This issue we are asking for submissions related to our theme of Courage. 

Courage is a theme that has been explored time and time again. From daring acts of superhuman courage written in comic books to the personification of courage as seen in the Wizard of Oz's Lion to celebrated historical figures who enacted change through defiant conviction. While these marked examples of bravery can mold the future, the impact of small, daily acts of courage should not be ignored. Particularly in the field of medicine, small acts of courage are omnipresent in many forms: vulnerability, honesty, restraint, and quiet persistence. How have you been personally impacted by an act of courage, whether big or small? Maybe this was something that you witnessed: was it from someone in your orbit, someone you encountered in passing, a stranger? How did this change the way you view the world around us? Did it inspire you to action? Did it take an unexpected form? Or maybe it was a time that you yourself felt emboldened to take the harder road. What prompted you to act? Were you surprised by the outcome?

Finally, how do you recognize courage in yourself and in others? And what does courage look like when no one is watching?

We invite you to share your thoughts and reflections.

Submissions are open through Sunday, November 9th at 11:59PM EST. 

Tell us your story! We welcome broad interpretations of our theme.  We welcome reflective pieces, humor, fiction, creative nonfiction, video, art, photography, and expressions from all students and trainees in the healthcare fields on the humanity and inhumanity of medicine. We strongly welcome the voices of those who’ve taken unusual routes to medicine, those who are underrepresented in medical fields, our colleagues who identify as POC or members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and of course, we want to hear your story; whomever you may be. 

 Submission Criteria: 

• All submissions must be submitted by individuals who are students/trainees in a medical field (including but not limiting the fields of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, physical therapy, occupational therapy, midwifery, etc).
• Intellectual property rights are retained by the author.
• All work submitted becomes the property of Auxocardia and may be reproduced in part or whole at the discretion of the editors. All work submitted is subject to requests for edits at the discretion of the editors.
• We reserve the right to decline any admissions that do not meet our submission criteria or do not meet our editorial standards for publication.
• Of course, we require any piece that references or refers to patient narratives to be completely de-identified and without any protected health information.
• As always, feel free to reach out to us for collaborations and features.
• We follow FNASR for published work. We are a proud member of the CLMP.

    Questions? Contact us at auxocardiajournal@gmail.com.