The RCP virtual poster competition showcases the best in medical research, audit, education and innovation.
This year’s competition received a record number of applications (351) from medical students, foundation doctors, resident doctors and equivalent roles across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with 50 shortlisted entries.
The lead author of the winning and highly commended entries from each category will receive a free virtual delegate place at the RCP’s annual flagship conference, Medicine 2026. Shortlisted posters are also considered by the RCP’s editorial team for publication in one of its peer-reviewed journals, Clinical Medicine and Future Healthcare Journal.
Thank you to all panel judges, who reviewed all verified abstract submissions and who took part in the competition panels.
‘It was fantastic to be a judge to and hear the presentations from our NextGen doctors. I enjoyed learning about their educational improvement projects and questioning them on their conclusions. It was fascinating to hear their thoughts on the project’s positives and improvements that they could make in the future for each of their projects. They all had a passion for improvement in education and I hope they can take this forward in their careers.’
Dr Nigel Lane
RCP regional adviser for the Severn region and a member of the judging panel
Applications for the 2026 virtual poster competition open on Saturday, 28 March 2026, and you can register your interest now.
Meet our winners
Quality improvement and patient safety / audit
Winner:
Dr Pharveen Jaspal, IMT3 at Warwick Hospital, South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust (West Midlands region) for their poster abstract titled From broad-spectrum to broad thinking: frailty-based antibiotic stewardship in action.
Winning the competition has been a notable career highlight. It formally recognised the work that my team and I have done in quality improvement and patient safety … it was an excellent platform to highlight our work on antibiotic stewardship for older adults living with frailty. I am grateful to the care of the elderly team and the antimicrobial service at the trust for their collaboration. The experience strengthened my leadership and quality-improvement skills, connected me with colleagues tackling similar challenges and reinforced the impact that well-designed projects can have on patient care.’
Dr Pharveen Jaspal
IMT3
Highly commended: Dr Lorita Krasniqi, IMT1 at University College Hospital, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (London region) with coauthors Dr Nikhil Kadam, Dr Nicoleta Lotca, Dr Lylah Irshad and Dr Tehmeena Khan, for their poster abstract titled A multidisciplinary approach to increasing utilisation of hospital at home services.
‘It is a real privilege to be recognised among such talented and inspiring colleagues. Receiving this award has strengthened my confidence in presenting and communicating my work and it motivates me to continue delivering projects that make a meaningful difference for patients.’
Dr Lorita Krasniqi
IMT1
Education, training and medical professionalism
Winner:
Dr Dominic Mears, IMT3 at Worcestershire Hospital, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (West Midlands region) with coauthors Dr Ming May Chung, IMT3, and Dr Emily Robinson, IMT2, for their poster abstract titled Medical registrar acting up scheme for internal medicine trainees.
'It has hugely developed my skills, from academic writing to thinking about audit procedures and given me great insight into how to structure a useful and impactful quality improvement project. Don’t hesitate to apply. At the end of the day, you will always gain something from the experience.'
Dr Dominic Mears
IMT3
Highly commended:
Dr Claire Froneman, ST4 at Darent Valley Hospital, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust Kent (Surrey and Sussex region). Presented by coauthor Dr Emma Moore, IMT1, for their poster abstract titled The need for respiratory bootcamps.
‘The respiratory bootcamp started as a simple idea to help new doctors feel less anxious on the ward, so seeing it acknowledged by the RCP is incredibly motivating. It’s given a little confidence to keep developing educational projects and to get more involved in teaching and quality improvement.’
Dr Emma Moore
IMT1
Research: clinical, translational and innovation
Winner:
Dr Ioannis Perros, foundation doctor at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Southwest (Severn and Peninsula) region), with their poster abstract titled The association between biological therapies and the risk of major adverse cerebrovascular and cardiovascular events in ulcerative colitis: a meta-analysis of level 1 evidence.
‘The RCP virtual poster competition is unique; it provides an outlet for young researchers to showcase their work. Such opportunities not only inspire us to continue contributing to meaningful research, but help shape us into better clinicians.’
Dr Ioannis Perros
Foundation doctor
Two joint highly commended winners:
Justine Tin Nok Chan, medical student at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Eastern region) for their poster abstract titled Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) thresholds for microvascular and macrovascular complications: insights from a population-based study.
Varnika Shankar, medical student at Macclesfield District General Hospital, East Cheshire NHS Trust (Northwestern region) for their poster abstract titled Urine Albumin-Creatinine ratio home testing; how can AI shape the future of screening for chronic kidney disease in patients with diabetes?
‘This award has been a wonderful opportunity to deepen my understanding of cardiovascular and metabolic medicine, connect with like-minded researchers and strengthen my journey toward becoming a clinician academic.’
Justine Tin Nok Chan
Medical student
Clinical / case reports / digital health
Winner:
Dr Yee Mon Thee, junior clinical fellow at the Royal London Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, (London region) with co-authors Dr Ali Altahiry, clinical fellow, and Dr Christos Nikola, ST3, for their poster titled A case of acute hemichorea secondary to ischaemic infarction in the right lentiform nucleus.
'I would strongly encourage other resident doctors to apply. It’s a great opportunity to share your work, learn from peers, and gain recognition for your clinical contributions.'
Dr Yee Mon Thee
Junior clinical fellow
Two joint highly commended winners:
Dr Paul Njoku, IMT1 at Wexham Park Hospital, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust (Oxford and Thames Valley region) with co-author Dr Dorette Ngemoh, clinical fellow for their poster abstract titled Weathering the VT storm; a case of difficult-to-manage ventricular tachycardia (VT) storm in newly diagnosed cardiac sarcoidosis.
Dr Victoria Floyd-Ellis, IMT2 at Morriston Hospital, Swansea Bay University Health Board (Wales region) with co-author Dr Opeyemi Gbadegesin, foundation doctor at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, for their poster abstract titled VF arrest secondary to immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) associated myocarditis; improving patient outcomes by maintaining a high clinical suspicion for ICI toxicity.
‘Receiving this award is an incredible honour and a significant milestone in my early medical career. It reinforces my commitment to academic medicine and strengthens my motivation to pursue a career in cardiology. Being recognised by the RCP for a unique and complex case is very rewarding and I look forward to being involved in similar clinical research competitions in the future.’
Dr Paul Njoku
IMT1
The benefits of getting involved
As we look towards the start of the 2026 competition in March, our winners share the benefits and opportunities that have arisen from taking part in this conversation – and encourage young doctors to take part too.
Several of our competition winners are even brand new members of the RCP, signing up to take part – including Pharveen, Lorita and Justine.
Pharveen said: ‘The process is straightforward, the feedback is valuable and it is an excellent opportunity to share your work beyond your immediate team. It helps you refine how you present your project, gain recognition for your efforts, and connect with others who are tackling similar challenges in quality improvement and patient safety. I would strongly recommend applying.’
Claire and Emma both said that taking part in the project and competition had developed vital skills in for their career, including academic writing, working and teaching across different professional groups, thinking about audit procedures and structuring the useful and impactful QIPs.
Meanwhile, Lorita emphasised the benefits to her communication skills: ‘This experience has really helped me refine how I communicate key messages clearly and concisely both visually through a poster and verbally in a short presentation. I’ve also learned the importance of engaging your audience by focusing on outcomes and patient impact.
‘I would strongly encourage others to apply. The process offers an excellent opportunity to refine presentation and poster skills within a very supportive environment. It is also a great platform to share learning, gain confidence and be inspired by the work of others.’
Paul said: ‘This experience has enhanced my ability to critically appraise the evidence related to the topic, distil complex clinical information into key learning points and present cases clearly and concisely to both specialist and generalist audiences. The constructive feedback from the judges improved my confidence in academic presentation and communication – skills that are invaluable in both clinical practice and clinical case presentation.
‘I would certainly encourage others to apply. The process provides an excellent opportunity to share your work, gain feedback from experienced clinicians, and develop presentation skills in a supportive environment. Regardless of career stage, the competition is a great platform for professional growth and networking.’
