Congratulations to winners of essay competition

Winning entry

The greatest challenge? Combating complacency in a stretched health system. Rare disorders are easy to deprioritise—until they’re personal.

A poignant phrase from the winning entry to the Rare Disorders NZ essay competition, written by 6th year medical student Yuhan Chi.

Rare Disorders NZ received 18 entries to its essay competition for health professional students held during Rare Disorders Month in March.

Yuhan Chi's essay, Weaving a Whāriki of Hope: My Vision for Rare Disorder Care in 2050,
Aotearoa stood out due to Yuhan's thoughtful reflections of the patient experience when living with a rare disorder, and her drive as a future clinician to improve the patient experience.

Yuhan has always had a deep passion for equity in healthcare, no matter which community it serves.  She is committed to advocating for underrepresented voices in medicine and hopes to continue combining clinical work with meaningful change in the communities she serves.

Read Yuhan's entry here.

Yuhan is truly grateful to have won first place, and says it is an honour to contribute to raising awareness of rare disorders and to reflect on how, as future clinicians, she and her peers can make a difference.

In 2050, I hope to look back on a career where “rare” no longer means invisible. Where a toddler’s unexplained symptoms trigger rapid genomic analysis, not resignation. Where every clinician remembers Aloha—not with guilt, but as a reminder that zebras deserve galloping urgency too. It will take relentless advocacy, humility to learn from communities, and courage to challenge systems. But like weaving a whāriki, each strand—policy, culture, technology—must intertwine to hold our most vulnerable. Together, we can ensure rare is never overlooked.

Excerpt from Yuhan Chi's winning entry

Runner ups

Katie Longbottom, a fourth year medical student, entry, The Cost of Fear: how embracing AI could transform the diagnosis of rare disorders brought to light the potential of AI in improving diagnoses for vulnerable communities, like those living with rare disorders.

You can read Katie's entry here.

Katie loves learning and is excited about what the future has in store for the management of people living with rare disorders. She looks forward to a lifelong journey of learning from her patients.  

Second runner up was Lauren Phang for her entry, written as a diary entry to a patient 25 years into the future.

You can read Lauren's entry here.

Lauren is a sixth-year medical student from Wellington. She loves stories, whether she is putting pen to paper or listening to someone else’s.

Congratulations to our winners and thank you to all those who took part in the competition.