Categories of Articles:

1. Original Research

Includes basic science articles, clinical research and meta-anlyses:

• Basic Science articles include original research in areas not directly involving clinical insight/outcomes, nor are they considered clinical trials by the ICMJE. Fields involving these articles include but are not limited to: Biochemistry, Virology, Physiology, Pharmacology, Neuroscience, etc. Translational research falls under this category as long as investigations are not aimed at determining direct clinical outcomes. Articles may not exceed 2000 words (excluding abstract and references).
• The Clinical Research Section includes reports on clinical trials, systematic reviews, retrospective chart reviews, and translational research directed at determining clinical outcomes. Articles may not exceed 2000 words (excluding abstract and references).
• Meta-analyses are critical assessments of the literature and data sources pertaining to clinical topics emphasizing factor such as cause, diagnosis, prognosis, therapy, or prevention. Meta-analyses should address a specific question or issue that is relevant for clinical practice/medical education and provide an evidenced based, balanced, patient-oriented review on a focused topic. Articles may not exceed 2000 words (excluding abstract and references).
• Sections to include:
  • Title Page with appropriate information
  • Structured Abstract: Limited to 300 words. Must include background, objectives, methods, results, conclusions, and relevance (what your study adds to already published literature)
  • Introduction
  • Materials and Methods
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • Acknowledgements
  • References (please use the American Medical Associations Manual of Style for citation format)

2. Research Letter

• Research Letters are concise, focused reports in response to original research previously published in the Pacific Northwest Medical Student Research Journal. These should not exceed 1000 words of text and six references and may include up to two tables or figures. Research Letters may have no more than seven authors. In general, Research Letters should be divided into the following sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion.
• Sections to include:
  • Title Page with appropriate information
  • Introduction
  • Methods
  • Results
  • Discussion
  • References (please use the American Medical Associations Manual of Style for citation format)

3. Case Report

• Case Reports present a synopsis of a single patient case along with a discussion centered on the significant aspects of the case. Recommended length is approximately 1000 words (excluding abstract, tables, figures, references, etc.). Figures are limited to a maximum of 2 tables and 4 additional photos/charts. A Consent Acknowledgement Form will need to be signed and submitted with all Case Reports.
• Sections to include:
  • Title Page with appropriate information
  • Structured Abstract: Limited to 300 words. Must include Introduction & Objective, Case Presentation, and Conclusion.
  • Introduction
  • Case Presentation
  • Discussion
  • Learning Points: Include 2-3 bulleted summary statements of the main teaching points/take away lessons of the report.
  • Acknowledgements
  • References (please use the American Medical Associations Manual of Style for citation format)

4. Commentary

• Commentaries are brief articles about a specific topic in medicine or science that emerges with profound impact, may be controversial or is a unique concept or approach to patient care or medical science. These are intended to bring attention and increase perspective and dialogue on new emerging science that expands medical scholarship and improves patient care. This type of article is less structured but should be well organized and clearly outline the topic, its importance, background and supporting evidence and present a clear case for the author’s position. Additionally, the article should include implications and recommendations, given the emerging topic and future research. Commentary articles allow authors to critically analyze an emerging article. Commentary articles should be in the authors own words. Please do not include quotes directly from the article.
• Articles must be recent (published within the last 2 years) and be of a high caliber journal (JAMA, NEJM, Journal of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Annuals of Emergency Medicine, American Family Physician, etc.). Students should work with a mentor of their choice throughout the writing process.
• Sections to include:
  • Title Page with appropriate information
  • Article Referenced
  • Introduction: Any pertinent background information needed to introduce the article.
  • Importance: Overview of the topic discussed and the main purpose/reason for this review
  • Observation: Principal findings from the article
  • Conclusions and Relevance: Conclusions including clinical applications and relevance)

5. Reviews

• • Reviews are focused articles that synthesize the most significant current literature on a given medical or scientific topic into a concise report. These are intended to summarize current knowledge on the topic and identify gaps and pathways for future research and development. The review article should include detailed descriptions of previous research and knowledge, most recent findings in the literature and any implications for practice, policy and future research. Systematic reviews and meta-analysis follow a rigorous methodology and should be submitted under original research. Total Length: 3000-4000 words (excluding abstract, illustrations, and references). Table/Figure Limits: up to 8 tables/figures
  • Sections to include:
    • Title Page with appropriate information
    • Structured Abstract: Limited to 300 words.
    • Introduction: Any pertinent background information needed to introduce the article.
    • Importance: Overview of the topic discussed, recent findings and the main purpose/reason for this review
    • Conclusions and Relevance: Conclusions including clinical applications and relevance)
    • References (please use the American Medical Associations Manual of Style for citation format)

6. Short communication

• Short communications articles are brief reports that are similar to original research, but are intended for small scale research or research that is in early stages of development i.e. pilot studies, pre-liminary data and initial findings that illustrate a need for further study. A short communication article should follow the same rigor, format and guidelines as original research (see above guidelines), however it will be a shorter manuscript.
• Sections to include:
• Total Length: up to 1500 words (excluding abstract, illustrations, and references)
• Abstract Length: up to 150 words
• Table/Figure Limits: up to 3 tables and figures

7. Artwork

• All styles and mediums welcome. Topics focused on medicine, healthcare, and the Pacific Northwest will be given priority but are not necessary to be accepted. Accepted submissions will be used as possible cover art, individual page works, and article supplementation.
• Please include a Title Page, Author Statement, and a short (1 paragraph maximum) description of your piece with all artwork submissions.

Eligibility:

• The first author of submitted articles must be a student enrolled at an accredited medical school or residency program/fellowship program. The submitting author must use their institutional email as their contact email (i.e.; @westernu.edu). The Editorial Board retains the right to contact the submitting author's institutional administration to verify enrollment.
• Research must not be published elsewhere or under consideration for publication elsewhere. Authors agree not to submit the article elsewhere while under consideration for publication in PNWMSRJ.
• Authors must meet the following 4 criteria per International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Recommendations:
  • Substantial contributions to the conception or design of the work; or the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data for the work; AND
  • Drafting the work or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND
  • Final approval of the version to be published; AND
  • Agreement to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
  • Contributors who meet fewer than all 4 of the above criteria for authorship should not be listed as authors, but they should be acknowledged.
  • For further questions, please see the ICMJE’s Statement on Defining the Role of Authors and Contributors.
• Authors must submit the Author Statement signed by all listed authors.
• Authors must submit a completed ICMJE Conflict of interest disclosure form (must be viewed with Adobe Reader) if there are conflicts of interests to declare. Otherwise state "No conflicts of interests to disclose" on title page.
• Authors must submit a Consent Acknowledgement Form.
• Authors must adhere to the journal Publication Ethics Policy.
• Authors must adhere to the journal Style Guidelines.

Title Page requirements:

All submissions must include a title page with the following information:

• Article Title
• Author Names (Name, title/degree, and institutional affiliation)
• Corresponding Author Contact Information: Author name, institutional email, phone number.
• IRB Approval. All submissions must include a statement regarding IRB approval. If IRB approval was required, please list the institution and IRB approval number for which it was obtained. If IRB approval was not required for your article, please include a statement indicating IRB approval was not necessary.
• Statement of source(s) of support. Includes grants, equipment, drugs, facilities, etc. If no support was provided, please indicate.
• Conflict of Interest declaration. Please disclose all conflicts of interest here. If none, please indicate. Authors must complete the ICMJE conflict of interest form if there are conflicts of interest to disclose.
• Word Count. Excluding abstract, tables, figures legends, and references.
• Number of figures and tables. Please limit number of figures and tables to 5 total.

How to Submit:

• Register for an account at https://pnwmsrj.org. Click on the “Register” tab from the top menu.
• After registering, go back to the home page and click on the “Submit” tab. Make sure you have completed the pre-submission checklist and fill out the necessary forms. Make sure to use your school assigned email address when submitting your article.
• You will receive a confirmation email when we receive your submission.