EFP launches undergraduate essay competition, with free registration for EuroPerio9 as prizes

The EFP has announced a new essay competition for undergraduate dental students and dental hygiene/therapy students, and the three winners will receive free registration for the EuroPerio9 congress in Amsterdam in June.

Organised by the EFP’s undergraduate education committee, the competition is open to dental students and dental hygiene/therapy students at dental schools in the 30 countries with EFP-affiliated national societies of periodontology.

The essay title is “Why I would consider a career in periodontology” and essays should be no longer than 1,000 words. The deadline for essay submissions is 31 March 2018 and full details of the competition rules have been published in the “Prizes and Awards” section of the EFP website.

The essays will be marked by members of the undergraduate education committee, who will be looking to see that the essays demonstrate understanding and imagination of the options and opportunities offered by a career in periodontology, as well as evaluating the quality of the writing and the use of references to support the concepts discussed.

The three winning essays will be published on the EFP website with full credit given to their authors. The winners will each receive free registration for EuroPerio9 (Amsterdam, 20-23 June) plus €250 to offset travel costs, together with a certificate of award.

Philip Preshaw, chair of the undergraduate education committee, said: “This essay competition will encourage dental students and dental hygiene/therapy students to learn more about careers in periodontology, and to use this knowledge to give themselves a chance to win free registration to attend the largest periodontology congress in the world.

"Attending a EuroPerio congress is a wonderful experience and would enable the winners to see world-class presentations by international experts on all matters relating to periodontology and implant dentistry.”

Michèle Reners, chair of the EuroPerio9 organising committee, added: “It is important for the EFP to have a good connection with the students – they are our future. We hope to capture their interest in periodontology, and EuroPerio9 is just the right moment to meet them and to give them a chance to get all the information they need regarding programmes in the speciality in EFP countries.”