Background and Aim:

Despite existing evidence that academic interests in secondary school students are associated with their later academic careers, early exposure to health sciences remains limited in many educational settings, potentially affecting future healthcare workforce development. In collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine at Vilnius University (VU MF), the Lithuanian Medicine Olympiad (LitMO) was established in 2025 to promote students’ interest in medicine and health sciences through a national, student-led educational initiative.

Materials and Methods:

2025 LitMO was conducted in two stages: an online qualifying round open to all Lithuanian students, which attracted over 1100 registrations and second stage hosted at VU MF, to which the top 68 students were invited. A voluntary anonymous post-event survey among 134 first-round participants assessed LitMO’s influence and achievements.

Results:

LitMO became one of the few national medical olympiads eligible for participation in International Medicine and Disease Olympiad, following established competitions in the United States and China. Among identified national medical olympiads, LitMO is distinguished by combining an online qualifying round with a live final competition and a broad range of theoretical medical challenges. Among respondents, 63.5% intended to pursue health sciences and 53.7% reported that LitMO significantly influenced their study choice. Additionally, 77% of respondents felt an improvement in their health-related knowledge, and 98% evaluated the initiative positively.

Conclusions:

LitMO demonstrates that a national, medical student-led competition can promote health sciences, support informed career choice, and improve health literacy among secondary school students. The Lithuanian Medicine Olympiad represents an innovative and scalable model for encouraging secondary school students’ engagement with health sciences and supporting informed career exploration.