Student Resources

We encourage students and trainees to publish their work and research. In the past, our medical humanities students have published reflections written during third-year journaling, collaborated on essays with faculty, and submitted opinion pieces to various publications. Those interested in publishing may want to consider some of these publication venues. Additionally, conferences, editorial fellowships, essay contests, and professional organizations may be of interest.

In addition to the below, the McGovern Center maintains a database of publications in the humanities, ethics, and medical education. The database is accessible in Google Drive: https://go.uth.edu/resources/

BLOGS
According to the Arts explores how the arts contribute to understanding illness and its effects on lives.

Bioethics Today is the blog of the American Journal of Bioethics.

CALLS for PAPERS + POEMS

Ad Anima is a new literary medical journal starting at the University of California, Irvine. It is open for submissions of longer (1,000-7,500 words) creative nonfiction works from healthcare trainees and professionals. Those interested in writing for the journal may respond via submission form by April 30, 2025.

The Journal of Medical Humanities will feature a special edition on Poetry. Poets are invited to submit up to three poems on the theme of uncertainty. Interpretation of the theme remains with the poet and may be addressed directly or indirectly, but poets are encouraged to touch on health or healing. Poems must be unpublished. Prompt notification is requested if accepted for publication elsewhere. Poems should not exceed seventy lines (12-point font, one-inch margins), but may be of any form. Submit via email to [email protected]. In the subject line, please write “poetry submission JMH uncertainty.” Please include each poem as its own word attachment. The deadline is September 15, 2025. Selected poets will be notified and asked to write a brief commentary on their poem, which the editors will also review. Poems will appear with commentaries and an introduction by an editor in the Journal of Medical Humanities.

The Journal of Patient Experiences will have a special collection, “The Intersection of Humanism in Healthcare and Patient Experience,” a collaboration with The Arnold P. Gold Foundation. Successful submissions will investigate or illuminate specific policies, initiatives, or tools that make healthcare more humanistic and yield a clear impact on patients and patient experience, clinicians, and/or the institution. Submissions are open and will be published on a rolling basis. Deadline: December 1, 2025.

CONFERENCES

Supported by a grant from the National Endowment of the Humanities, Sam Houston State University is hosting a Medical Humanities Conference from October 2-3, 2025, in Huntsville, TX. The conference aims to promote interdisciplinary discussion around topics common to medicine, humanities, and the social sciences.

The Academy of Professionalism in Health Care presents its conference on Building and Rebuilding Trust: Reflection and Action in Professionalism from June 4-6, 2025, in Chicago, IL, and virtually in Zoom. Register

Healthcare Education and Learning Through the Humanities (H.E.A.L.T.H.) will host a free in-person conference on health humanities and health professions education on May 30, 2025, in Bethesda, MD.

The American Society for Bioethics and Humanities will hold the 2025 annual meeting in Portland, OR, from October 22-25, 2025.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) regional groups on Educational Affairs (GEA), Student Affairs (GSA), and Student Representatives (OSR) will host their respective conferences in the spring of 2025. The Southern Region will host their meeting from April 28 – 30, 2025, in Miami, FL. Registration is closed, but a waiting list is available.

CONTESTS

McGovern Center Writing Awards for Fiction
The McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics is pleased to announce a nationwide open call for unpublished fiction that is medical or healthcare-related in theme or focus. Winners will receive $500 and an opportunity to publish in the Journal of Medical Humanities. There will be three distinct prizes awarded, including a student award. Entries are due December 1, 2025, via Qualtrics form. For more information, visit Writing Awards in Fiction.

ORGANIZATIONS

PODCASTS
Bioethics in the Margins
A podcast about bioethics and medical humanities, highlighting marginalized voices and topics.

Genetic Frontiers
This newly launched podcast explores the promise, power, and perils of genetic information. Episodes are available on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

In the Same Vein
This podcast is co-hosted by a University of Rochester student and professor and focuses on how medicine, the humanities, and ethics are intertwined. Innovative topics are presented through interviews with scholars. The podcast is available via Apple and Spotify.

Journeys to Medicine: The Synapse Podcast
The Synapse Club at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine is a group of aspiring physicians passionate about storytelling and medical humanities. Journeys to Medicine is the official podcast of GCSOM’s Synapse.

The Clinic and The Person
Developed to attract the attention of healthcare professionals, educators, researchers, and others interested in the plights of people with specific health problems aided by the humanities’ knowledge and perspectives.