The Pain Relief Foundation continues to run this competition each year in the hope of inspiring medical students into a career in Pain. 2018 has seen another great response to the competition with 28 entries received from all over the UK. All of the entries were of a very good standard and competition was strong proving it difficult for judges to decide on the final winner. The entries were judged by three judges, two of whom created a short list of 6 entries and the final judge deciding the winner and after considerable deliberation the winner was announced as Cameron Morrice, essay title ‘From Analgesia to addition A look at the growing problem of iatrogenic opiate addiction’

Cameron Morrice is a final year medical student at the University of Glasgow, will present the findings of the essay he wrote looking in to the current opiate addiction crisis. His focus is on the genetic and environmental factors governing opiate addiction and how this has become a major issue, especially in chronic pain. He will also discuss recent advances in screening that might allow us a better balance between analgesia and addiction.  Cameron presented his essay at the Pain Relief Foundation to an audience of Pain Professionals and was very well received. Cameron was awarded with the winning prize of £500 by Dr John Wiles a Consultant in pain at the Walton Centre, Liverpool and Chairman of the Pain Relief Foundation Education Committee.

Cameron extremely grateful to the Foundation for the opportunity to explore his interests whilst contributing towards his professional development and will now treat himself to a new bicycle with his winnings

To see the winning essay made by Cameron please click here.