Dr. Kenneth J. Friedman Vermont CFIDS Scholarship
Student Scholarship Program

Dear Student Scholarship Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in applying for the Dr. Kenneth J. Friedman-Vermont CFIDS Association
Student Scholarship offered by the Vermont CFIDS Association, Inc.

The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage you to learn about Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction
Syndrome by writing an essay about this illness. CFIDS is also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and ME/CFS.

This student scholarship is not a financial need scholarship. It is open to all Vermont graduate students.

The winner of the scholarship will receive a $1,000 award that will be applied toward the tuition of his/
her education. Everyone who submits an essay will receive a certificate of
participation. Selected essays will be published on the Vermont CFIDS website and in other appropriate
places.

Completed applications must be received electronically no later than August 15, 2012. The winner
will be announced by September 15, 2012.

If you need an additional copy of this application or any portion of it, you may download the application
from the Vermont CFIDS Association website: www.vtcfids.org

We hope that the process of writing the essay for this scholarship, and possibly being the winner of it,
will contribute to your becoming a health care professional who is better able to assist and provide compassionate
care for patients suffering from CFIDS and similar, complex illnesses with no known cures.

The Vermont CFIDS Association is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. The
goals of the Vermont CFIDS Association are to: (1) raise public awareness of Chronic Fatigue Immune
Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), (2) support and advocate for Vermonters who suffer the debilitating
symptoms of this and related disorders, and (3) facilitate the education of patients, families,
healthcare providers and primary care physicians in order to validate and establish a recognized and
acceptable protocol for the diagnosis and treatment of CFIDS.

If you have any questions regarding your CFS Student Scholarship application, or the Vermont
CFIDS Association, please contact Rik Carlson:
email:admin@vtcfids.org

Sincerely,

Rik Carlson
Chair, Student Scholarship Committee
Vermont CFIDS Association

Essay

Write an essay of approximately 3,000 words on the following topic:

A patient recently diagnosed with a psychosomatic disorder by another physician requests a second opinion from you as to the cause of her debilitating illness and requests a thorough evaluation.2 She believes, based upon her research on the internet, that her symptoms are consistent with a diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.2 How would you proceed?2

A summary of her medical history is as follows:

A 35-year-old female has come to your office for a second opinion and possible treatment. She states that she was healthy until one morning two years ago, when she woke feeling as if she had the flu with a sore throat and body aches. She felt unable to get out of bed because of lightheadedness upon sitting.

After a week, her symptoms improved to the extent that she was able to return to work although working exhausted her. She attempted to increase her stamina by exercising at her local gym. On days subsequent to exercising she felt worse physically and had difficulty concentrating. She stopped exercising.

For the past two years she has continued to feel exhausted. She has difficulty in falling to sleep at night and wakes up feeling un-refreshed. She continues to have difficulty in concentrating and gets frequent headaches and dizziness. She can't walk far because her legs feel weak. If she rests a lot, she feels slightly better, but will relapse with a return of all symptoms after any exertion.

After several warnings about frequent absences from work and the substandard quality of her work, she lost her job. She became depressed and anxious. She has seen her primary care physician on several occasions. He ordered routine blood tests, CBC with differential, sedimentation rate, routine chemistry, thyroid screen and a chest x-ray. He told her that all her test results fall within the normal range and he can find no physical illness to account for her debilitating symptoms. He prescribed an antidepressant medication. The medication made her feel worse, so she stopped it.

A year after the onset of her illness, her husband abandoned her because she was no longer the woman he married. She needs to apply for social security disability benefits and has obtained a report from her doctor. The report states that she is suffering from a psychosomatic disorder.

Your essay must not exceed 10 double-spaced pages of 12-point type with 1-inch margins.

References should be cited within the text of the essay using standard, medical journal format.

At least 10 references should be cited.

A bibliography containing all references cited in the essay should be included at the end of the essay.
The bibliography should be formatted using standard, medical journal format.

The document needs to be scholarly and well-referenced. Citing web sites as references is not acceptable.
The essay must not have been offered or submitted elsewhere.

Essays not conforming to these standards will not be considered.

A committee has been formed by Vermont CFIDS Association to review the submitted essays and select
the winner. Judging will be on the basis of scholarship, and the demonstration of understanding the
difficulties involved in diagnosing and providing compassionate and effective care to CFS patients.