Journal Notes: “Seeing the Light Bulbs Go On”—JGME’s Editor-in-Chief on Developing New Authors
Anyone new to scholarly writing knows that the process of submitting work to a journal and getting published can be daunting. The Journal of Graduate Medical Education (JGME) often receives questions that reflect the full spectrum—from seasoned authors with specific concerns, to those just starting out and unsure if JGME is even the right choice for their manuscript. JGME’s editors have been acutely aware of this challenge and have committed to providing resources to nurture and develop authors at all stages of experience.
These efforts continue in the August 2025 issue, which features an editorial by Editor-in-Chief Gail Sullivan, MD, MPH, Advice for Authors Considering Submitting to the Journal of Graduate Medical Education. This article adds to a rich collection of resources for anyone seeking insight into how the JGME editors select work, as well as general best practices for new authors seeking publication anywhere.
For Dr. Sullivan, this focus is not incidental. It has been part of JGME’s culture from the beginning, especially since medical education research differs in many ways from clinical research. She reflects, “We decided to provide something new, to help readers and authors understand how to better create educational materials and research. Physicians are more familiar with clinical and biomedical research, which is conducted quite differently. In medical education, however, many topics require new methods of study, such as qualitative methodology, where words and behaviors are studied. These methods often ask, ‘Why?’ or ‘How?’ rather than, ‘How much?’”
JGME launched in 2009, and Dr. Sullivan came on as Editor-in-Chief in 2010. She notes that while other medical education journals provide help for authors now, it was far less common back then. Even so, JGME is still distinctive in the way it nurtures new writers today, particularly in graduate medical education.
“We are unique in providing a lot more support and resources for novices. Other medical education journals tend to focus on more experienced educators and researchers,” She notes, adding, “The Editorial Board members are teachers at heart. We like seeing the light bulbs go on for authors.”
This educational spirit also comes through in the care that editors take with authors who submit to JGME and go through the challenging process of peer review and revision. Dr. Sullivan states that, “Because of the number of submissions, we can’t always provide detailed feedback, but it is very gratifying for most reviewers and all on our editorial team when we can.”
Indeed, while no author wants to receive a rejection letter, some still write to JGME expressing gratitude and surprise for the ways in which the feedback has strengthened their work and made them more confident to submit to other journals.
When asked about general advice for authors just starting out, Dr. Sullivan offered: “Read and skim at least one journal regularly. If the articles are of little interest, try another journal until you find one that speaks to you. Get familiar with the article categories and how they are written. Look up other articles by authors who are in your area of interest.” She also suggests being a peer reviewer as a way to learn, especially for a journal that allows you to see all the reviews as well as editor comments.
Finally, she recommends not going it alone: “Find or create a group of medical educators who want to do projects and get started on them. You can find people at your institution or through a clinical society. They don’t have to be in your specialty.”
The JGME website provides a wealth of information on the Resources for Authors page, where years of articles for authors are collected in one place. Find topics like improving one’s writing, research methods (qualitative and quantitative), authorship and other ethical questions, writing literature reviews, and using statistical methods. JGME’s podcast, Hot Topics in MedEd, also features content specifically for authors, such as the popular How to Avoid the Dreaded Desk Reject, an interview with Dr. Sullivan describing the article screening process and how an author can cross that first hurdle.
As always, JGME wants to hear from you. What resources have been most helpful, and what else would you like to see in a future issue? Send your thoughts to jgme@acgme.org.
Journal Notes blogger Kevin Gladish is a staff editor for the Journal of Graduate Medical Education. He’s been at the ACGME since 2016, and is also a performer, writer, and storyteller.