Wednesday, February 22, 2023 - 11:42

The Gerald F. Berlin Prize is awarded for creative writing, prose, or poetry, authored by students, nursing students, graduate students, residents, and fellows based at UMass Chan Medical School, Berkshire Medical Center, Worcester Medical Center/St. Vincent's, or Baystate Medical Center.

 Submission Deadline: April 15, 2023                                                                              

The Grand prize is $500, a reading at the Awards Ceremony, and publication in Worcester Medicine, on the Psychiatric Times website, and in The Interstitium*. Second prize is $300 and third prize is $100. Winners will also have their work published in The Interstitium.*

* The Interstitium is a blog that serves as a multimedia, online home for the UMass Chan Medical School community members to reflect on their experiences. The Interstitium was started in 2019 by UMass Chan medical student Marya Pulaski as her Capstone project under the mentorship of Dr. Hugh Silk.

The event will be held via Zoom on a date to be determined.

A panel of three judges will review the submissions.

Guidelines for Authors: 

Prose (short fiction or reflective essays):

  • 12 pt., Double-spaced
  • Judging will be "blind" to author information. Please include a separate cover page for the author's name, address, phone number, e-mail address and title. This information should appear ONLY on a separate cover page.
  • Not to exceed 2,000 words; please number all pages

Poetry:

  • Up to 3 poems in any style
  • Judging will be "blind" to author information. Please include a separate cover page for the author's name, address, phone number, e-mail address and title. This information should appear ONLY on a separate cover page.
  • Not to exceed 6 pages for the entire submission; please number all pages

~ Be sure to disguise any patient details to protect confidentiality ~

Submit entries in electronic format by April 15, 2023 via e-mail to: Regina.Raboin@umassmed.edu

For more information about the Award, including the work of previous winners, please visit http://www.richardmberlin.com/poetry/gerald-f-berlin-creative-writing-award