A medical student and I were successful in an application to the Friends’ Fund to hold a debating competition in Lancaster Town Hall, which all students across Lancaster University were able to enter. The debates have taken place in 2012 and 2013, and another is planned for 2014. The purpose of the debates is to foster discussion on medical ethics outside of the classroom. Dr Julian Sheather, the Head of the British Medical Association Ethics Department, acts as Chair for the competition and awards the Chair’s Choice Shield for the team he deems outstanding. The debates are judged by a panel made up of Law and Philosophy academics, clinicians from the local hospital, and the audience. At each debate, between 70-90 people have attended, made up of University staff and students, members of local hospitals, and the general public.