The Wits Students' Physician Society
The South African Undergraduate Research Competition
SAMA Journal
Introduction
Following the success of this undergraduate-driven project in 2025, the South African Undergraduate Medical Research Competition (SUMRC) is back for its second year!
SUMRC is a national essay and research submission competition open to Health Sciences Students from the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Cape Town.
In collaboration with The Undergraduate Research in Health Journal (URHJ), YOU will stand a chance to be published in the next journal edition.
The following categories will be accepted for submission:
Research Article, Literature review, Short Scientific Reports, Short Communications
Prizes:
The winners will be awarded the following:
- Published in the Undergraduate Research in Health Journal
- Prizes from Wits PhysSoc & UCT MedSoc
Runner ups:
- Prizes from Wits PhysSoc & UCT MedSoc
All participants receive a digital certificate of recognition!
Submissions
Long Form
Research Article
Based on an original research study with the following sections:
- Structured abstract,
- Introduction including the objectives (the introduction section should include a succinct review of the literature)
- Methods
- Results
- Discussion
- Conclusion
Max 3000 words (excl. abstract & bibliography), may include max 6 figures or tables (any combination) and between 10 to 25 references.
Literature Review
Reviews that focus on important current topics relevant to Health professions and sciences with the following sections:
- Abstract
- Introduction
- Headings as relevant to the review
- Conclusions
Max 3000 words, may include max 6 tables and/or graphs and max of 50 references.
Short Form
Short Scientific Reports
Shorter length, scholarly research articles based on single-institution, and/or studies with sample sizes <100, with the following sections:
- Abstract (~250 words)
- Background
- Objectives
- Methods
- Results
- Conclusion
Max 1500 words, may include only 1 illustration or table and max 8 references.
Short Communications:
Manuscripts that share work in progress or lessons learnt from research on a topic of interest, with the following sections:
- Why was the idea necessary? (Problem)
- What was tried? (Approach)
- What were the lessons learnt? (Outcomes).
Mx 500 words, may have table/figure and max 3 references.
Check out our Research Series!
Suggested Topics & Themes
Clinical Medicine:
Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, etc.
Public Health & Global Health:
Health Policy, Digital Health, AMR, etc.
Translational Research:
Immunotherapy, Biomarkers, Infectious Diseases
2025 Successes
Short Communication Category
2025 Winner: “Curiosity Never Killed the Cat” – Andonia Papavarnava, University of the Witwatersrand
2025 Runner-up: “Empathy, an Enemy of Ethics: Kantianism and Moral Sentimentalism in Practice” – Muhammad-Yaseen Wadee, University of the Witwatersrand
Review/Research Category
2025 Joint Winners:
“Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibodies in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia: Mechanisms, Resistance, and the Evolution of Targeted Immunotherapy” – Amukelani Sambo, University of the Witwatersrand
“Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for South African Healthcare: Clinical Applications and Ethical Considerations” – Yudarshan Pillay, University of the Witwatersrand
2025 Runner-up: “Infectious Disease Complications in Children with Cancer” – Franco Vosloo, University of the Witwatersrand
2025 Notable Mentions:
“Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Intravascular Optical Coherence Tomography” – Nkanyezi Ngubane, University of Cape Town
“Bridging the Cardiac Gap: A Literature Review Evaluating Wearable ECG Devices in South Africa’s Public Health System” – Barack Idemudia, University of the Witwatersrand
Competition Process
Submission Dates
From 6 April 2026 - 3 July 2026 23:59
Who Can Enter?
ALL Health Sciences Students from Wits University and UCT
How To Enter?
Submission Preparation Checklist
All submissions must meet the following requirements.
- The submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration (or an explanation has been provided in Comments to the Editor).
- Where available, URLs for the references have been provided.
- The submission file is in Microsoft Word file format.
- The text is single-spaced; uses a 12-point Times New Roman, font; employs italics, rather than underlining (except with URL addresses); and all illustrations, figures, and tables are placed within the text at the appropriate points, rather than at the end.
- Are you a registered Undergraduate student or recent graduate? For current students - please supply your student number and institution in your manuscript or cover letter. For recent graduates - please supply your year of graduation and the name of your academic supervisor in a cover letter. Please note that your submission will not be processed without this information. An anonymous version of the manuscript will be uploaded, for reviewers to access. Please note that your submission will not be processed without this version.
- The text adheres to the stylistic and bibliographic requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines.
- Disclosure of whether any artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted technologies (such as Large Language Models [LLMs], chatbots, or image creators) has been used in the production of submitted work.
How to submit:
- Fill out the application below with your full name, surname and email address
- You will receive a cover page in the mail, please ensure that this gets filled out thoroughly
- Submit a submission ensuring you include the cover page provided to the SUMRC email (sumrcphyssoc@gmail.com)
- Please check your email inbox and spam regularly for updates regarding your submission review and further steps
Submit your entry via the application form:
Applications are Open!
Following an internal anonymous reviewing process by each University, the Undergraduate Research in Health Journal (URHJ) will review the qualifying entries and select the winning piece in each category for publication in the October
edition of the Journal
For any Queries
Email: SUMRC (sumrcphyssoc@gmail.com)
CC: Wits PhysSoc, UCT MedSoc