A participant from the Medical Faculty of Burgas Prof. Dr. Asen Zlatarov University took third place in the national contest "The Doctor of 2050", organisers said. Entries had to describe the doctor in Bulgaria 25 years from now. The awards were presented at the BTA National Press Club in Sofia.

The Burgas faculty had two entrants. The contest was organised by the Association of Medical Universities in Bulgaria and the health platform CredoWeb, with support from the Bulgarian Medical Association. It began six months ago.

The theme was the doctor in 25 years: either a high-tech specialist who works with artificial intelligence and personalised data, or a figure of trust, support and moral strength. Judging was anonymous. The jury included all medical universities and faculties and the Bulgarian Hospital Association.

In all, 75 people took part and 67 of them met the rules: 52 medical students and 15 young doctors aged up to 35. The essay was the most popular format, chosen by 75% of the students and 80% of the doctors. The short story came next. Students also sent videos, video presentations, poems, longer poems and a comic, said Lilyana Filipova of CredoWeb.

The top student prize went to Daniel Svilenov of Sofia Medical University: a one-year scholarship from Hygeia hospital, worth €500 a month. Among young doctors, residents and specialists, the winner is Dr Strahil Vasilev. He will take part in the international medicine and science congress IcoMedS 2027 in Prague. The prize for the most likes from the medical community went to Vasiliki Kokkotou of the Medical Faculty of Trakia University in Stara Zagora. Organisers also honoured the top three among young doctors and the top ten among students.

Sofia Medical University had the best results, with an average score of 98.4 points and an individual score of 117. Pleven Medical University and the Medical Faculty of Trakia University in Stara Zagora each had 13 entrants, and four from Trakia University are in the top ten. Varna Medical University had 11 entrants, three of them in the top ten. Each year, 13,643 students study medicine in Bulgaria in Bulgarian and English. The Union of Doctor-Writers has about 80 members, most of them over 50.

Prof. Dimitar Raykov, rector of Varna Medical University and chair of the association, said the contest gives a fresh view and shows what young medics can do. Prof. Boycho Landzhov, rector of Sofia Medical University, said he believes the spoken word is a doctor's tool from the first contact with a patient and the taking of the medical history. In his view, creative work builds critical and analytical thinking, which helps with diagnosis and treatment, and the right word and a human touch heal, and save on medicines and even operations.

Assoc. Prof. Nikolay Mehterov of Plovdiv Medical University said many of the essays were about trust between doctor and patient, which a machine cannot give. "After reading all the entries, I am calm about the medicine of 2050," he said.

Prof. Vladimir Gonchev, deputy dean of the Medical Faculty in Burgas, said the essays link technology with morals and ethics. Every year, sharper young people come into medicine, and the training is like a marathon, he said. Assoc. Prof. Tsvetelin Georgiev, deputy dean in Stara Zagora, said humanity, empathy and responsibility run through all the entries.

Lawyer Svilena Dimitrova, chair of the Bulgarian Hospital Association, said the entries match the association's mission: the bond and trust between doctor and patient. She hopes society will deserve such people. Dr Tsvetelina Spiridonova, owner and manager of the Hygeia clinic, said she is happy to give the prize. In her view, money is a tool for discipline, while energy and imagination shape life.

Burgas State University announced in October that it will hold its sixth Autumn Medical Forum on 20 and 21 November in its assembly hall. This year's co-organiser is Trakya University in Edirne, Turkey.

"The doctor of the future will not be just an operator of artificial intelligence, but a bridge between high-tech innovation and lasting human compassion," said Dr Valentin Peev, secretary general of the Bulgarian Medical Association. He said the entries, close to 100 in all, beat expectations, and that the Bulgarian Medical Association will back young doctors to grow and stay in Bulgaria.