Namey/Burnett Preventive Medicine Writing Award

Nomination Timeline

Applications are closed for 2026.

About the Award

Sponsored by the ACOFP Foundation, the Namey/Burnett Preventative Medicine Writing Award honors the memory of Joseph J. Namey, DO, FACOFP, and John. H. Burnett, DO, FACOFP, who were both dedicated advocates for osteopathic medicine. This award recognizes the best preventive medicine scientific writings submitted by osteopathic family medicine students and residents.

Award Criteria

Current ACOFP resident or student member.
Papers will be judged on originality, pertinence to osteopathic family physicians and patients, and writing skills.
Adherence to blog guidelines.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Submissions should be scientific research articles that identify a question or problem relevant to the field of osteopathic family preventative medicine. Each submission must include relevant data, analysis, and recommendations that are significant and positively improve patient care. The aim is to encourage thoughtful exploration of topics that directly impact the practice of osteopathic family medicine and need more attention drawn to them, with a focus on preventive care and wellness. Each entry should read as publishable in the OFP journal or comparable scientific research journals.

1,000-1,500 words in length.
Up to 25 references following AMA style.
Up to four tables, figures, or images.
Four to six keywords.
Tables, figures, and images must be original, or publisher permission must be included as part of the application.

Submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Scientific Rigor
Research Question/Issue Statement	Is the research question/issue statement clearly stated? Is it included in the introduction?
Methods	Are the methods included and clear? Are the methods appropriate for addressing the research question? Are these methods replicable?
Data Analysis	Is the data analysis appropriate and unbiased? Is the data analysis concise and clear? Does this section mention limitations or potential areas of further inquiry?
Relevance to Osteopathic Family Medicine
Significance	Does the work address an important problem or issue relevant to osteopathic family physicians and their patients? Is the content original/unique and interesting?
Applicability	Are the findings or recommendations applicable to clinical practice?
Impact	Does the writing have the potential to impact the practice of osteopathic family medicine positively?
Writing Quality
Clarity and Organization	Is the work well-written with clear organization and flow? Does the article maintain the interest of the audience?
Grammar and Style	Are there minimal grammatical errors? Is the style/tone appropriate for a scientific audience? Is it written with an objective and professional tone? Is it written in the third person?
References
Formatting and Quality	Are the references in AMA style and appropriate in number and quality? Are the references relevant (the standard is that references are no more than 10 years old)? Are tables/figures/images relevant and well-presented? Are they original or are permissions included?

Read past articles for inspiration

Award Amount

1st Place: $2,000
2nd Place: $1,000
3rd Place: $500

The top 3 articles will also go through the peer review process for Osteopathic Family Physician, ACOFP's peer-reviewed journal, and be considered for publication.

A Look Back:

Award Recipients

Current Award Recipient(s)

1st place - Ryan Arboleda, Benjamin Pfeiffer, Regan Stiegmann, Empowering Future Physicians: Why Lifestyle Medicine is Crucial to Undergraduates
2nd place - Mojir Muhajir, The Current Lack of Exercise and Its Contribution to the Challenges of Weight Loss: The Role of MET Scores in Optimizing Outcomes
3rd place- Kelsey Rice, Screening for Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer: Utilizing the USPSTF’s Recommendation