Medical Journals Publish Poetry

Posted by Sarah Turner Jun 4, 2008

The intersection of medicine and literature is nothing new. William Carlos Williams and Anton Chekov are just two writers who were also successful physicians.

Vincent Lam, doctor and writer, won the 2006 Giller Prize for "Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures," [Random House, 2006] a book of short stories about a group of doctors and their medical experiences.

Despite this long tradition, I was surprised to learn that medical journals still publish poetry. Surprised only because I think of medical journals as dry, technical publications.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) publishes poetry in every issue. According to their website, they accept, "poems related to the medical experience, whether from the point of view of a health care worker or patient, or simply an observer, will be considered. Poems should be original, not previously published or under consideration elsewhere, and no longer than 50 lines."

The Journal of the Canadian Medical Association (CMAJ) also publishes poetry. It appears as though all submissions are done through an electronic system, but it might be best to contact the editor first.

For a taste of what they've published recently, check out the CMAJ website.

I love that medical journals are publishing poetry. It makes me wonder what other unusual poetry markets are out there.