Vampire Cup.

Donate to save life.

AMSA's annual blood donation drive, run as a competition between Australian medical schools to see who can donate the most blood.

Vampire Cup saves over 10,000 lives every year

The Vampire Cup is AMSA’s annual blood donation drive, run as a competition between Australian medical schools to see who can donate the most blood! Australian Red Cross Lifeblood facilitates our national blood drive with each university having a Lifeblood donation group to electronically record donation numbers. The competition usually runs for eight weeks from April to May with each whole blood, plasma or platelet donation counting as 1 point to your university tally.

The race to save lives begins soon with students able to donate as many times as possible during the eight week period in order to claim glory for their university! As not all students are eligible to donate blood, any donations from family, friends, colleagues or acquaintances can count towards their university tally – so spread the word and get donating!

Book a donation

Why should you donate blood?

Let's save a life

Vampire Cup aims to increase blood donations while emphasising the importance of blood donation in the community. The competition is run in the lead-up to winter in order to boost blood stocks in this critical period. Australia needs more blood donors. Currently, 1 in 3 will need blood during their lifetime but only 1 in 30 donate.

…and win the vampire cup

In addition to these incredible benefits, Vampire Cup is a competition with prizes for the bloodiest universities! AMSA awards three major prizes to the Universities recording the highest percentage of the cohort donating, the highest number of raw donations and the greatest annual improvement. In 2021, we also had prizes for the Universities who record the greatest percentage of plasma donations and the most first-time donors.

What can you donate?

Whole blood

Whole blood is separated into its components of RBCs, plasma, and platelets to be used for a range of conditions from major blood loss to patients undergoing cancer treatment.

Donation time = ~15mins to donate; add 30-45mins for paperwork + interview
Donation frequency = once every 3 months

Plasma

Plasma is used to create 18 different blood products required lifelong for many patients with bleeding disorders, immunodeficiencies, and rare diseases.

Donation time = ~45mins to donate; add 30mins for paperwork + interview
Donation frequency = once every 2 weeks (or 4 weeks after whole blood)

Platelets

Platelets can only be stored for 5 days and as such are constantly needed. Only males can donate platelets in Australia due to a reduced incidence of Transfusion Related Acute Lung Injury (TRALI) in recipients.

Donation time = ~45mins to donate; add 30mins for paperwork + interview
Donation frequency = once every 2 weeks (or 4 weeks after whole blood)

Learn more at lifeblood australia

Vampire Cup Event Calendar

Participating Universities

Australian National University Medical Students Society (ANUMSS)
Bond University Medical Students Society (MSSBU)
Curtin University Association of Medical Students
Deakin University Medical Students Society (MEDUSA)
Flinders University Medical Students Society (FMSS)
Griffith University Medicine Society (GUMS)
James Cook University Medical Students Association (JCUMSA)
Macquarie University Medicine Society (MUMS)
Melbourne University Medical Students Society (UMMSS)
Monash University Medical Undergraduates Society (MUMUS)
The University of Adelaide Medical Students Society (AMSS)

University of New England Medical Students Association (UNEMSA)
University of New South Wales Medical Society (UNSWMS)
University of Newcastle Medical Society (UNMS)
University of Notre Dame Australia Medical Students Association (MSAND)
University of Queensland Medical Society (UQMS)
University of Sydney Medical Society (SUMS)
University of Tasmania Medical Students Society (TUMSS)
University of Western Australia (WAMSS)
University of Wollongong Medical Students Society (WUMSS)
Western Sydney University Medical Society (WSMS)

Our Partners

BOQ Specialist has worked closely with medical professionals for over 30 years and understand the unique challenges that you, as medical students, will face at the beginning of your career. You may find you need help towards your rising course fees, upcoming overseas electives, everyday living expenses, buying a new car to travel to clinical placements or even saving for your first home.

BOQ Specialist has a range of banking products and services to help get you started. For more information, visit www.boqspecialist.com.au/students