OUtside the hospital walls

We in medicine are privileged to have opportunities at joy and fulfillment in our work that grows from meaningful human connections and direct impact. However, a clinician’s work may never be done. In our sometimes overwhelming and demanding careers, at times, you may feel you are losing parts of yourself that aren’t in the clinic or hospital. In our next issue, we want to hear about the many sides of you. Who are you in versus outside the hospital? How must you code switch or otherwise change to fit into the medical mold — and to fit back into your communities? How have your identities overlapped and complimented each other — and how have they collided?

We also want to hear from people with experiences as patients, caregivers, translators or advocates. How have you felt seen or unseen as a full person in the course of your medical care? What are ways clinicians have gotten to know the real you — or ways that you wish they would? How do you communicate your values, priorities and realities to your care providers? What questions do you wish you were asked?

We are excited to experience your interpretations of this theme, and hope to receive your submission by April 30, 2025.

Information for Authors & Artists

We accept any and all works in the medical humanities -- that is, creative work that explores the process, experience, and identities related to medicine, health and humanity.

Submission Types:

In general, we are open and willing to accept any form of art or writing. It is notable that we are not a research-focused publication, and research or review articles may fit better in another publication.

We accept:

  • Multimedia pieces, including (but not limited to):

    • Visual art (2D or 3D)

    • Audio (songs, spoken word)

    • Audio-visual (video, performances)

    • Gustatory/olfactory (ex., recipes, preferably with explanation of fit with the publication’s overall theme).

  • Written word — we have more specific categories for these pieces:

    • Poetry: stand-alone poetry pieces, or short-form poetry pieces (think Nayyirah Waheed or Rupi Kaur)

    • Narratives: short, medium, or long-form creative fiction and non-fiction. May also include non-fiction, academic pieces about topics of interest to the community. Please list any references in JAMA style with numbered in-text citations.

    • Perspectives: personal experiences and stories shared from members of our community, typically written like an blog post or short essay. Includes opinion/argument/debate, arguing a point. Please list any references in JAMA style