM education. The National Science Bowl begins with regional and state competitions, with winning teams advancing to the national finals held in Washington, D.C. The competition is internationally recognized as one of the most prestigious science competitions for students, and winning teams are awarded a variety of prizes, including trophies, scholarships, and other honors. The National Science Bowl has become a competitive and prestigious event, and it continues to promote a love for science to students across the country.

The National Science Bowl is a high school and middle school science knowledge competition, using a quiz bowl format, held in the United States. A buzzer system similar to those seen on popular television game shows is used to signal an answer. The competition has been organized and sponsored by the United States Department of Energy since its inception in 1991. Questions are asked in the categories of biology, chemistry, Earth and space science, energy, and physics. The competition is designed to encourage teamwork, research, and studying ability, and to promote excellence in STEM education. The National Science Bowl begins with regional and state competitions, with winning teams advancing to the national finals held in Washington, D.C. The competition is internationally recognized as one of the most prestigious science competitions for students, and winning teams are awarded a variety of prizes, including trophies, scholarships, and other honors. The National Science Bowl has become a competitive and prestigious event, and it continues to promote a love for science to students across the country.

4. Regeneron Science Talent Search

• Important Dates: June 1 to November 8, 2023
• Eligibility:  must be over 13 years of age and have legal parental or guardian consent to submit the application

The Regeneron Science Talent Search is a prestigious science and math competition for high school seniors in the United States. The competition is organized and sponsored by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals and the Society for Science, and it is designed to recognize and empower the most promising young scientists who are developing ideas that could solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. The competition begins with an application process, where students submit their original research in critically important scientific fields of study. The top 300 scholars are selected from an applicant pool of thousands of students, and they are awarded $2,000 each. From that pool of scholars, 40 finalists are selected to compete in a rigorous judging process for an additional $1.8 million in awards, with a top prize of $250,000. The finalists are selected based on the originality and creativity of their scientific research, as well as their achievement and leadership both inside and outside of the classroom. The Regeneron Science Talent Search is a great opportunity for high school students to showcase their scientific knowledge and to compete against other talented students from around the country.

The Regeneron Science Talent Search is a highly competitive and prestigious event that has been recognized as the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science competition for high school seniors. The competition has a long history of recognizing and empowering young scientists who have gone on to make extraordinary contributions to science and have earned many of the world’s most distinguished science and math honors, including thirteen Nobel Prizes. The competition is designed to encourage students to conduct independent research and to develop their scientific leadership potential. The Regeneron Science Talent Search provides an important forum for original research that is recognized and reviewed by a national jury of professional scientists. The competition invites 40 student finalists to Washington, D.C. to participate in final judging, display their work to the public, and meet with notable scientists and government leaders. The Regeneron Science Talent Search is a great opportunity for high school students to deepen their knowledge of science and math, showcase their scientific knowledge, and compete against other talented students from around the country.

5. International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)

• Location:  United States
• Eligibility: Students in grades 9 through 12, under 20 years old by May 1 before ISEF, are eligible.

The International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) is a prestigious science competition for high school students from around the world. The competition is organized and sponsored by the Society for Science and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, and it is designed to recognize and empower the most promising young scientists who are developing ideas that could solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. The competition begins with an application process, where students submit their original research in critically important scientific fields of study. The top 300 scholars are selected from an applicant pool of thousands of students, and they are awarded $2,000 each. From that pool of scholars, 40 finalists are selected to compete in a rigorous judging process for an additional $1.8 million in awards, with a top prize of $250,000. The finalists are selected based on the originality and creativity of their scientific research, as well as their achievement and leadership both inside and outside of the classroom. The ISEF is a great opportunity for high school students to showcase their scientific knowledge and to compete against other talented students from around the world.

At the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), students present their original research in critically important scientific fields of study. The competition is designed to recognize and empower the most promising young scientists who are developing ideas that could solve some of the world’s most pressing problems. The competition is open to high school students from around the world, and students can participate by submitting their original research in one of the 21 categories of competition. The competition is judged by a panel of professional scientists, who evaluate the originality and creativity of the student’s research, as well as their achievement and leadership both inside and outside of the classroom. The ISEF is a great opportunity for high school students to showcase their scientific knowledge and to compete against other talented students from around the world.

6. HOSA-Future Health Professionals

• Location:  unspecified
• Registration Fee:  $90
• Important Dates:  Registration deadline May 15
• Eligibility:  Individual and team participants must have competed in the same competitive event at the state (country) level for which they are entered at the international level

HOSA -Future Health Professionals is a national organization of secondary and post-secondary students that supports career development in health professions. The organization empowers students to become leaders in the global health community through education, collaboration, and experience. As of 2020, HOSA has grown to more than 50 chartered associations in several countries, including the United States and its territories, Canada, China, South Korea, and Mexico.

HOSA offers 82 competitive events, ranging from skill-based to leadership and team-based. Members compete at the regional, state, and international levels. Those who place in the top three positions at the state level are given the opportunity to compete at the international level.

The mission of HOSA is to empower HOSA-Future Health Professionals to become leaders in the global health community through collaboration, and experience. The organization is headquartered in Southlake, Texas. HOSA-Future Health Professionals is a great opportunity for high school and post-secondary students to showcase their skills, learn about various health professions, and compete against other talented students from around the world.

7. American Mathematics Competitions (AMC)

• Important Dates: February 22, 2024
• Eligibility:  AMC 8: Students must be in grade 8 or below and under 14.5 years of age on the contest day

The American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) is a series of mathematics competitions for high school students in the United States. The competition is organized by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and is designed to promote interest and excellence in mathematics. The AMC consists of several levels of competition, including the AMC 8, AMC 10, and AMC 12. The AMC 8 is for students in grades 8 and below, while the AMC 10 and AMC 12 are for students in grades 10 and below. The competition is open to all high school students in the United States, and students can participate by registering through their school. The registration fee for the AMC varies depending on the level of competition, and the competition typically takes place in November or February. The exact dates for the competition vary from year to year, but they can be found on the MAA website.

The AMC is a great opportunity for high school students to showcase their mathematical knowledge and to compete against other talented students from around the country. The competition is designed to challenge students and to promote excellence in mathematics. The top-performing students in the AMC 10 and AMC 12 are invited to participate in the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), which is the next level of competition. The top-performing students in the AIME are then invited to participate in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), which is the final level of competition. The AMC is recognized as one of the most prestigious mathematics competitions for high school students, and winning students are awarded a variety of prizes, including certificates, awards, and scholarships.

8. Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI)

• Registration Fee:  ranges from $300 to $550
• Important Dates: June 5th–9th
• Eligibility:  Participants in the FPSPI International Conference must have qualified through local and regional competitions

The Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) is an educational program that fosters critical and creative thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills in students. It was established in 1974 by Ellis Paul Torrance and is now a non-profit organization with a global reach. FPSPI offers various competitions and challenges that encourage students to think about the future, define challenges, and create solutions to address current and future problems. The program’s six-step problem-solving process is applied across several competitions:

• Global Issues Problem Solving (GIPS): Students work in teams to address complex global issues, focusing on a specific topic announced each year. They identify challenges, formulate an underlying problem, brainstorm solutions, develop criteria, evaluate and rank solutions, and develop an action plan.
• Community Problem Solving (CmPS): Students apply the problem-solving process to present-day problems in their local and global communities. They create and submit a Project Report, which is reviewed by expert problem solvers.
• Scenario Writing: Students write short stories set at least 20 years in the future, based on one of the GIPS competition topics.
• Scenario Performance: Students tell stories through oral presentations, referencing 15 cue cards.

FPSPI also offers Action-based Problem Solving (AbPS) for classroom use, adapting the problem-solving process for younger students. The program is open to students of all ages and grade levels and is typically offered as an extracurricular activity or elective course

9. eCYBERMISSION

• Location:  no specific physical location for the event
• Registration Fee:  free
• Important Dates:  February 28, 2024
• Eligibility:  Rising 6th through 9th grade students

eCYBERMISSION is a middle school-based science fair sponsored by the U.S. Army that offers opportunities for students to delve into challenges affecting local communities and have a direct impact. Unlike Future Problem Solving, students are free to choose a topic so long as it falls within one of several categories. After identifying a community problem, students do experiments, research, and develop a solution to the problem. They then present their findings to a panel of judges. The program is multidisciplinary and makes use of a wide range of skills, such as writing and public speaking.

eCYBERMISSION is a STEM competition that is primarily designed for middle school students. It is structured around a series of competitions that challenge students to apply their creativity and problem-solving skills to real-world issues and scenarios. The program emphasizes leadership development and equips students with the skills necessary to lead teams and organizations towards solutions for the problems they will face in the future. The program is open to students of all ages and grade levels and is typically offered as an extracurricular activity or elective course.

10. Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF)

• Location:   Los Angeles, CA
• Important Dates:  April 30, 2024
• Eligibility:   high school students

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. It is hosted each year in a different city and unites top young scientific minds from around the world, showcasing their talents on an international stage, where doctoral-level scientists review and judge their work. Students in grades 9-12 or equivalent must compete in an Intel ISEF affiliated science fair around the world and win the right to attend the Intel ISEF. The program offers scholarships, tuition grants, internships, scientific field trips, and grand prizes, including one $75,000 and two $50,000 college scholarships. The program is open to students of all ages and grade levels and is typically offered as an extracurricular activity or elective course.

The competition categories include engineering, mathematics, physics, science, and STEM. The program emphasizes leadership development and equips students with the skills necessary to lead teams and organizations toward solutions for the problems they will face in the future. The competition process involves students conducting their scientific research projects and submitting them to affiliate science fairs at the local, regional, or state levels to earn a spot as a finalist in the international competition. The finalists present their research to a panel of judges, and the top winners receive awards and prizes for their innovative research, including the Gordon E. Moore Award, the Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award, and the Craig R. Barrett Award for Innovation.

11. National Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Competitive Events

• Location:  Dallas, Texas
• Important Dates:   May 15, 2024
• Eligibility:  All HOSA members registered for the conference must be affiliated with HOSA and registered through local chapter, or chartered association. All conference delegates (members, advisors, alumni, family, and guests) must register through a Local Chapter or Chartered Association.

The National Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Competitive Events program is designed to motivate HOSA members and provide a system for recognizing the competencies developed by members through health science and biomedical science class instruction, related job training, and HOSA-related activities. The program is divided into six different categories: Health Science Events, Health Professions Events, Emergency Preparedness Events, Leadership Events, Teamwork Events, and Recognition Events. The program is designed to motivate HOSA members to improve their knowledge and skills. HOSA provides a national competitive events program as a means of recognizing those students who are willing to pursue excellence by preparing for competition and having the determination to attend a conference and participate in a competitive event. The top three competitors at the state conference will have the opportunity to compete at the national conference. The HOSA Competitive Events Program brings health science education to life through rigorous testing of knowledge, performance, skill, and leadership capabilities aimed at developing, encouraging, and recognizing the brightest future health professionals.

HOSA members are encouraged to take full advantage of the HOSA National Competitive Events Program, a constantly expanding and improving series of healthcare-related competitive events. Students who participate in competitive events enhance their academic, technical, and leadership skills. HOSA members should believe in the competitive events program, not because of the awards to be received in the competition, but because of the feeling of accomplishment and confidence gained in preparing for competition. HOSA provides the competitive events program as a means of recognizing those students who are willing to pursue excellence by preparing for competition and having the determination to attend a conference and demonstrate the competencies gained through the health science education program.

12. National Spanish Examinations (NSE) Medical Spanish Exam

• Important Dates:   unspecified
• Eligibility:  unspecified

The National Spanish Examinations (NSE) Medical Spanish Exam is designed to assess the Spanish language proficiency and knowledge of medical terminology for individuals in the healthcare field. Based on the available search results, we can summarize the following aspects of the NSE Medical Spanish Exam:

• Measuring proficiency and achievement : The exam evaluates the Spanish language skills of students who are studying Spanish as a second language, with a focus on medical contexts.
• Content : The NSE Medical Spanish Exam likely includes a variety of topics, such as medical terminology, grammar, and cultural aspects relevant to the healthcare field. The exam may consist of multiple sections, as indicated by the JSTOR article mentioning 80 multiple-choice questions.
• No prerequisites : The Online Spanish for Medical Professionals II course at Ed2Go, which is not directly related to the NSE Medical Spanish Exam, does not have any prerequisites, suggesting that the NSE Medical Spanish Exam may also be accessible to individuals without prior medical Spanish experience.
• Spanish language proficiency : Students must demonstrate Spanish language proficiency as part of the application process for the NSE, which indicates that the Medical Spanish Exam may require a certain level of Spanish language competency.
• Online practice : The National Spanish Examination website offers online practice for their exams, which suggests that the Medical Spanish Exam may also have practice materials available online.

These details are based on the search results provided and are intended to give a general understanding of the NSE Medical Spanish Exam. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, it is recommended to visit the official NSE website or contact their office directly.

13. Biology Challenge

• Registration Fee: £30
• Important Dates:    April 22, 2024.
• Eligibility:  students aged 13 to 15 years old

The Biology Challenge is a competition designed to test the knowledge and understanding of biology among students aged 13-15 years old. The competition consists of a 60-minute multiple-choice quiz, which covers a range of topics in biology, including genetics, ecology, and human biology. The questions are designed to challenge students and test their understanding of key concepts in biology. The competition aims to encourage students to develop a deeper understanding of biology and to inspire them to pursue further study in the subject.

The Biology Challenge is a great opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge and understanding of biology. It is also an excellent way for teachers to assess their student’s progress and identify areas where they may need additional support. The competition is designed to be accessible to all students, regardless of their background or level of experience in biology. It is a fun and engaging way for students to learn about the subject and develop their skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and scientific reasoning. Overall, the Biology Challenge is an excellent way for students to develop their interest in biology and to prepare for further study in the subject.

14. National Medical Biology Olympiad (NMBO)

• Registration Fee: unspecified
• Important Dates:   unspecified

The National Medical Biology Olympiad (NMBO) is an academic competition that tests students’ knowledge and skills in the field of biology. It typically covers a wide range of topics, including but not limited to genetics, biochemistry, physiology, and ecology. The competition may consist of theoretical exams, practical laboratory tests, and problem-solving activities, allowing participants to demonstrate their understanding of biological concepts and their ability to apply this knowledge to real-world scenarios. NMBO aims to promote interest in the life sciences and identify talented students with a passion for biology, providing them with a platform to showcase their abilities and potentially pursue further studies or careers in the field.

Participants in the NMBO may also engage in activities such as scientific research, presentations, and seminars to enhance their understanding of biological principles and their practical applications. These activities can help students develop critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills, which are essential for success in the field of biology. Additionally, the Olympiad may offer opportunities for networking and collaboration among students, educators, and professionals in the life sciences, fostering a supportive and stimulating environment for learning and personal growth.

15. American Chemical Society (ACS) Chemistry Olympiad

• Registration Fee: free
• Eligibility: Students must be enrolled in grades 9–12 during the current academic year

The American Chemical Society (ACS) Chemistry Olympiad is a multi-tiered competition designed to stimulate and promote achievement in high school chemistry. The program has four tiers: Local Chemistry Olympiad Exams, National Chemistry Olympiad Exams, Study Camp, and International Chemistry Olympiad Exams. The competition begins with the Local Chemistry Olympiad Exams, which are open to all high school students in the United States and are typically held in March. Top performers at the local level advance to the National Chemistry Olympiad Exam, which is administered to more than 1,000 students. The 20 top-scoring students from the National Exam spend two weeks at a Study Camp to undergo rigorous training. Based on their performance at the Study Camp, four students are chosen to represent the U.S. in the International Chemistry Olympiad, which is hosted in July by one of the participating countries. The program aims to stimulate young people to achieve excellence in chemistry, recognize outstanding chemistry students and teachers, and provide cross-cultural experiences for the participants.

Students interested in participating in the ACS Chemistry Olympiad can get started by registering for a Local Chemistry Olympiad competition, which is the first step in the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad and is typically held each March. The competition is open to all high school students in the U.S. Students must be enrolled in grades 9–12 during the current academic year and must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Students must be nominated by their school chemistry teacher or principal. Registration for the Local Chemistry Olympiad competition typically closes in January, and students will be notified by the USNCO Coordinators if their participation is confirmed. The competition provides an opportunity for students to challenge their chemistry knowledge and make connections that may last a lifetime with peers, ACS Local Sections, and even national or international chemistry communities.

Understanding the Importance of Medical Competitions

Medical competitions are more than just tests of knowledge. They offer students a unique opportunity to gain practical experience, develop critical thinking skills, and build confidence in their abilities. By participating in these competitions, students are exposed to real-world scenarios they may encounter in their future careers as healthcare professionals.

Benefits of Participating in Medical Competitions

There are several benefits to participating in medical competitions. Firstly, these competitions foster teamwork and collaboration among students. Working together towards a common goal allows students to learn from each other’s strengths and weaknesses, enhancing their overall performance.

Secondly, medical competitions encourage students to think innovatively and solve complex problems. They present challenging scenarios that require students to apply their scientific knowledge and critical thinking skills to develop creative solutions.

Lastly, participating in medical competitions can provide students with valuable networking opportunities. Students often have the chance to interact with professionals in the medical field who can offer guidance and mentorship.

How Medical Competitions Shape Future Careers

Engaging in medical competitions during high school can have a lasting impact on student’s future careers in the medical field. These competitions expose students to different specialties within healthcare and help them discover their interests and passions.

Additionally, the skills and experiences gained through participation can strengthen college applications and make students stand out in the competitive admissions process. Medical competitions demonstrate a student’s commitment, dedication, and ability to excel in a demanding field.

Furthermore, the knowledge gained from preparing for and participating in medical competitions can be a solid foundation for success in college and beyond.

Moreover, medical competitions provide a platform for students to showcase their abilities and achievements. Winning or even participating in these competitions can be a significant accomplishment that can boost a student’s self-esteem and confidence. It validates their hard work and dedication, motivating them to continue pursuing excellence in their medical studies.

Furthermore, medical competitions often involve practical components like hands-on simulations or case studies. These valuable experiences allow students to apply their theoretical knowledge in a realistic setting, preparing them for the challenges they may face in their future careers. It helps bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application, ensuring that students are well-prepared to handle the complexities of the medical field.

Medical competitions offer students numerous benefits, including teamwork and collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving skills, networking opportunities, and exploring different specialties. They also shape students’ future careers by providing valuable experiences, strengthening college applications, and building a solid foundation for success. So, it is crucial for aspiring healthcare professionals to actively participate in these competitions to enhance their skills and increase their chances of success in the medical field.

Exploring Different Types of Medical Competitions

Medical competitions come in various formats, each offering a unique learning experience. Let’s explore the three main types of medical competitions: quiz-based, research-based, and simulation-based.

Participating in these competitions allows students to showcase their knowledge and skills and provides valuable opportunities for growth and development in the medical field.

Quiz-based Medical Competitions

Quiz-based medical competitions assess students’ knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, physiology, and other essential concepts. These competitions may consist of multiple-choice questions, short answer questions, or even oral presentations.

Participating in quiz-based medical competitions allows students to test their understanding of medical concepts and develop problem-solving skills under time constraints. It challenges them to think critically and apply their knowledge in a competitive environment.

Research-based Medical Competitions

Research-based medical competitions focus on engaging students in scientific research related to medicine. Participants must investigate a specific medical topic, conduct experiments or surveys, and present their findings to a panel of judges.

These competitions promote critical thinking, data analysis, and effective communication skills. Students can delve deep into a particular medical field and contribute to ongoing research. It allows them to explore their curiosity and make meaningful contributions to the medical community.

Simulation-based Medical Competitions

Simulation-based medical competitions provide students with hands-on training in real-life medical scenarios. Participants may be presented with simulated patient cases and must diagnose and treat them using their knowledge and problem-solving abilities.

These competitions simulate healthcare professionals’ daily challenges and help students develop clinical skills , decision-making abilities, and teamwork. It allows them to experience the pressure and responsibility of being a healthcare provider, preparing them for the real-world challenges they will encounter in their medical careers.

Whether students participate in quiz-based, research-based, or simulation-based medical competitions, each type offers unique benefits. These competitions foster healthy competition and provide a platform for students to learn, grow, and make a positive impact in the medical field. If you’re a medical student looking to challenge yourself and expand your horizons, consider participating in one of these exciting competitions!

Preparing for Medical Competitions

Success in medical competitions requires careful preparation. Along with subject-specific knowledge, students need to develop essential skills and utilize appropriate resources.

When it comes to preparing for medical competitions, students must possess a few essential skills to ensure success. One of these skills is effective time management. Juggling academic responsibilities and competition preparation can be quite challenging, but with a well-planned study schedule, students can allocate time for practice sessions and ensure they have ample time for rest and relaxation. This balance is crucial for maintaining focus and avoiding burnout.

In addition to time management, strong research and critical thinking skills are necessary to excel in medical competitions. Tasks such as interpreting scientific literature, designing experiments, and analyzing data require a keen eye for detail and the ability to think critically. These skills help students in competitions and prepare them for the rigors of a medical career.

Lastly, communication skills play a vital role in medical competitions. Being able to present findings or articulate responses clearly and concisely is essential. Judges are looking for knowledge and the ability to communicate that knowledge effectively. This skill is especially important in the field of medicine, where effective communication with patients and colleagues is crucial.

Regarding resources for preparation, students have a wide range of options at their disposal. Online platforms offer practice quizzes, sample questions, and study materials for different competition formats. These resources provide students with opportunities to test their knowledge and familiarize themselves with the format and types of questions they may encounter in the competition.

In addition to online resources, books, scientific journals, and video tutorials can provide in-depth knowledge and insights into various medical topics. These resources allow students to delve deeper into specific areas of interest and comprehensively understand the subject matter.

Furthermore, seeking guidance from teachers, mentors, or professionals in the medical field can be immensely beneficial. These individuals can provide valuable insights and advice based on their own experiences. They can offer guidance on specific topics , recommend additional resources, and provide tips on excelling in medical competitions.

Tips for Success in Medical Competitions

Adopting effective strategies besides subject knowledge and preparation can significantly enhance students’ performance in medical competitions. In this article, we will explore two additional strategies that can help you excel in these competitions.

Time Management Strategies

Use your time wisely by breaking your preparation into manageable chunks. Prioritize difficult topics and allocate more time for practice in those areas. Regularly review and revise previously covered materials to reinforce understanding.

During the competition, carefully manage your time by allocating sufficient time for each question or task. Do not get stuck on difficult questions. Move on and come back to them if time allows. Time management is crucial in medical competitions, as it ensures that you have enough time to answer all the questions and showcase your knowledge effectively.

Study Techniques for Medical Competitions

For optimal retention of information, employ active learning techniques such as creating flashcards, participating in study groups, and teaching others. These methods can reinforce your understanding and help identify gaps in your knowledge.

Practice past competition questions to familiarize yourself with the format and identify areas that need further improvement. By practicing with real competition questions, you can better understand the types of questions that may be asked and develop effective strategies for answering them.

Additionally, consider seeking mentorship or guidance from experienced medical professionals participating in similar competitions. Their insights and advice can provide valuable guidance and help you navigate the complexities of medical competition.

Remember, success in medical competitions goes beyond mere subject knowledge. It requires effective time management, strategic studying, and seeking guidance from experienced individuals. Implementing these strategies can enhance your performance and increase your chances of success in medical competitions.

The Impact of Medical Competitions on College Admissions

Participation in medical competitions can significantly enhance a student’s college application and demonstrate their commitment to the field of medicine.

How Competitions Enhance College Applications

Colleges value students who go above and beyond their regular coursework. Participation in medical competitions showcases a proactive attitude toward learning and a strong work ethic.

Moreover, these competitions allow students to gain practical experience in the medical field. Whether it’s through solving complex medical case studies or presenting innovative research projects, students can demonstrate their ability to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.

This involvement also demonstrates a student’s ability to handle challenging and demanding situations, essential for success in college and beyond.

Medical Competitions and Scholarship Opportunities

Some medical competitions offer scholarships or other forms of financial assistance to winners. These scholarships can alleviate the financial burden of pursuing higher education and provide additional recognition for outstanding achievements.

Furthermore, participating in medical competitions for high school students can open doors to networking opportunities with professionals in the medical field. Students can establish valuable connections that may lead to internships, mentorships, or even research collaborations.

Students should carefully research the competitions they plan to participate in to explore potential scholarship opportunities. They should also consider the prestige and reputation of the competition, as winning a highly regarded competition can significantly boost their college application.

Participating in medical competitions can be a rewarding experience for high school students interested in pursuing a career in the medical field. These competitions offer numerous benefits, help shape future careers, and enhance college applications. Students can maximize their potential and thrive in these competitive events by understanding the different types of competitions, preparing effectively, and adopting strategies for success.

So, if you’re a high school student passionate about medicine, don’t miss out on the opportunity to participate in medical competitions. You will gain valuable experience and knowledge, increase your chances of getting into your dream college, and secure financial assistance for your education.

Want to assess your chances of admission? Take our FREE chances calculator today!

Why College Admissions Isn’t Perfect

US News Rankings

The Personal Statement: The Holy Grail of College Admissions

The Modern Day 4.0 and 1600 SAT Score Student Is No Longer Impressive

The Competitive Nature of College Admissions for Asian Americans

The College Application

Our Comprehensive Approach

Ivy League Schools

How Early Should You Prepare for College?

Featured in US News & World Report Best Colleges Publication

Congratulations to AdmissionSight Students and their Acceptances!

College Rejection

College Rankings

College Consultants Could Make A Difference

College Admissions Scandal and Higher Education

Fun Facts About UCLA: A Deep Dive into One of America’s Top Universities

20 Fun Debate Topics for High School Students

Discover the Best Film Schools in California this 2024

Everything You Need to Know About an AB Degree

How to Get a 1500+ on the SAT: Insights and Tips

Best High School Clubs for Ivy League Admissions

Discover the Best Marine Biology Colleges in California

How Many Letters of Recommendation for College Do I Need to Submit?

Best Colleges for Creative Writing: What You Need to Know About Majors for Writers

A Deeper Look into Life After College

Joining the National Business Honor Society (NBHS)

How Long After Interview to Send Thank You: Tips + Email Templates

Top Target Schools for Investment Banking

Honors Classes: Are They Worth Your Time?

How to Write a Graduation Speech: Tips and Examples

Duke Legacy Acceptance Rate

A List of UCLA Notable Alumni

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Articles

Fun Facts About UCLA: A...

20 Fun Debate Topics for...

Discover the Best Film Schools...

Everything You Need to Know...

How to Get a 1500+...

Best High School Clubs for...

Discover the Best Marine Biology...

How Many Letters of Recommendation...

Best Colleges for Creative Writing:...

A Deeper Look into Life...

Joining the National Business Honor...

How Long After Interview to...

Sign up now to receive insights on how to navigate the college admissions process..

Admissions Counseling

• Academic & Extracurricular Profile Evaluation

Copyright © AdmissionSight 2024

Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions

• Log In Username Enter your ACP Online username. Password Enter the password that accompanies your username. Remember me Forget your username or password ?
• Privacy Policy
• Career Connection
• Member Forums

© Copyright 2024 American College of Physicians, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 190 North Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA 19106-1572 800-ACP-1915 (800-227-1915) or 215-351-2600

If you are unable to login, please try clearing your cookies . We apologize for the inconvenience.

Preparing a Poster Presentation

Posters are a legitimate and popular presentation format for research and clinical vignettes. They efficiently communicate concepts and data to an audience using a combination of visuals and text. Most scientific meeting planners take advantage of the popularity and communication efficiency of poster presentations by scheduling more poster than oral presentations. Poster presentations allow the author to meet and speak informally with interested viewers, facilitating a greater exchange of ideas and networking opportunities than with oral presentations. Poster presentations often are the first opportunities for young investigators to present their work at important scientific meetings and preparatory for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Poster Production Timeline

In order to be successful, certain prerequisites must be met. First, you must have a desire to be scholastically effective and be willing to put the time into the design and production of the poster. Second, you need organizational skills. Like any other endeavor associated with deadlines, you must be able to deliver the product on time. Posters are associated with more deadlines than oral presentations, due to the necessary interaction with graphic artists, graphic production, and the needs of the meeting itself. Organizational skills are also needed to create a concise and logically structured graphic and text presentation of the research or vignette. In order to help you achieve these goals, this article addresses poster planning, production, and presentation. It may be helpful to create a poster production timeline .

• Determine if your poster will be judged at the scientific meeting. If so, ask for the judging criteria , which will be immensely helpful for you to plan and construct the poster.
• Know the rules . It is your responsibility to know the physical requirements for the poster including acceptable size and how it will be displayed. A 4' × 4' display area cannot accommodate a 6' × 6' poster and a 3' × 3' poster will look insignificant in an 8' × 8' display area. All scientific programs that sponsor a poster session will send you information on the display requirements at the time your poster is accepted for presentation. Review and follow the instructions precisely. However, be warned that not all scientific programs will automatically tell you how the poster will be displayed. Some programs provide a cork/tack-board system that allows you to display your poster by fastening it to a solid display board with stickpins. This gives you the option of displaying your poster as many individual parts (components of the poster, such as abstract, methods, graphics, conclusion, are fastened individually to the display board) or as one piece. Other programs "hang" their posters from a frame by large spring clips. This means that the poster must be created as a single unit and cannot be too heavy for the clips or too light such that it will curl upwards like a window shade. A few programs still use easels to display posters, mandating that the poster be constructed of or placed on a firm backing that can be supported in this way. The point is, find out how the poster will be displayed and engineer a poster that best meets the requirements.
• Determine exactly how the poster will be produced. Will you hire a graphic artist for partial or complete production? Does your institution provide graphic services to your department? Will you need to do this yourself? If payment is required, who will pay for the production? Regardless of who is doing the work and how it will be financed, only you can determine the individual tasks and set the deadlines. Make sure your deadlines include sufficient time to revise the poster if you find mistakes or otherwise need to make changes prior to the scientific meeting. Finally, if you are working with a graphic artist, make your timetable after consultation with him/her so it is realistic and he/she understands your time constraints.
• Compile a list of components that will appear on the poster. There are common elements to all posters, whether they are research presentations or clinical vignettes. At the top center, the poster should display the title, authors, and institutional affiliations. Any necessary acknowledgments can also be placed here. Many scientific programs will insist that the abstract be included on the poster and will specify its location (i.e., upper right corner).

Scientific posters should follow the IMRAD format (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) .

• The Introduction presents the background and the purpose of the research. The background information typically consists of a statement summarizing the current knowledge in an area, what knowledge is missing, and how this research project addresses the knowledge gap. A hypothesis can be included in the Introduction.
• The Methods section should specifically address the following areas: research design, research setting, number of patients enrolled in the study, and how they were selected. The Methods section should also include a description of the intervention (if appropriate), a description of the outcome variables and how they were measured, and the method of statistical analysis.
• The Results section includes the quantitative data. This section usually begins with a description of the subjects in the study and a description of those who were not included because they failed to meet the inclusion criteria or dropped out. Include the frequencies of the most important outcome variables. Consider comparisons of the outcome variables between various subgroups within the study (treated vs. untreated, young vs. old, male vs. female, and so forth). Numerical results should include standard deviations or 95% confidence limits and the level of statistical significance should be indicated.
• Finally, in the Discussion section, state concisely what can be concluded from the study and its implications. Make sure that the conclusions are supported by the data presented in the Results and do not present unsubstantiated personal opinion.

Clinical vignette posters generally have three components: Introduction, Case Description, and Discussion. A short Introduction typically describes the context of the case and explains its relevance and importance. When describing the case, follow the basic rules of medical communication by describing in sequence the history, physical examination, investigative studies, and patient's progress and outcome. The main purpose of the discussion is to review why decisions were made and to extract the lesson from the case. Be wary of boasting that your case is the "first" to describe a particular phenomenon, since even the most thorough searches often fail to reveal all instances of similar cases. Keep in mind that the best research and clinical vignette posters are those that make a small number of points (even just one) clearly and succinctly.

As you review your content, make decisions on what can be displayed pictorially. Posters that are mainly text discourage others from visiting and reviewing your work. Make your presentation as visual as possible; not only does it make your poster more appealing, but information can be transmitted more efficiently with a picture, figure, or graph. For example, information on patient demographics could be represented as a pie chart, frequencies of outcomes as bar graphs, and comparisons of means and statistical significance as tables. Clinical vignettes offer an excellent opportunity to display clinical photographs that illustrate important points of pattern recognition.

Finally, find out if you are required to be present during the poster session. Most scientific meetings schedule a period of time for the author to stand by the poster during the session. This enables you to answer questions about your work and, in some situations, is part of the judging process. Find out if and when this is scheduled.

A Few Tips on Poster Appearance:

Avoid clutter.

Limit your poster presentation to a few main ideas. It's better to present a few of your findings well than present all of your findings poorly. Arrange your poster components to read from left to right and top to bottom. Emphasize important points on the poster with lines, frames or boxes, and arrows.

Keep the lettering simple.

Use no more than three different font sizes; the largest for the poster title, second-largest for section titles, and smallest for text. For all lettering, use both upper- and lowercase letters. Words composed of all uppercase letters are difficult to read. The smallest font should be large enough so it is easily read from a distance of 3 to 5 feet (usually, 24-point font).

Keep the colors simple.

Too much color can be distracting, while too little color can be boring and lifeless. Use color mainly to highlight important elements.

You will need to decide how your poster will be constructed. Your budget and available graphic art resources will most likely influence this decision. At one end of the spectrum, you can inexpensively produce a poster with a graphics software package (such as PowerPoint) and a color printer. Your output will be limited to individual components that measure 8" × 11" to 11" × 17". These components will probably need to be mounted on a stiff backing, such as poster board or foam core, to effectively display them. At the other, more expensive end of the spectrum, you can work with the graphic arts department at your institution. They can use sophisticated software programs, such as Quark, to design and create a poster. The electronic version of the poster can be sent by e-mail to a printing or service bureau. Service bureaus produce a variety of visual products including posters, slides, signs, and limited print editions of books. They can print any size poster with all its component parts as a single unit usually within 24 to 48 hours. The cost of this service is difficult to estimate because it is dependent on a number of variables including poster size, use of color, resolution of the print (dpi, or dots per inch), whether it is laminated, or backed with foam core. A moderately priced poster may cost from $500 to $600. The staff in your graphic arts department can help you pick the options that are within your budget.

At the time of production, it is your responsibility to review the first draft, or copy, of the poster. This is your best chance to correct errors and make changes to improve the accuracy and visual attractiveness of the poster. Use the Poster Checklist  to aid your review. In addition, have a colleague help you proofread. It's a good idea to have someone unfamiliar with the research or case help you because he or she will quickly identify areas that are confusing or ambiguous. It's a good idea to have someone who is expert in spelling and grammar review the poster as well. As mentioned previously, schedule the proofreading early enough in the process so that you have time to make any corrections or changes prior to the meeting.

As you prepare to travel to the scientific meeting, consider the following tips:

• Arrange for a proper carrying case for your poster. A worthy investment can prevent damage to your poster and your reputation.
• Don't check your poster as luggage. Carry the poster with you at all times. Better your clothes get lost than your poster.
• Come with some basic equipment. Although these items are typically provided at scientific meetings, you may not have quick access to them. Bring with you:
• Push pins, tacks, or stapler
• Know where and when to set up your poster. The room or area reserved for posters is usually noted in the meeting program. Arrive early to set up your poster. This will allow you to adapt to any surprises in the physical layout or unannounced changes in the method of displaying the poster. Additionally, it's easier to put up your poster when there are fewer people competing for space and equipment. Most scientific programs assign a unique identifying number to your poster that corresponds to location of the poster in the display area. Find out what your number is and place your poster in the corresponding spot.
• Know when to "stand-by" your poster. The time will be listed in the meeting program. Arrive on time and stay until the end of scheduled time. Don't wander off; you may miss the judges, your next fellowship director, or your next partner or employer.
• Know when to take your poster down. Meeting rooms turn-over fast. Have a clear understanding when the poster session is over and when the poster must come down. Failure to take the poster down at the appointed time can result in the hotel or convention staff (not so gently) removing it.
• Be prepared to promote yourself. Consider bringing handouts and business cards for those who visit your poster. Use this opportunity to "network" with other professionals who share similar academic interests.

This final section provides examples of what makes a poster effective. As you study the examples, note that they share similar characteristics:

• Organized and easy to follow the flow of information
• Easy to read, using large font size and are not overly dense with text
• Attractive, due to judicious use of colors, use of graphics, and arrangement

Listed below are a number of important poster characteristics and examples illustrating those characteristics:

• Use of a poignant attention getter
• Use of graphics  to communicate data
• Well organized  poster with easy to follow flow of information
• Overly dense  presentation of content

Diagnosis is success for Perse pupil in medical case study competition

Riddhi Bhimpuria (Year 11) displayed diagnostic dexterity to win an international medical case study competition.

Despite being up against teams of up to three students, she claimed top prize with her individual work in the competition, arranged by MedSTEMPowered – an organisation that hosts online and in-person STEM camps and programmes for students worldwide. Riddhi said: “My mum found the competition on social media, and I’m quite interested in neurology, so I thought I’d give it a go. “It was quite good fun as I got to do a lot of research while doing the competition so I’m really glad I entered. “I actually found out I’d won on my birthday! I was quite excited because I put in a lot of work and gave it my all.” Participants were given the case of a man in his mid-fifties with a variety of symptoms and had to give a diagnosis of his illness, as well as provide an innovative solution for how it could be treated, within a 700-word abstract. The top six submissions were then invited to make video presentations, stating their cases and justifying the reasoning behind their conclusions, from which the judges made their decision. Riddhi said: “The organisers gave us some websites to look at, including a directory where it has every disease possible, and you can check for symptoms to see if they align. “I thought initially it was Parkinson’s disease, but then I investigated it a bit more and ended up diagnosing Lewy body dementia, which is less known about but has certain symptoms that are slightly different, and I went with stem cell therapy as a possible solution. “I enjoyed looking at the medical background of the disease and how the disease presents itself. It was also interesting researching innovative treatments and comparing them to current treatments.”

Published 14 February 2024

Designed by Svelte Design | Built by Highrise Digital

• Privacy Overview
• Strictly Necessary Cookies
• 3rd Party Cookies

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website. It helps our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

You can read our privacy overview here .

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.

This website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site, and the most popular pages.

Keeping this cookie enabled helps us to improve our website.

Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences!

Explore Webinars

2024 USLCA Case Study Competition

2022 exhibitors.

• Ardo Medical, Inc
• Baby Cafe USA
• Baby gooroo
• BirthWork Boutique
• Dr. Nice Products

Health e-Learning-IIHL

• Hygeia Breast Pumps
• International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners
• International Loving Touch Foundation, Inc
• Lactation Education Resources
• Melanated Mammary Atlas
• National Lactation Consultant Alliance

Nest Collaborative

• OHSU-PSU School of Public Health
• Postpartum Support International
• Rumble Tuff

Step 2 Education International Inc.

• The Kings Daughter’s Milk Bank
• Unimom-Zomee

Union Institute & University

USLCA’s ​2022 Virtual Conference

Uslca’s ​2022 conference.

A lactation conference built your way!

New Horizons in Clinical Lactation Virtual Conference

November 9th, 2022, 12:30 – 4:30 et, a lactation conference built your way.

For those of you that could not join us for our live conference, now is your chance to be a part of our virtual event! Earn 30 CERPs/Nursing CEs through on-demand sessions that offer cutting edge lactation education while networking with attendees, sponsors, exhibitors & poster presenters!

Registration

Virtual Conference attendees can login to access the conference portal below.

Thank You Sponsors!

Friends of USLCA

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings
• My Bibliography
• Collections
• Citation manager

Save citation to file

Email citation, add to collections.

• Create a new collection
• Add to an existing collection

Add to My Bibliography

Your saved search, create a file for external citation management software, your rss feed.

• Search in PubMed
• Search in NLM Catalog
• Add to Search

Case competitions to engage students in global health

Affiliation.

• 1 Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. [email protected]
• PMID: 21333350
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62186-1

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

• Teaching first-year medical students where to go first: connecting information needs to e-resources. Whipple EC, Richwine MP, Kaneshiro KN, Brahmi FA. Whipple EC, et al. Med Ref Serv Q. 2009 Summer;28(2):180-6. doi: 10.1080/02763860902816909. Med Ref Serv Q. 2009. PMID: 19384719
• Problem-based learning. Challenges, barriers and outcome issues. Azer SA. Azer SA. Saudi Med J. 2001 May;22(5):389-97. Saudi Med J. 2001. PMID: 11376378 Review.
• E-learning in medical education: Guide supplement 32.2--practical application. Murray C, Sandars J. Murray C, et al. Med Teach. 2009 Apr;31(4):364-5. doi: 10.1080/01421590802545961. Med Teach. 2009. PMID: 19404895
• Preparing Australian medical students for climate change. Green EI, Blashki G, Berry HL, Harley D, Horton G, Hall G. Green EI, et al. Aust Fam Physician. 2009 Sep;38(9):726-9. Aust Fam Physician. 2009. PMID: 19893803
• PBL in physiotherapy: a review of perceptions and attitudes of students. Thavare V. Thavare V. Pac Health Dialog. 2006 Sep;13(2):137-9. Pac Health Dialog. 2006. PMID: 18181403 Review.
• The importance of incorporating systems thinking and One Health in global health classrooms: findings from a One Health simulation activity. Acosta D, Stark H, Hack G. Acosta D, et al. Front Public Health. 2024 Feb 28;12:1299116. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1299116. eCollection 2024. Front Public Health. 2024. PMID: 38481838 Free PMC article.
• A case-based, problem-based learning approach to prepare master of public health candidates for the complexities of global health. Leon JS, Winskell K, McFarland DA, del Rio C. Leon JS, et al. Am J Public Health. 2015 Mar;105 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S92-6. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302416. Am J Public Health. 2015. PMID: 25706029 Free PMC article.
• Incorporating global health competencies into the public health curriculum. Winskell K, Evans D, Stephenson R, Del Rio C, Curran JW. Winskell K, et al. Public Health Rep. 2014 Mar-Apr;129(2):203-8. doi: 10.1177/003335491412900216. Public Health Rep. 2014. PMID: 24587558 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
• Global health education: a pilot in trans-disciplinary, digital instruction. Wipfli H, Press DJ, Kuhn V. Wipfli H, et al. Glob Health Action. 2013 May 2;6:1-7. doi: 10.3402/gha.v6i0.20747. Glob Health Action. 2013. PMID: 23643297 Free PMC article.
• Search in MeSH

LinkOut - more resources

Full text sources.

• Elsevier Science
• MedlinePlus Health Information
• Citation Manager

NCBI Literature Resources

MeSH PMC Bookshelf Disclaimer

The PubMed wordmark and PubMed logo are registered trademarks of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Unauthorized use of these marks is strictly prohibited.

• About Techcanvass
• Techcanvass Reviews

Data Analytics Fundamentals Course

Project Management Fundamentals Course

Agile Scrum Foundation Course

DevOps Training for Managers

• ALL COURSES
• Business Analysis Courses

BA Training with Domain

Domain training courses.

• Data Analytics Courses
• Self-Learning Courses
• Question Banks

Mini Courses

Core business analysis.

•  ECBA Certification Training
•  CCBA Certification Training
•  CBAP Certification Training
•  CBAP Recertification Course

Specialized BA Courses

•  Agile Analysis Certification Course
•  CPOA Certification Course
•  IIBA CBDA Certification Course

Self-Learning/On-Demand Courses

•  CBAP On-Demand Course
•  CCBA On-Demand Course
•  ECBA Self-Learning Course
•  PSM Self-Learning Course
•  CBDA Self-Learning Course
•  AAC Self-Learning Course
•  CPOA Self-Learning Course

Domain Training

Banking Domain Training

Insurance Domain Training

Payment Domain Training

Telecom Domain Training

Supply Chain Domain Training

• US Healthcare Domain Training

Live Online Training

Investment Banking Domain Training

Trade Finance Domain Training

Data Analytics Certification Training

IIBA CBDA Certification Course

Data Analytics Basics Course (Free)

Power BI Certification Training

Tableau Training

IIBA Question Bank

•  ECBA Question Bank
•  CCBA Question Bank
•  AAC Question Bank
•  CBAP Question Bank
•  CBDA Question Bank
•  CPOA Question Bank
•  MS Visio/ UML Certification
•  SQL Certfication for Business Analyst
•  UML Training/UML Modelling Course
•  Jira Training
•  MS Project Training
•  Confluence Training
•  Business Analyst Interview Preparation

• Question Bank

Back to Menu

ECBA Certification Training

CCBA Certification Training

CBAP Certification Training

CBAP Recertification Course

Agile Analysis Certification Course

CPOA Certification Course

BA Training with Banking Domain

BA Training with Healthcare Domain

BA Training with Investment Banking Domain

CBAP On-Demand Course

CCBA On-Demand Course

ECBA Self-Learning Course

PSM Self-Learning Course

CBDA Self-Learning Course

AAC Self-Learning Course

CPOA Self-Learning Course

US HealthCare Domsin Training

Live Onlive Training

Data analytics training.

ECBA Question Bank

CCBA Question Bank

AAC Question Bank

CBAP Question Bank

CBDA Question Bank

CPOA Question Bank

MS Visio / UML Certification Course

SQL Certification For Business Analyst

UML Training/UML Modelling Course

Jira Training

MS Project Training

Confluence Training

Business Analyst Interview Preparation

Free Courses

Event registration.

Please note that this is a team event and minimum number of participants is 2 and maximum 3. Once you register, we will get contact you for sharing more details and know your team details.

The registration has not started yet. It will begin on 15th August 2024.

Business Case Study Challenge

The Case Study Competition gives you the opportunity to showcase your critical thinking, Data skills and analytical skills to come up with effective solutions to solve real-world business problems.

Business Case Study contest

Exciting contest for anyone who likes challenges and gets excited in solving business problems.

• Win cash prizes worth INR 50,000
• Gain real-world experience of solving business problems
• Compete against teams at a national level
• Engage with experienced professionals during the contest
• Present to and get mentoring from mentors
• Get a certificate

Contest Timelines

15 August, 2024

Registration starts

24 August, 2024

Registration closes

25 August, 2024

Orientation Session

07 September, 2024

Presentation and Results

26 August, 2024

Hackathon Start Date

02 September, 2024

Last Date for submission

Rewards and Prizes

Certificate

First Runner Up

Second Runner Up

Participation Certificate

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Copyright © Techcanvass | All Rights Reserved

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List

Effects of competitive learning tools on medical students: A case study

Alfredo corell.

1 School of Medicine, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain

Luisa M. Regueras

2 Higher Technical School of Telecommunications Engineering (ETSIT), Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain

Elena Verdú

3 School of Engineering and Technology, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Logroño, Spain

María J. Verdú

Juan p. de castro, associated data.

All relevant data are accessible from DANS: https://doi.org/10.17026/dans-zq9-2sh7 .

Competitive learning techniques are being successfully used in courses of different disciplines. However, there is still a significant gap in analyzing their effects in medical students competing individually. The authors conducted this study to assess the effectiveness of the use of a competitive learning tool on the academic achievement and satisfaction of medical students.

The authors collected data from a Human Immunology course in medical students (n = 285) and conducted a nonrandomized (quasi-experimental) control group pretest-posttest design. They used the Mann-Whitney U-test to measure the strength of the association between two variables and to compare the two student groups.

The improvement and academic outcomes of the experimental group students were significantly higher than those of the control group students. The students using the competitive learning tool had better academic performance, and they were satisfied with this type of learning. The study, however, had some limitations. The authors did not make a random assignment to the control and experimental groups and the groups were not completely homogenous.

The use of competitive learning techniques motivates medical students, improves their academic outcomes and may foster the cooperation among students and provide a pleasant classroom environment. The authors are planning further studies with a more complete evaluation of cognitive learning styles or incorporating chronometry as well as team-competition.

Introduction

In the last years, medical education has adopted active learning models to a progressive adaptation to the requirements of the Bologna Process. The current scenario of extensive use of computers and the Internet has created opportunities to improve education by applying different e-learning techniques in courses [ 1 , 2 ]. Consequently, blended learning is replacing traditional face-to-face education and learning spaces (both virtual and physical) are being redesigned to support emerging strategies such as flipped classroom or gamification. In this context, motivating students to participate actively is just as important as improving their academic outcomes. Therefore, teachers need to understand the new available e-learning methods to apply them creatively and effectively [ 3 ].

There are a variety of learning strategies that can be introduced to engage students and to promote their critical thinking and deeper understanding. The effectiveness of methods such as cooperative learning, Problem-Based Learning (PBL) or Case-Based Learning (CBL) has been widely studied. CBL has been used in different medical schools as an alternative to traditional education with the aim of students to collaborate in small groups [ 4 , 5 ]. Moreover, there are many studies that analyze the effectiveness of PBL in medical education. Dochy et al. [ 6 ] conducted a meta-analysis with forty-three articles whose results showed that there is a positive effect on students’ skills but not on knowledge acquisition, which is agreed with the review of the literature done by Colliver [ 7 ]. This study revealed that there is not convincing evidence about the improvement of knowledge and clinical performance with the use of PBL. In any case, Albanese and Mitchell [ 8 ] have stated that “even if knowledge acquisition and clinical skills are not improved by PBL, enhancing the work environment for students and faculty is a worthwhile goal in and of itself”. This is consistent with the finding that PBL provides a more enjoyable and motivating educational process for both students and faculty than traditional classes [ 9 ].

Like cooperative learning, competitive learning is another effective method to increase students’ motivation and satisfaction as well as to improve their learning achievements [ 10 , 11 ]. Competitive learning has characteristics that lead to a greater engagement of students by arousing their competitive instincts [ 12 ]. Furthermore, according to the study done by Lempp [ 13 ], competitiveness is a characteristic of medical environment and schools. Competitive learning was usually associated with the traditional classroom and students’ competitive behavior, being object of a lot of criticism [ 14 ]. Nowadays, although the subject of much debate remains, competitive learning is becoming a powerful tool for blended and on-line learning environments, with digital or computer-based games as the best example. Even those researchers who had shown that competition had no effect on the students’ motivation, found relation between competition and student’s post-experimental perceived competence, interest and task value [ 15 ].

Competitive learning has been applied and analyzed in different disciplines [ 15 , 16 ] and educational levels [ 17 , 18 ]. There are also some studies about its use in medical schools. For example, Lei et al. [ 19 ] analyzed the effectiveness of introducing competition in a cooperative learning environment, based on CBL. The experiment was deployed in a clinical course about severe infection with 71 students. They observed that introducing team-competition improved the effectiveness of the teaching. The students with competition had better performance than the students only with CBL. On the other hand, Janssen et al. [ 20 ] assessed the perceived value by students of anatomy through surveys and semi-structured interviews with sixteen voluntary students. The students indicated that they particularly enjoyed the competitive aspect of the game. These studies had some limitations. Lei et al. [ 19 ] introduced an award in the competition mode to improve the teaching efficacy. Although they stated that the winners were more motivated by the sense of achievements than by the award, there was no evidence of that. The improvement in performance could not be a direct consequence of the competitive learning. Janssen et al. [ 20 ] carried out an experiment with very few students. Besides, they connected the engagement of students especially with the work in teams, more than with the competition itself, although a summative effect of both motivations could not be ruled out.

We can see other interesting findings in the study of Van Nulan et al. [ 21 ]. They assessed the effects of anonymous on-line competition on the academic performance of anatomical students. They found that the students who participated in an online tournament achieved higher performance than their noncompeting peers. They also demonstrated positive results about motivation and engagement. However, their research had some important limitations: participant attrition and selection bias. Although they recruited 67 voluntary students at the beginning of the experiment for participating in the game, more than half abandoned it. In fact, all the students who abandoned the game were assigned post-hoc to the control group. They did not neutralize this critical selection bias by assessing cognitive learning style preferences or learning anxiety, for example.

In summary, there is still a significant gap in analyzing the effects of on-line competitive learning in courses with a high number of students competing individually.

Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the use of a competitive learning methodology in an immunology course to assess both the effectiveness and the students’ satisfaction level with this type of learning, as well as the relationship between them. As we will describe later, the competitive tool applied in this experience integrates some interesting scoring and timing aspects, which are not present in the tools used in the previous studies reported above [ 19 – 21 ]. This combination is a better measurement of performance in those medical tasks in which the response time is so important [ 22 ].

The two hypotheses of the research were the following:

• H1 . The final grading scores of the students who use the competitive learning tool are higher than those of the students who do not use it.
• H2 . The students who use the competitive learning tool improve more their score than the students who do not use it.

Selection and description of participants

We implemented a quasi-experimental control group pretest-posttest design in a course of Human Immunology given at the Medical School of the University of Valladolid (Spain). This is a compulsory subject in the second year of the Degree in Medicine. The population consisted of 285 students, 71 men (24.91%) and 214 women (75.09%), with an average age of 19.94 years. All students were over 18 years of age and gave their verbal consent to participate in this study. Their anonymity was always preserved in the study by removing all personal identifiers from the data. As it is standard in socio-economic experiments, no ethic concerns were involved other than preserving the anonymity of participants. Moreover, we did not collect any sensitive data such as racial origin, religious beliefs or data concerning health (according to the Spanish Law for Personal Data Protection).

We wanted to analyze the students’ academic outcomes to study the effect of a competitive learning strategy on medical students. Therefore, we should establish experimental and control groups. However, the teacher decided not to divide their students randomly into two groups, because he felt it to be unfair for those students falling in the control group, and a completely randomized design was not possible. Therefore, the students chose if they would like to follow the itinerary A (control group) or the itinerary B (experimental group), where a competitive learning methodology would be used.

Finally, since we did not establish the groups randomly, we needed to verify that the two groups were similar and that they were not significantly different in other relevant aspects. Then, we did several previous studies based on the test of independence to check if factors such as the knowledge level or learning style had affected to the formation of the groups and thus, they could influence the results obtained.

Competitive learning tool and strategy

We conducted the study by using a competitive e-learning tool called QUESTOURnament. This tool is a Moodle module that allows teachers to organize contests. Each contest includes a set of intellectual challenges or questions that students must solve in a time-constrained way. Students obtain points both by answering the proposed challenges and by submitting new questions and assessing the answers submitted by their classmates. The answers are scored like is shown in Fig 1 . This variable scoring system depends on the initial score, the maximum score and the duration of the challenge set by the teacher. Initially, the score lineally increases until the first correct answer is received and evaluated; once a challenge is correctly answered, the score starts decreasing so that the student who answers first can get the maximum score [ 23 ].

The figure shows how the score varies. From the initial score, the variable score lineally increases until the first correct answer (≥50%) is received; then, the score starts decreasing until the minimum score (0 points), which should be reached at the ending time of the challenge.

QUESTOURnament differs from other competitive systems, such as the one used by Van Nulan et al. [ 21 ], in two main aspects:

• The students, besides answering questions, can propose new challenges to be solved by their peers and assess the received answers.
• Answers are scored according to the variable scoring system described above, instead other typical scoring systems, in which, for example, a binary correct/incorrect is combined with additional points to award the fastest answer [ 21 ].

The QUESTOURnament system permanently displays both an updated five-top ranking and the variable score of questions (see Fig 2 ), resulting in a dynamic environment that tries to promote students’ motivation and participation.

The QUESTOURnament system permanently displays both an updated five-top ranking and the list of questions with their details (times, current score and game state-open or closed). General information and detailed description of the contest is also displayed as well as links to the assessment forms for challenges and answers.

In this context, we organized the experience (itinerary B) according to the following aspects:

• Use of an organized e-learning course inserted in a Moodle-based virtual campus.
• The contests were individual and non-anonymous.
• proposing at least four challenges (two in each contest) and evaluating the answers given by their classmates, with teacher supervision.
• answering to at least eight challenges proposed by other students.
• The challenges were diverse: multiple-choice questions, simple questions, Internet search queries, elaborate questions (such as crossword puzzles, word searches, etc.)
• The challenges lasted for fifteen days.

The teacher evaluated all challenges proposed by students according to an assessment form known by students at the time of proposing their challenges. The assessment criteria grid was simple. The challenges were evaluated in terms of their relevance to the Human Immunology topic (weighting factor of 2/7), the unambiguous redaction (weighting factor of 1/7) and, finally, in terms of creativity (weighting factor of 4/7). The weighted grades pursued to reward the most time-consuming and creative challenges.

On the other hand, there was also an assessment form for the answers, with two elements: correct or incorrect answer (weighting factor of 1/3) and quality of answer (weighting factor of 2/3). Students could also enter the scores manually as percentages (out of 100 points).

This learning strategy was very time consuming for the teacher. On the one hand, there was an initial practice session where students learn how to propose and assess a challenge with the QUESTOURnament tool. On the other hand, the teacher had to supervise, approve, refine and evaluate all the challenges proposed by the students; this could take about 5–10 minutes each (depending on the complexity of the proposal). Afterwards, the assessments of answers were done by the students. The teacher did not reevaluate these assessments, unless a problem was reported by any disappointed student (which happened very few times in this experiment, approximately one in 100).

The students of itinerary A followed the traditional class. They were free to use the Virtual Campus (where slides and notes were available), while the students of itinerary B compulsorily had to use it combined with the competitive learning tool QUESTOURnament. The grade obtained by students of itinerary B in QUESTOURnament activities supposed a minimum effect in the students’ final score, since it only accounted for 5% of the final score.

Methodology and instruments

We used SPSS Statistics 20 for statistical analysis, employing the Mann-Whitney U-test for paired comparisons to measure the strength of the association between two variables.

We used two instruments in this study:

• the students’ final grades in the target course (post-test) and in three different and previous courses (pre-test), which measured the knowledge level (on a scale of 10). To verify the effectiveness of competitive learning, this quasi-experimental study design combined the grade obtained in the immunology course with the mark obtained in three courses of the previous year (the first year of the degree). These three courses (Biochemistry, Genetics and Cellular Biology) are directly related to the Human Immunology course, because a deep knowledge of the three is considered necessary to understand the biochemical, cellular and genetic peculiarities of the immune system. Therefore, we considered them suitable as pre-tests for the quasi-experiment design.
• a survey, which measured the students’ satisfaction and collected other interesting students’ data ( S1 Appendix ). The first part of the survey was a questionnaire about the students’ age and gender, learning style (independent, competitive, collaborative and contributory), level of class attendance and if they define themselves as hard-workers. The second part was a ten-item survey based on the method developed by Bures et al. [ 24 ], which measures students’ satisfaction and motivation in e-learning environments. It provides the students with a five-score Likert-type scale, which ranges from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree” (1 to 5, respectively). The students’ satisfaction total score, generated by summing up all the scores, can range from 10 (very low satisfaction level) to 50 (very high satisfaction level).

Firstly, given that distribution of groups was not random, we needed to verify that the distribution of the two groups did not influence the results. Table 1 shows the students’ general data. We observed that the proportion of men enrolling within the itinerary B was slightly higher than among women (58% of women versus 66% of men). This observation was concordant to Chaput de Saintonge and Dunn [ 25 ], who established that men feel more motivated than women with competitive learning environments. Moreover, the students defined themselves as low competitive. Budakoglu et al. [ 26 ] and Grasha [ 27 ] supported this observation. They also found that competitive learning style scores were lower than other styles.

We considered important to analyze if the two groups were not significantly different in other relevant aspects (level of prior knowledge, class attendance style or self-awareness as hard-workers). According to data of Table 2 , we established the following results:

* Results are significantly different at p < 0.005.

• The students of the experimental group had not the best scores in previous courses. Our results showed that the students of the control group had a slightly higher previous knowledge level in Biochemistry, Genetics and Cellular Biology, and moreover, this difference was significant (p < 0.005). Although we were trying to demonstrate the homogeneity of the two groups, this result was not a hindrance for studying the effects of the competitive strategy, since the students who followed it had a worse previous knowledge level (and thus, this difference was working against our assumption that the competitive itinerary students were the best students).
• The students of the experimental group were not the more laborious students. The results showed that the difference between the two groups was not significant (p > 0.05).
• The students of the experimental group were not who attend classes more. The results showed that the difference between the two groups was not significant (p > 0.05).

Once validated the formation of the experimental and control groups, we analyzed the students’ outcomes using the Mann-Whitney U-test to validate the two research hypotheses. The results, presented in Table 3 , showed that the students’ final score grades in Human Immunology were significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.001), indicating that the hypothesis H1 was supported as the outcomes of the experimental group students were significantly higher than those of the control group students. Moreover, the improvement obtained in Human Immunology (when compared to highly related courses grades obtained in the first year) was significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.001), what could indicate that the hypothesis H2 was also supported. However, since the students who followed the experimental itinerary had a worse previous knowledge level, their margin of potential improvement was higher. Therefore, we could not state that the greater improvement was only due to the use of the competitive system.

* Results are significantly different at p < 0.001.

Finally, we analyzed the students’ level of satisfaction according to the survey data. A total of 153 experimental group students completed the survey (about 89%). In general terms, the students positively evaluated the competitive experience (with an average score of 30.86 out of 50). The students liked learning through the participation in contests and they were motivated to find information in books or Internet to improve their positions in the ranking (3.22 and 3.59 out of 5, respectively). Moreover, despite the competitive nature of the QUESTOURnament tool, most students (70%) believed that this activity facilitated their relationship with other students.

On the other hand, using Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient, the results indicated that there was significant correlation between the students’ level of satisfaction with the competitive experience and their academic improvement, but this relation was weak (r = 0.292, p < 0.01).

To conclude, we analyzed which itinerary the students would recommend to other students. Most of students of the experimental group (88%) would recommend the itinerary B (competitive learning with the QUESTOURnament system). What was more interesting was that 54% students that had chosen the itinerary A would recommended the itinerary B due to the opinions of their classmates and the good atmosphere perceived in class.

Discussion and conclusion

This paper reports on an experiment conducted to study the effects of the use of competitive learning methods in a medical course. We obtained some interesting conclusions: first, the students liked the QUESTOURnament tool since they regarded it as useful, motivating to participate more actively in their learning process and facilitating the learning and the relationship with other students.

During the Human Immunology course, the students felt a collaborative ambience within the classrooms, because they shared or debated about the different challenges. Although, medical students tend to be competitive [ 13 , 28 ], this activity fostered classroom relationships (according to the data of satisfaction survey).

Moreover, the results of this study indicated that the use of the QUESTOURnament tool had favorable effects on the students’ academic outcomes. The students who used the tool obtained better final grades; in addition, the increasing academic improvement was significantly higher than that of the control group. As expected, there was a correlation, although weak, between the students’ satisfaction level with this method and the obtained score. Therefore, the presented results suggested that the QUESTOURnament tool could support effective learning strategies based on competition in medical students.

The positive results obtained in this study are in concordance with other similar studies about the role of competition in medical studies. Learning with competition improves the students’ academic results [ 19 , 21 , 28 ] and is considered enjoyable and engaging by them [ 20 ]. Thus, our findings are consistent with the previous studies reporting significant improvement in the competitive learning-driven students’ acquisition of knowledge and a greater satisfaction with the learning process. In addition, our findings report that well-designed competitive learning activities may foster the cooperation among students and provide a pleasant classroom environment.

The assayed active learning method–based on the competitive proposal of challenges and the answering of classmates’ ones–has worked very nicely because it promoted a collaborative classroom ambience, with the students debating about the correct answers of a given challenge. The students choosing the experimental group thus, had to study in a daily basis, either to propose challenges or to answer those proposed by their classmates. This fact could have contributed to a better grading of this group in Human Immunology, but also in a higher difference compared to the grades obtained in related courses during the first year of Medicine. Therefore, competitive strategies can be designed to get a more uniform distribution of knowledge sessions over time and, therefore, promoting learners’ deep understanding and long-term retention [ 29 ].

Students of the itinerary B (experimental group) followed a learning approach more according to the model of “constructive alignment” [ 30 ]. The learning outcomes of Human Immunology are divided into two groups or categories: “know” and “know how to do”. Students of itinerary B could demonstrate better whether they had achieved the intended learning outcomes (ILOs), since they faced different assessment methods. They solved, proposed and evaluated challenges, which might be very different in nature and thus, they could address different ILOs. Besides, each of the four contests corresponded to a different lesson and one criteria to evaluate challenges was their relevance to the topic of the lesson. Therefore, challenges in the different contests had to be aligned with the ILOs of the lessons. Moreover, they acquired a deeper learning of the “know how to do” part because, when proposing and solving challenges, they had to extrapolate which has been learnt to new scenarios.

This study had some limitations too. We did not make a random assignment to the control and experimental groups; because the two groups are nonequivalent, selection bias may exist. It is possible that students who volunteered to participate in the competitive itinerary were the most innately competitive. A more complete evaluation of cognitive learning styles would help to demonstrate more firmly the validity of the results. Besides, the experimental and control groups were not completely homogenous as the students in the experimental group had lower scores in previous courses than the students in the control group. Therefore, the greater improvement in course grades in the experimental group could be influenced by a lower starting grade and not only by the applied competitive strategy. The students who have a higher initial level of knowledge have a narrower range of improvement than classmates with a lower initial level and they may achieve less improvement [ 31 ]. Anyway, Shadish et al. [ 32 ] establish that when the pretest-posttest trend lines of a quasi-experiment cross over, it could be postulated that the posttest mean of the experimental group is amplified because it is easier to increase when the starting point is lower; however, this one can explain the amplification of an effect but not the creation of a totally artificial effect. Thus, though that is not the most desirable outcome, this pattern shows evidence of the effectiveness of the system within the non-equivalent groups design [ 33 ].

On the other hand, it is extremely difficult to create two homogeneous groups in experimental design, since there may be known factors (age, sex…) that can affect outcomes but are not of primary interest. In fact, a randomized blocks experimental design should have been made, instead a completely randomized design, in order to guarantee the existence of homogeneous groups and reduce noise or variance in the data [ 34 ].

Moreover, the non-equivalent groups design is probably the most frequently used design in social research [ 34 ]. For example, Zhang et al. [ 35 ] did a meta-analysis about the effectiveness of problem-based learning in medical courses, where they analyzed 31 studies from 2005 until 2014. They found that only two studies described an appropriate randomization process.

In this study, a randomized experimental design was not done because of ethical issues, which, as we have already mentioned, generates validity problems. In future studies, we could minimize this effect with a quasi-experimental design that uses a double pretest or switching replications. These approaches are less likely to permit causal interpretations of observed associations, according to Harris et al. [ 36 ], who presented an interesting review of 34 quasi-experimental studies in medical informatics, classifying them into several categories and analyzing the benefits and limitations of each approach.

Finally, we would like to conduct new future experiments to study the balance between speed and accuracy when answering the challenges. Pusic el al. [ 22 ] have argued that chronometry has been underutilized in the learning of medical procedures, being very useful for instruction designs as well as for assessment methods. Besides, they have stated that chronometry can increase motivation and therefore maximize learning, but also that it can be dangerous if it is wrongly implemented. There is a need to balance accuracy with speed. Our competitive tool -QUESTOURnament system- allows teachers to define simultaneously scoring and timing parameters to get the desired balance. It gives students feedback about scoring and timing, increasing the challenge level and enhancing self-regulation of learning [ 22 ]. Future experiments would allow us to define different strategies to get the balance between accuracy and speed according to the learning context, the maturity of the students or their current level of knowledge. Moreover, according to results obtained by Lei et al. [ 19 ] about team-competition, we are planning to use it within QUESTOURnament tool, paralleling the competitive learning among groups and the cooperation between students in the same group during the Human Immunology course.

Supporting information

S1 appendix, funding statement.

The authors received no specific funding for this work.

Data Availability