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Newly qualified GP wins Pulse writing competition

A GP in her first year after training has won Pulse’s GP writing competition with a moving story of how she responded to a young patient’s ‘cry for help’.

Dr Renee Hoenderkamp, a GP in London, won the annual writing prize against stiff competition, with nearly 20 other entries this year on the theme of a ‘cry for help’.

Pulse asked readers to write about a time when a patient or colleague turned to them for assistance, or they needed a helping hand themselves.

Dr Hoenderkamp’s story is of a consultation with a troubled young patient, and how she broke a golden rule to get through to her. You can read her winning entry here.

Second place went to Dr Helen Cotton, a GP in Yeovil, who wrote about her own son’s ‘cry for help’.

The winner of the under-35s group was Dr Heather Ryan, a GP registrar in Liverpool, who – with a mature writing style that belies her years – described a heartfelt story that shows that it is sometimes it is more important to be kind. 

Pulse editor Nigel Praities said: ‘I am delighted we had so many excellent entries to this competition and it was a hard job choosing the finalists.

’The winners all impressed us with their ability to give an insight into what an incredible job GPs do every day, showing that it is not just signing sky-diving forms. Thank you to them for sharing their stories with us, and to all who took part.’

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pulse writing comp winner 380x200px mkii