Dr. Shoshanah Trachtenberg Frackman Essay Competition

Montefiore Einstein Center for Bioethics
Dr. Shoshanah Trachtenberg Frackman

Our annual essay contest is named in memory of Dr. Shoshanah Trachtenberg Frackman, an Alumna of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Class of 1983. Following her untimely death in 1990, her family endowed a fund in her honor to support the study of biomedical ethics in the aim of furthering her ideals. Undergraduate students currently enrolled in any U.S. or Canadian college or university are eligible to submit an essay based on this year’s theme. Three essays will be selected and may be published on our website and social media platforms with monetary awards of $1,000 (first place), $750 (second place), and $250 (third place).

For our 2025-2026 essay competition, we invited students to submit an essay exploring an issue or examining a question related to the topic of conscientious objection and whether it is ethically justifiable when it conflicts with legal or professional obligations.

• Our essay competition is open to students who are currently enrolled, either full-time or part-time, in an undergraduate program (associate’s or bachelor’s degree) at an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada.
• Students may only submit one essay, and it must be based on assigned theme of conscientious objection.
• Students should present their essay topic in the form of a thesis statement with well-structured argument(s) supported by applicable ethical frameworks or ethical theories. Essays should also identify and respond to relevant counterarguments.
• Essays must be student applicant’s original work with expectation that any works consulted will be properly cited.
• Essays should be approximately 800 to 1,200 words in length (citations not included in word count).
• Essays must be submitted as an attached word document or pdf from your college/university email account.
• Email submissions must include student’s full name and telephone number as well as the name of your college/university, the degree program you are enrolled in, and your academic year in school.

Essay must be submitted via email to patrick.herron@einsteinmed.edu no later than 5:00pm (ET) on Friday, January 16th, 2026. Please include “STF Essay Competition” in the subject line of your email.

2026 Dr. Shoshanah Trachtenberg Frackman Essay Competition

• First Place: Shah Wasif Fabian, Eastern Illinois University (Charleston, Illinois)
• Second Place: Ibrahim Mohammed Ibrahim, Ivy Tech Community College (Noblesville, Indiana)
• Third Place: Jiya Dave, Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio)
• Honorable Mention: Sharna Saha, Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut)

2025 Dr. Shoshanah Trachtenberg Frackman Essay Competition

• First Place: Vera Fotopoulos, Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana)
• Second Place: Hallie Young, University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, Texas)
• Third Place: Abigail Murphy, University of Guelph (Guelph, Ontario, Canada)
• Honorable Mention: Anuli Onyemaechi, Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio)
• Honorable Mention: Alex Zheyuan Xue, Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, Ohio)

2024 Dr. Shoshanah Trachtenberg Frackman Essay Competition

• First Place: Elijah Deters, University of Louisville (Louisville, Kentucky)
• Second Place: Kyler Squirrell, Washington University (St. Louis, Missouri)
• Third Place: Henry Mondschein, American University (Washington, D.C.)