ISU Medical Student Essay Competition 2026
Title: “Screening for Urological Malignancies”
Closing date: August 15 2026
Entries to be submitted to isuadmin@rcsi.ie
Prize
The prize for winner of the national competition will be a €200 travel voucher from RCSI and the winner will be presented with their prize at the ISU 2026 Annual Conference. ISU will offer guest registration and accommodation for the meeting.
Entry Criteria
To enter the competition, authors must be medical students enrolled in a medical school located in the Republic of Ireland at the closing date – see above. Students attending a medical school in overseas countries will not be eligible to submit an entry.
Guidance
– Word limit: 1500 words (maximum) excluding title, abstract (no more than 200 words) and references. The word count includes words used in figures & figure captions, tables, appendices, footers and in-text citations
– Essays should include an abstract/summary (no more than 200 words) – see above
– Any references should be in the Harvard style; there is no limit on the number of references
– All text must be in Arial font, size 11 and double spaced
– Diagrams and tables are acceptable but should not number greater than 5 in total
– The essay should preferably be divided into appropriately headed subsections and include a concluding paragraph
– Only one essay per student can be submitted
– The essay must be the work of one individual student – co-authoring is not permitted
– All essays must be submitted in Word format (not PDF). Please save your essay in the form ‘Surname.doc’ (eg Smith.doc)
Annual ISU Conference 2026
The annual ISU conference will take place on Friday 18th and Saturday 19th September at the Great Southern Hotel, Killarney. This year’s programme will include video, poster and oral presentations. The conference will showcase the broad range of top quality research currently performed by our ISU trainees, as well as incorporating a series of keynote addresses from leading internationally recognised experts in the field of urology. The deadline for abstract submission is 5pm on Friday April 3rd 2026. It is not a requirement to be a member of the ISU to present at the conference. See Annual Conference section for further details. RCSI will award CPD credits for attendance.
Praise-U Prostate Cancer Early Detection Pilot Study
Praise-U is an EU-funded study led in Ireland by University College Dublin testing a new risk-based prostate cancer screening approach using home-based finger-prick PSA tests for 5,000–8,000 men aged 50–69 in Dublin and Waterford. The study is currently in progress and aims to reduce prostate cancer mortality through early detection and evaluates the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of organised risk-based prostate cancer testing using the PSA test as part of an early detection pathway.
European Association of Urology Annual Congress London 2026
The 41st Annual EAU Congress (EAU26) is Europe’s largest urological event with specialists and affiliated medical professionals gathering for a critical assessment of clinical practices and key research developments. The congress will take place in London at Excel London from March 13th to 16th 2026.
At EAU26, medical specialists, researchers and scientists from all over the world will present their latest research, critically examined and discussed by the field’s leading experts. While pushing the boundaries of urological science, the congress also helps prepare young urologists for the first steps in their career with the best of current knowledge and practical clinical information.
The four-day scientific programme features live surgery demonstrations, keynote speakers, case discussions and expert panels, plus educational courses and Hands-on Training courtesy of the European School of Urology. For 2026, the essential plenary sessions that start each congress day will feature new formats, with more discussion and interactivity to engage the participants. EAU26 will also feature a vast Exhibition where pharmaceutical and technology companies can showcase their latest products.
Delegates will be greeted by EAU Secretary General Arnulf Stenzl at the EAU Opening Ceremony on Friday 13th in eURO auditorium 1 Orange Area at 18.00hrs.