Georgetown Medical Review Offers Opportunities for School of Medicine Students

Posted in GUMC Stories

October 28, 2016 – As a student looking for a place to submit his research on concussions, Jeremy Altman (M’18) was surprised to learn about the high submission fees many journals charge. David Milzman, MD, professor of emergency medicine, told Altman that some medical schools have their own student-run journals. Inspired by their example and led by Milzman, Altman and several other students worked together to create their own journal.

The first issue of the Georgetown Medical Review (GMR), a free open access medical student review journal, was published online in October. It features original articles on topics including the legalization of medical marijuana to treat pediatric epilepsy, injuries sustained when hockey players fight during the course of a game and a comparison of anesthetic methods for treating dislocated shoulders.

“I wanted to participate because I thought we had an opportunity to really create something at Georgetown medical school that could last and would help make us unique,” said Altman, who serves as the journal’s senior copy editor. “It would let us learn about the entire process of not only conducting research but also of publishing it.”

“There’s a lot that goes on here which doesn’t make it out into the wider publishing world,” said Rand Floyd (M’20), GMR deputy editor. “We want to give students an outlet to display their hard work and a place where they can share the research which is so critical to advancing our knowledge of medical science.”  

Helping Students Develop Skills and Gain Experience

In addition to giving students like Altman a place to publish their research, the GMR is also intended to give students the opportunity to serve on the staff of a medical research journal and to improve their research skills. “We want to learn more for ourselves about world of academic research,” Floyd said.

As a student at Georgetown University Law Center, Kirsten Schuster, JD, served as senior editor for the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law. Now a clinical research assistant in the School of Medicine, Schuster serves as editor in chief of the GMR.

“To me, the GMR is a perfect opportunity for Georgetown students to share not only their extraordinary research, but also their voice,” she said. “After all, both are necessary if we are to fulfill our roles as future leaders and create a healthcare system that empowers, protects, and serves its patients.”

A Student-Run Enterprise with Faculty Support

Since its inception, the GMR was intended to be run entirely by students. “We have a very talented and supportive group of faculty to support the editorial board and reviewers but like the law review, this is a student-run enterprise and future editors and editorial staff will be appointed based on academic and research contributions and success,” Milzman said.

Milzman encouraged the students to develop the journal’s website and plan for the first issue’s release, Floyd said. “While the GMR is student reviewed and edited, we are indebted to Dr. Milzman and other faculty for sharing their expertise.”

Spreading the Word

In the long term, the students behind the GMR will work toward having the journal recognized as a true refereed medical journal listed on PubMed so it would be carried in every medical school and research library in the country, Milzman said.

“We hope that others will have as much enthusiasm for the GMR as we have, and that it will continue to grow and develop in years to come,” said Douglass Johnson (M’20), GMR deputy editor. ‘We encourage people with any level of medical knowledge to get involved, as we have a variety of positions and responsibilities.”

Students who are interested in getting involved as reviewers, editorial staff members or contributors are asked to email GMRsubmissions@gmail.com.

Kat Zambon
GUMC Communications