William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition: William Carlos Williams PHYSICIAN Competition Fee: usd $15.00

Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) is accepting submissions for the 45th annual William Carlos Williams poetry competition through December 31, 2026.

The WCW competition will be awarding prizes in two categories: a medical student category, open to students enrolled in MD and DO programs in the US, Puerto Rico, or Canada, and a physician category, open to any rank of physician (MD or DO) at any career stage, from residency to retirement, in the US, Puerto Rico, or Canada. Submissions will be judged on the merits of craft, originality, and content. First-, second-, and third-place winners in each category will receive a cash prize and will be considered for publication in the Journal of Medical Humanities. Winning poets will be notified by March 1, 2027.

This call is for PHYSICIAN SUBMISSIONS only. A separate call is posted for the medical student competition: WCW Medical Student competition.

• Entrants for the Medical Student category must be actively enrolled in programs leading to a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.) degree in the United States, Puerto Rico or Canada.
• Entrants for the Physician prize category must have received their medical degree (M.D. or D.O.) before the submission deadline. Physicians at any career stage, from residency to retirement, and in any career role (patient care, education/academic medicine, administration, etc.) are welcome to submit.
• Submissions must be original, unpublished (with the exception of college publications), and must not have won a contest at the time of submission.
• Previous monetary winners of the WCW student competition are not eligible to compete in the student category again in 2025-26. If otherwise eligible, previous monetary winners of the WCW student competition may submit to the physician category.

• All entries will undergo blind review and should contain no identifying information other than the title of the poem; a cover sheet including name and contact information will be submitted separately.
• Entrants may submit up to three poems; one poem per page.
• Each poem submitted is not to exceed 750 words.
• Poems must be written in English.
• Poems may address medical and/or non-medical subjects.

For submission details, eligibility criteria, and more, please visit NEOMED's William Carlos Williams poetry competition webpage. Contact [email protected] with any questions or for additional information.