The Brown Journal of Medical Humanities is a new, undergraduate-run publication that spotlights the interdisciplinary, humanistic, and cultural study of illness, healthcare, and the body. We are seeking artistic and literary submissions for our next issue, to be published in the spring of 2023, on subjects including but not limited to medicine, healing, aging, and pain; a more comprehensive list of topics is detailed below. We are accepting submissions for our print and digital journal until November 28, 2023. We will primarily spotlight undergraduate pieces but welcome submissions from graduate students as well as anyone hoping to share their medical experiences, including physicians and patients alike.

We only accept work that is original and of your sole authorship, literary, or artistic creation. We do not welcome simultaneous submissions or work that has been previously published, including on a blog or online in another fashion. 

Topics the Journal will cover include:

  • Narrative Medicine
  • Bioethics
  • Medical Sociology
  • Medical Anthropology
  • Disability Studies
  • History of Medicine
  • Politics of Health
  • Trauma in Literature and Poetry
  • Health Economics
  • Public Health
  • Global Health
  • Medical Storytelling

We will accept both fiction and nonfiction submissions of any length, generally under 3,500 words, and in a range of writing styles. We have organized the journal according to the following categories:

Genres:

  • Academic Papers: Academic essays refer to research papers, literary and media analyses, distilled theses and dissertations, and other empirical studies that discuss the study and practice of narrative medicine. Papers of this genre should include a title, abstract, the body of the paper, and a MLA works cited page. Abstracts should be between 150-250 words, describing the article’s key argument and methods. Citations should follow the MLA Style Manual 8th edition for formatting, in-text quotations, and bibliography. Do not use endnotes; footnotes are discouraged. Please submit as a Microsoft Word file (.docx or .doc). Please adhere to Times New Roman plain font, sized 12, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins, and include a bibliography if necessary.
  • Fiction: We seek submissions that examine narratives of health, healthcare, illness, and the body through captivating fictional stories along this thematic continuum. 
  • Creative Nonfiction: We welcome descriptive and narrative essays as well as ethnographic accounts of first-person experiences in the medical encounter. Such pieces should be anecdotal in nature, highlighting critical self-reflection, gains in experiential knowledge, and/or change in perspective over time. Pieces may highlight a specific event or a series of moments in time with a clear narrative arc. We also accept field notes and/or associated commentary.
  • Poetry: Poetry submissions might address topics about trauma, healing, caregiving, and related subjects. Poems should generally not exceed more than two pages in length.
  • Visual Art: We will also accept relevant artwork that critically reflects on the uncertainty, ambiguity, and complexity at the heart of clinical decision-making, exposing all aspects of the human condition. We look for painting, photography, and other visual representations that push the boundaries of medical storytelling. For artwork submissions, please use .jpg, .gif, or .png format. In terms of image size, please provide the largest file possible.
  • Multimedia: The journal’s website will feature audio and visual recordings that engage with the themes of the medical humanities. For multimedia submissions, please use MP3/MP4 format. 

Patient Privacy Notice

In the spirit of a true medical journal, The Brown Journal of Medical Humanities borrows from medicine’s highest ideals of patient intellectual honesty and an awareness of our biases and limitations. The Journal honors the legal and ethical standards of contemporary medical and academic journals. All submissions must adhere to the confidentiality guidelines explained in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as well as the requirements of the Privacy Rule. To maintain standards of respect and safety and protect patient privacy and confidentiality, authors should pay particular attention to the eighteen commonly accepted HIPAA “unique identifiers.” We also urge authors to seek permission if submitting patient narratives and, if necessary, fictionalize and/or modify any identifiable personal information of subjects.

Disclaimer

We seek to give voice to unheard experiences of illness, foster empathetic dialogue between patients, clinicians, and the caring communities, and create a sense of community between patients, clinicians, medical students, writers, artists, readers, and scholars. As such, we hope to be a platform for new voices, a proving ground for new ideas, and a forum for the difficult but necessary conversations to transform healthcare. However, the perspectives, thoughts, and opinions conveyed in any materials published by The Brown Journal of Medical Humanities belong solely to the author and do not represent those of The Brown Journal of Medical Humanities, the Cogut Institute for the Humanities, or Brown University.

In addition, the information featured on our website or print journal is not to be interpreted as professional or medical advice by The Brown Journal of Medical Humanities, its authors, or any affiliates.

The author retains intellectual property rights to their work. However, all published work becomes the property of the Journal and may be reproduced, in part or whole, at the discretion of the Editors in future publications, either online or in print.

How to Submit

To submit your work, please email bjmh@brown.edu by November 28, 2023 with the subject “Submission: First Name Last Name.” 

For written work, please submit as a Microsoft Word file (.docx or .doc). For artwork, please use .jpg, .gif, or .png format; in terms of image size, please provide the largest file possible. For multimedia, please use MP3/MP4 format.

No more than two (2) submissions per genre per semiannual review period will be considered, except for the Poetry and Visual Art genre, which will allow up to four (4) submissions per genre per review period.

In addition to your work, please provide the following information with your submission in the body of your email: name, contact information, word count, a brief biography, your professional or educational affiliation(s), and any contextual information you would like the editors to know or that you would like included alongside your piece. 

If you have any additional questions, please reach out to bjmh@brown.edu.