SAJS Essay Competition 2026
Entry is open to any undergraduate student from a Faculty of Health Sciences in South Africa.
Topic theme: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly gaining momentum in surgery. How do you foresee the influence of artificial intelligence in surgery within the evolving clinical landscape?
Title: The title you choose should be no longer that 8 words and should include the words “Artificial Intelligence” and “Surgery”
Submission requirements: Please write a 1000-word essay in Microsoft Word, Arial font, size 12, double spacing, with 5 references in Vancouver referencing style. Submission is via the SAJS new user website address https://ojs.sabinet.co.za/index.php/sajs
Once registered please login and go to ABOUT and click on NEW SUBMISSION and submit under the category ESSAY COMPETITION. Then upload your essay as a Word document. In the abstract section insert the TITLE only. In a separate Word document submit the Essay Title, your Name, ID Number, Year of Study, University of Study, whether you are a member of a Student Surgical Society, email address and your cellular phone number.
Closing date: 30th September 2026
Adjudication: Essays will be screened for eligibility and adherence to the brief by the Editor and Deputy Editors of SAJS. The essays will be judged by a panel of the Associate Editors based clarity of thought, coherence and structure of argument, originality, intellectual depth, and the ability to engage meaningfully with the theme within the context of contemporary surgical care. The judges will be blinded to the author’s details.
Prizes: The author of the best essay will be awarded R 5000.00 and the essay will be published in electronic form in the fourth issue of the 2026 SAJS. Two runner-up essays will receive R 2000.00 each and will be published online in the SAJS.
Notification of winners: Winners will be notified by the SAJS Editor.