Guest Post: Matt Schiller of the AMSJ

Undergraduate medical and biomedical students: lo and behold, there is reason for celebration. And, if on top of that you're an Australian, then you might as well start running naked in your apartment -- or start writing that scientific paper you've always wanted to. It is your chance to change the scientific world and add to science's repository. The peer-reviewed Australian Medical Student Journal (AMSJ) was launched last week with aim to provide an adequate place to showcase the work of medical and biomedical undergrads studying in an Australian institution and to provide an academic forum for discussion of topics our generation looks to be focusing on.

Student Voices contacted Matt Schiller, Editor-in-Chief and Chair of AMSJ, to find out more about this free publication. Here is the official word from Matt which may well get you as excited as I am about this endeavour.

A Landmark Publication for Medical Students 

Medical students across Australia have reason to be excited and proud, with the recent launch of the Australian Medical Student Journal (AMSJ). The AMSJ is a national, student-operated, peer-reviewed biomedical journal, which publishes relevant and topical research, reviews, and opinions of students from across the country. It is distributed free of charge to 14,000 medical students Australia-wide via both print and online editions.

The journal's recent launch function was attended by medical students from across Australia, with AMA President Dr. Andrew Pesce present to do the honour of cutting the ribbon from the first box of copies. The AMA has been one of many prominent medical organisations to support the AMSJ through its development and inauguration.

So, why has it taken so long for Australia to have a publication like this? Today's medical student is very different from one of twenty, or even ten, years ago. For one, there are a lot more of us (but I'll save that thought for the next editorial!). New selection criteria for our programs really have led to an increasingly diverse cohort of students, with an increasingly wide range of interests to match. Not only that, our programs themselves have shifted toward ever more self-directed learning, plus incorporation of student-led research. These factors combined to make a student-led biomedical journal a really appropriate and necessary venture. Not only do students need a publication to support and foster their research interests and develop them into the cutting-edge researchers of tomorrow, but they also need a legitimate academic forum in which to flesh out their opinions on medico-political issues and more. The degree of need and interest is reflected by the fact that close to one hundred article submissions were received for the inaugural issue alone.

So what is in the inaugural issue? Many article types are what one would expect from an existing biomedical journal, such as original research articles, review articles, and case reports. Each of these was rigorously peer-reviewed by at least two expert academics or clinicians associated with Australian universities, many of whom are world leaders in their respective fields. Other article types push the boundaries of traditional journals, with reviews of student textbooks, medical career pieces, and a host of unique feature articles. The AMSJ certainly offers opportunities for a wide variety of styles.

Furthermore, everything published, including research articles, is squarely focused on providing interesting reading for medical students, that being of the primary selection criteria. The articles in the first issue span topics from new surgical techniques, to rural and indigenous health, to pharmaceutical promotion, to complementary medicine. Fourteen medical schools are represented among the articles in the issue. A number of guest authors have also contributed, including Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Australian of the Year Prof. Patrick McGorry, AMA President Dr. Andrew Pesce, and prominent medical author Prof. Nicholas Talley.

The AMSJ is not the first-ever student medical journal, with examples having existed in other parts of the world for some time. However, the AMSJ most definitely has its own very unique flavour, and has really aimed to define what a student medical journal is. Furthermore, the quality, diversity, and interest-factor of the articles in the inaugural issue, as well as the stringent review processes they underwent, is arguably unparalleled for a student journal. The publication is a real testament to the talent and passion of Australian medical students.

The best thing about the AMSJ is that it is totally free of charge to anyone who would like to read it! Just visit www.amsj.org.

--Matt Schiller, Chair and Editor-in-Chief of the AMSJ

Check out these other student-run publications which cater to science undergrads. Here is a short list of some we recommend:

1.      The Journal of Undergraduate Sciences (http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~jus/about.html)

2.      Eukaryon (http://www.lakeforest.edu/eukaryon/)

3.      McGill Journal of Medicine (http://www.med.mcgill.ca/mjm/)

4.      New Zealand Medical Student Journal (http://www.otago.ac.nz/nzmsj)