Wits Dominates wins at the South African Undergraduate Medical Research Competition
- FHS Communications
The South African Undergraduate Medical Research Competition (SUMRC) was created to expand meaningful research opportunities for undergraduate medical students.
The Wits Students’ Physician Society (WSPS) launched a national platform that celebrates student-led research to bridge a gap between strengthening academic collaboration and promoting a culture of inquiry.
“As students, we learn research theory but seldom engage in authentic scholarly work and the publication process at an undergraduate level,” explains Andonia Papavarnava, President of WSPS.
The initiative was also expanded nationally in partnership with UCT Internal Medicine Society and the Undergraduate Journal in Health (URJH), which operates independently and manages all editorial and peer-review processes to ensure integrity and rigour.
Beyond recognising the winning submissions through publication, the journal provided students with first-hand experience of the scholarly process, from submission and reviewer feedback through revision to final selection.
“Initiatives like this align deeply with our mission to cultivate clinicians who are inquisitive, collaborative, and committed to evidence-based practice,” says Papavarnava, who adds that students not only showcased their research but also gained practical insight.
Students responded enthusiastically, reporting that the competition offered foundational and valuable insights into academic writing. This included tips on navigating reviewer comments and understanding the expectations of formal journal submission.
Wits award recipients
The Faculty is proud that Wits Students occupied the top two positions, winners and runner-up, in all categories. “We are immensely proud of our Wits students. Their success motivates us all to continue cultivating a culture of research and curiosity across our academic levels,” says Professor Aletta Millen, Faculty of Health Sciences Assistant Dean for Research.
The review category was awarded to Wits students as follows:
- Yudarshan Pillay, joint-winner, third-year MBBCh student. Read the paper here
- Amukelani Sambo, joint-winner, final-year BHSc student. Read the paper here
- Franco Vosloo, runner-up, third-year MBBCh student. Paper to be published in the next issue of URHJ.
The short communications category was awarded to Wits fourth-year medical students as follows:
- Andonia Papavarnava, winner. Read the paper here
- Muhammad-Yaseen Wadee, runner-up. Paper to be published in the next issue of URHJ.
The success of this inaugural competition demonstrates the impact of collaboration between student organisations and academic partners in building research confidence and reinforcing the professional values essential to future clinicians.