US Student Case Study Competition Terms & Conditions

Updated: 16th June 2026

These Terms and Conditions govern participation in the Scope Connect Student Case Study Competition (the “Contest”), operated by Scope Health Inc. By submitting a case study, all entrants agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

1. About the Contest

Scope Connect is an expert-led digital education hub for eye care professionals. The Scope Connect Student Case Study Competition is the inaugural student case study contest, inviting third- and fourth-year optometry students and optometry residents based in the United States to share clinical insight and contribute to the broader eye care community.

The Contest is officially launched at American Optometric Association (AOA) Meeting 2026 (June 17–20, 2026, Phoenix, AZ). Winners will be announced at the American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting in fall 2026.This competition is in no way affiliated or sponsored by the American Optometric Association or the American Academy of Optometry.

2. Eligibility

Who May Enter
To be eligible to enter, participants must:

• Sign up for a free account on Scope Connect at https://scope-connect.com/
• Be currently enrolled as a third- or fourth-year student at an accredited Doctor of Optometry (OD) program in the United States; or
• Be an optometry resident currently completing an accredited residency program in the United States (all ACOE-accredited residency tracks are eligible, including ocular disease, primary care, contact lenses, low vision, pediatrics, and other specialties)
• Be enrolled or actively participating in a residency at the time of submission

Who May Not Enter

• First- or second-year optometry students not yet engaged in direct patient care rotations
• Full-time employees or paid consultants of Scope Health Inc. or any affiliated companies, or immediate family members of such employees
• Current or past members of the Scope Connect Editorial or Scientific Advisory Boards

3. Individual Submissions

This Contest accepts individual submissions only. Co-authored or group case studies are not eligible. Each eligible entrant may submit a maximum of two (2) case studies during the submission period.

The case study must be submitted by the entrant who is the author. Submissions made by a third party on behalf of the author will not be accepted.

4. How to Enter

All submissions must be made electronically through the official Scope Connect contest portal at:
https://scope-connect.com/scope-student-case-study-competition-entry-form/

No email, postal, or third-party platform submissions will be accepted.

Submissions that are incomplete, do not follow the format guidelines, or include identifying information in the manuscript file will be deemed ineligible without further review.

5. Required Submission Materials

Each submission package must include all of the following:

• Case Study Manuscript — a full written case study in the required format, submitted as a Microsoft Word document (.docx) or PDF
• Submission Form — submitted as a separate document, including: title of the case study; entrant’s full name, degree program (OD year or residency type), and institution name; contact email address; and confirmation of eligibility
• Anonymised Manuscript — the main case study file must contain no identifying information (no author name, institution name, or any detail that could reveal the author’s identity). Judging is conducted blind.
• Patient Consent Declaration — a signed statement confirming that written informed consent was obtained from the patient (or legal guardian), or that the case has been sufficiently de-identified in accordance with HIPAA standards
• Declaration of Originality — a signed statement confirming the work is the entrant’s original work, has not been previously published in any peer-reviewed journal or public platform, and is not simultaneously submitted elsewhere

6. Case Study Format Requirements

Case studies should be 1,000–2,000 words in length (excluding references and figure/image captions). Submissions outside this word range may be disqualified. Submissions must be written in English.

Case studies must follow the structure below (in this order):

1. Title — Concise, informative, and reflective of the clinical lesson or unique aspect of the case (max 20 words)
2. Abstract (150–250 words) — A structured abstract including Background, Case Presentation, Management, and Key Learning Points
3. Introduction (100–200 words) — Brief context-setting section explaining the clinical relevance and why this case merits attention
4. Case Presentation — Chief complaint and relevant history (ocular and systemic); findings from examination; differential diagnosis considered; working diagnosis and rationale
5. Management & Treatment Plan — Selected treatments or interventions and clinical rationale; product or therapeutic category used (if applicable); patient education provided. Treatment plan can feature any combination of products from Scope Health or alternative suppliers.
6. Outcomes & Follow-Up
7. Discussion — What made the case unique or instructive; connection to current literature and guidelines; broader implications for clinical practice
8. Key Learning Points — A bulleted list of 3–5 concise clinical pearls or takeaways
9. References

7. Important Dates

Contest Launch: Optometry’s Meeting 2026, June 17, 2026, Phoenix, AZ

Submissions Open: July 1, 2026

Submission Deadline: August 17, 2026, 11:59 PM Pacific Time. No late submissions will be accepted.

Judging Period: September 1–30, 2026
Finalists Notified & Winners Announced: American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting, Fall 2026

Publication on Scope Connect: Within 60 days of winner announcement

8. Selection Process & Judging Criteria

Our independent judging panel featuring Dr. Cory Lappin & Dr. Susan Gromacki will evaluate all eligible submissions. The judging panel will assess each case study against the following criteria:

• Clinical Relevance & Originality: Unique, instructive scenario with meaningful relevance to practice
• Quality of Clinical Reasoning: Logical differential diagnosis, evidence-based management, and sound decision-making
• Evidence Base & References: Claims supported by current peer-reviewed literature, correctly cited
• Clarity of Writing & Structure: Well-organised, professionally written, and follows the required format
• Educational Value: Clear, actionable learning points that benefit students or practitioners

In the event of tied scores, the judges will re-evaluate tied submissions with particular weight given to Clinical Relevance & Originality. The decision of the panel of judges is final and binding and not subject to appeal.

All contestants will remain anonymous throughout the judging process. Identifying information will be removed prior to review. The identities of judges will not be disclosed to participants.

Dr. Gromacki and Dr. Lappin are acting as consultants for Scope Health and received honoraria for their services, they will evaluate all submissions strictly in accordance with the independent judging criteria.

9. Awards

Top 3 Winners — Published on Scope Connect
The three highest-scoring case studies will each be:

• Awarded a USD $500 gift voucher for an online retailer (such as Amazon.com), delivered within 10–15 days of being announced. The voucher is non transferrable and is intended to be used for educational, clinic or practice enhancement purposes.
• Published and featured on Scope Connect, accessible to thousands of eye care professionals across the US and internationally
• Recognised publicly at the American Academy of Optometry Annual Meeting 2026
• Acknowledged with a personalised digital certificate of achievement from Scope Connect
• Given the opportunity to be introduced to the Scope Connect editorial community for future content collaboration

Runners-Up (4th–8th Place) — Scope Gift Hampers

• Five (5) additional finalists will each receive a Scope Gift Hamper, curated from the Scope and Optase product portfolio, including premium dry eye and eye care products valued at approximately $150–$200 USD per hamper. These entrants will also receive a personalised Certificate of Merit from Scope Connect.

Recognition for All Finalists
All 8 finalists (top 3 winners plus 5 runners-up) will be listed on the Scope Connect website and promoted through Scope Connect’s digital and social media channels.

The award will be delivered within 10–15 days of the winner announcement.

10. Rules of Conduct & Integrity

Originality
All submissions must be the original, independent work of the entrant. Work generated entirely or substantially by artificial intelligence tools (e.g. ChatGPT or similar large language model tools) is not permitted. Entrants may use such tools for grammar and language editing only; the clinical content, reasoning, and writing must be the entrant’s own work. Scope Connect and the judging panel reserve the right to verify the originality of submissions through plagiarism detection software.

Plagiarism
Any submission found to contain plagiarised content — whether from published literature, other students’ work, or AI-generated content presented as original — will be immediately disqualified. If plagiarism is discovered after an award has been issued, the award may be revoked and the entrant’s institution notified.

Patient Privacy
Entrants bear full responsibility for ensuring that all patient information is de-identified in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Neither Scope Connect nor Scope Health Inc. assumes any liability for patient privacy violations arising from submitted case studies. Submissions that contain recognisable personal health information (PHI) will be disqualified.

Academic Standing
By submitting, entrants confirm that they are in good academic standing at their institution. Scope Connect reserves the right to verify enrollment and academic standing.

Institutional Approval
Some institutions may require students or residents to obtain faculty or programme director approval before submitting case studies for public competitions. Entrants are solely responsible for obtaining any required institutional approvals prior to submission.

11. Disqualification

Scope Connect reserves the right to disqualify any submission for the following reasons, without limitation:

• Submission is incomplete or submitted after the deadline
• Submission does not follow the required format or word count
• Evidence of plagiarism or academic misconduct
• Entrant does not meet eligibility criteria
• Patient privacy standards are not met

12. Intellectual Property & Publication Rights

By submitting a case study, entrants grant Scope Connect a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to publish, promote, and distribute the winning and runner-up case studies on the Scope Connect platform and through Scope Connect’s affiliated communication channels (digital, print, and social media). Entrants retain authorship credit and copyright ownership of their work.

For the three published winners:

• The case study will be published on Scope Connect under the entrant’s full name and credentials, with their institution acknowledged
• Scope Connect will work with winners to review and lightly edit submissions for publication format, with author approval required before publication
• Winners will be asked to provide a professional headshot and a short author biography (approximately 100 words) for publication

Submission of a case study does not guarantee publication. Runners-up case studies will not be published unless separately agreed in writing.

Scope Connect will not use, publish, or reproduce any case studies submitted to them for promotional purposes outside of the terms described herein.

Participants have the right to access, review, rectify, cancel, or delete any personal data held by Scope Health Inc.

13. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

This Contest and these Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the United States. Any disputes relating to this Contest shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the state in which Scope Health Inc. is incorporated.

Any required disclosures made by Scope Health Inc. pursuant to its obligations under the federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act (and any similar applicable state laws) will not be considered a breach of any confidentiality obligations hereunder.

Individuals residing in California: please refer to https://scopeeyecare.com/medical/ccpa-policy/ for additional California-specific privacy terms.

14. Contact & Further Information

For contest enquiries, please contact the Scope Connect editorial team at:
Email: education@scopeeyecare.com
Contest Portal: https://scope-connect.com/scope-student-case-study-competition-entry-form/