University of Toronto Medical Journal (UTMJ)
Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle M5S 1A8 Toronto, ON, Canada

utmj behind the scenes Meet Maleeha Ahmad Qazi, 2T3, one of our two Editors - in - Chief path prior to medical school... MAQ: I completed a PhD in Biochemistry - studying brain cancer biology - at McMaster University. what are some of your research interests? MAQ: I’m interested in primary and metastatic brain cancers, immunotherapy, and personalized medicine. what do you enjoy most about working with utmj? MAQ: It gives me immense pride, as an EiC, to provide a unique platform for students to experience and learn about both sides of the peer review process. It has also been an absolute pleasure working with such a diverse and unique team their enthusiasm and dedication to UTMJ makes it easier to introduce new initiatives and undertake challenging projects. what are some interests outside of medicine? MAQ: I enjoy reading, writing, gardening and FaceTime sessions with my niece :) SN: GET EXCITED our COVID-19 issue is set to be released next week! Follow UTMJ on all social media platforms to stay in the loop

utmj behind the scenes Meet Harsukh Benipal, 2T4, one of our Associate Editors path prior to medical school... HB: I completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences degree with a specialization and minor in Global Health and Interdisciplinary Science; as well as a Masters of Science in Health Research Methodology from McMaster University. what are some of your research interests? HB: I am interested in clinical epidemiology, observational study designs, systemic reviews and meta-analyses. what do you enjoy most about working with utmj? HB: I enjoy collaborating with accomplished authors, faculty reviewers, and UTMJ staff members to publish important and novel research. what are some interests outside of medicine? HB: I love hiking, listening to audiobooks and podcasts, and traveling! favorite article from a past issue of utmj? HB: A Conversation with a Physician in Italy Regarding the COVID-19 Pandemic. by Justin Hass [Vol. 97 No. 2 (2020)] < link to HB’s favorite article: https://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/article/view/1304/1255 >

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS This year, we are celebrating the publication of our 98th volume and are currently inviting submissions for our June 2021 issue on: VACCINES & IMMUNITY ... With the current COVID-19 pandemic having entered its second wave across the globe, a need for an effective and fast vaccination program cannot be further underscored. We are currently accepting submissions to the following sections of the UTMJ: - Original Basic, Clinical, or Epidemiological Research - Commentaries - Reviews - Medical Education - Case Reports An honorarium will be awarded to the top three student submissions in the amounts of $100, $75, and $50. Please refer to our submission/author guidelines for more details http://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/about/submissions The deadline for article submissions is February 15, 2021. Articles can be submitted through our website at www.utmj.org We look forward to reading your submissions! https://docs.google.com//1DtEGJiWZl3wNT27mfGhY/mobilebasic

utmj behind the scenes Meet Grace Lee, 2T4, one of our Interview Editors path prior to medical school... GL: I did my undergrad at McMaster University in the BHSc program! I loved working as an Anatomy TA while in school, and I greatly enjoyed being in an environment where everyone was so genuinely passionate about teaching and learning! what are some of your research interests? GL: I had a fantastic experience doing immunology research during my undergrad specifically in chronic inflammation and pulmonary fibrosis which I would love to transfer into exploration of cancer and transplant immunology in the future! what do you enjoy most about working with utmj? GL: I love being a part of an incredibly experienced, hardworking, and enthusiastic team that is collectively oriented towards the goal of disseminating impactful scientific knowledge. what are some interests outside of medicine? GL: I love baking! I’ve noticed that if I find creative ways to make healthy desserts, I can persuade others to eat more of them :) I also enjoy doing fun workouts and going on runs. favorite article from a past issue of utmj? GL: COVID-19: Canadian Medical Students Ready to Step Up by Sylvia Bowden [Vol. 97 No. 3 (2020); link in bio] < link to GL’s favorite article: http://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/article/view/1286 >

utmj behind the scenes Meet Jeffrey Lam Shi Cheung, 2T3, our Creative Director path prior to medical school... JC: I completed an undergraduate degree in health sciences. what are some of your research interests? JC: I am interested in the burgeoning field of tele health! what do you enjoy most about working with utmj? JC: I find it pretty exciting to see how lively the research community is. what are some interests outside of medicine? JC: I enjoy sci-fi films, reviewing action- adventure video games, and playing tennis. favorite article from a past issue of utmj? JC: Replantation/Revascularization of Zone II Injuries of the Index Finger Still a Contraindication? (It was the first article I posted online!) [Vol. 97 No. 1 (2020)] < link to JC’s favorite article: https://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/article/view/1198/1226 >

In our last UTMJ Team Feature, we asked Section Editor Justin Brunet to tell us his favourite article from a past issue of UTMJ. He shared with us this insightful commentary by Brenna Connor from Volume 97. The Diagnostic Odyssey is a common pathway of misdiagnosis and diagnostic delay that many patients with rare diseases find themselves forced to negotiate, just as Homer’s character Odysseus struggled for an entire decade after the Trojan War to return home to Ithaca. F...or patients with rare diseases, the diagnostic odyssey is a widespread, frustrating, and harmful misadventure. Nonetheless, corresponding author Brenna Connor argues that there are interventions we can implement in the healthcare system to help these individuals reach their diagnostic Ithaca with fewer delays and frustrations. Read the full article on our website to find out how! http://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/article/view/1265/1259

utmj behind the scenes Meet Vrati Mehra, 2T4, one of our Copy Editors path prior to medical school... VM: I pursued a Master’s degree in Epidemiology and a Bachelor’s degree from the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University. Coming from an immigrant background, I’ve had multiple part-time jobs one of which was working at convocation ceremonies, which gave me great perspective on how I wanted to feel at the end of my studies. what are some of your research interests? VM: My training in epidemiology, statistics and population health allows me to partake in studies from many different fields which I find extremely rewarding, and something that can inform current public health policies. what do you enjoy most about working with utmj? VM: I feel a very strong sense of belonging and comradery at UTMJ. Our shared interest in science, and in preserving a platform that encourages active communication of fresh perspectives, unites us. It is extremely empowering! what are some interests outside of medicine? VM: I enjoy dancing (mostly Bollywood freestyle) as well as reading books (I recently received my copy of A Promised Land by Barack Obama and I cannot wait to give it a read). favorite article from a past issue of utmj? VM: What Makes Medical Knowledge: On the Epistemological Tensions between ‘Evidence- Based Medicine’ and ‘Personalized Medicine’ by Liam G. McCoy [Vol. 97 No. 1 (2020)] < link to VM’s favorite article : https://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/article/view/1230/1228 >

utmj behind the scenes Meet Justin Brunet, 2T3, one of our Section Editors path prior to medical school... JB: I completed my undergraduate degree in the Bachelor of Health Sciences Program at McMaster University; and my Master’s degree in the Medical Sciences Graduate Program. what are some of your research interests? JB: I enjoy conducting research that can directly influence patient care in a clinical setting. I was in the Blood and Vasculature Stream in my master’s thesis project where I analyzed the phenotype of patients with uncharacterized platelet disorders. This work took a bench-to-bedside approach which I greatly enjoyed! what do you enjoy most about working with utmj? JB: UTMJ has given me many opportunities to thoroughly enjoy reading and learning about research from other disciplines. Additionally, I am able to strengthen my critical appraisal skills, which will undoubtedly be helpful for work as a future physician. what are some interests outside of medicine? JB: I really enjoy exploring foods from different countries and cultures, and I’ve been known to dabble in word puzzles especially crosswords! favorite article from a past issue of utmj? JB: Some of my favorite UTMJ pieces are the narrative commentaries that I’m not used to reading or writing but leave me in awe of how art and medicine are so intertwined. For example, this article linking Greek history and literature to current issues in the Canadian health care system amazes me The Journey to Ancient Ithaca: Addressing the Diagnostic Odyssey of Rare Diseases through System-Level Interventions. [Vol. 97 No. 3 (2020)] < link to JB’s favorite article: https://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/article/view/1265/1259 >

"Medical school is a gift. Seize the opportunity. Learn with passion but learn to be compassionate first." ICYMI; In last week’s UTMJ Team Feature, we asked Section Editor Michael Balas to tell us his favourite article from a pass issue of UTMJ. He shared with us this article from Volume 95: Do What You Are Passionate About: Reflections for an Incoming Medical Class, by Dr. Hébert.... In this article, Dr. Hébert and his colleagues share some beautiful pieces of advice for incoming medical trainees. For our @uoftmedicine students who may be finding it difficult to navigate medical school online amidst a global pandemic, hopefully some of these insights can inspire you and remind you of the reasons you chose medicine. Read the full article on our website: https://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/article/view/339/296

utmj behind the scenes Meet Michael Balas, 2T4, one of our Section Editors path prior to medical school... MB: I graduated with an Honors Bachelor of Health Sciences from McMaster University, and a minor in Computer Science. After graduating, I worked as a research assistant in the Division of Neurosurgery at St. Michael’s hospital for a year, while also providing software and data science consulting services for a pharmacological start-up. what are some of your research interests? MB: Neuroscience, data science or AI, biotechnology and omics (genomics, proteomics, etc.) what do you enjoy most about working with utmj? MB: I enjoy working within a network of peers with similar interests, and it’s a great opportunity for me to learn new research techniques. Most of all, I love seeing all the exciting new research pouring into the journal every month, and getting to be a part of its dissemination. what are some interests outside of medicine? MB: I enjoy exercising, traveling, hiking and camping. I also like watching old movies or stand-up comics with friends and family. favorite article from a past issue of utmj? MB: One of my favorites was written by Dr. Philip C. Hérbet in 2018 (Vol. 95, Issue 1 - Cancer) titled Do What You Are Passionate About: Reflections for an Incoming Medical Class. < link to MB’s favorite article : https://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/article/view/339/296 >

Interested in fecal microbiota transplantation? Curious about the rise in antibacterial resistance? Check out our interview with Dr. Susan Poutanen, a pioneering microbiome researcher, microbiologist, and infectious disease physician. She is also the co-principal investigator of the Microbiota Therapeutics Outcome Programan interdisciplinary initiative which fosters multiple clinical and academic projects around the use of microbiota transplants. In this interview with UTM...J, Dr. Poutanen talks about alternative treatment strategies to antimicrobials, communicating with the public about fecal microbiota transplants, and where she sees the field of microbiome research headed. A timely interview, as antibiotic resistance continues to be a growing health concern around the globe. Read the full interview here: http://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/article/view/1313/1266

Reminder: Currently accepting submissions for our next issue on Social Determinants of Health. Deadline to submit is Monday November 16th, 2020. Visit www.utmj.org for more information! ... Are you interested in internal medicine? What are your perceptions of internal medicinegood and bad? Previous studies suggest specialty choices are made as early as prior to clerkship. Due to limited exposure, factors influencing students’ career decisions may be rooted in bias. Internal Medicine Enrichment & Development (IMED) is a 2-week program of clinical observerships, career talks, and workshops in 9 IM subspecialties. Check out this week's featured article, a research aimed to investigate whether IMED would influence students’ interest, understanding, and perceptions toward IM! Read here: http://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/article/view/1267/1256 Follow us on Instagram @uoftmedicaljournal and Twitter @UTMJ_Official for more

issue highlight of the week Volume 84, Issue 1 (published Dec 2007) explores the complexity of Canadian Healthcare from an educational, economical & patient-centered perspective throughout the lifespan. plus, the cover is reflective of the unprecedented fall temperatures we’re currently experiencing in Toronto this November ... try guessing the diagnosis in slide 2 before looking at slide 3 follow &uoftmedicaljournal on Instagram the quiz of the week is posted there! link to the full issue: https://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/issue/view/40/28

Featured Interview Dr. Barry J. Marshall was awarded the 2005 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine for the discovery of Helicobacter pylori as well as its role in peptic ulcers. His work overturned the canonical wisdom that bacteria cannot survive in the stomach as well as establishing a definitive, microbiological treatment for ulcers estimated to have saved over a million lives. Read the full interview in our most recent issue to learn more!... http://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/article/view/1308/1262 Follow us on Instagram @uoftmedicaljournal

issue highlight of the week Volume 85, Issue 2 released in December 2008 seems extremely timely even 12 years later. in the midst of a pandemic, it is hard to deny the importance of international health; and a glance through this issue will expose some intriguing articles and summaries of experiences around the globe.... try guessing the diagnosis on slide 2 before looking at the answer on slide 3 remember to follow @uoftmedicaljournal on instagram so you don’t miss all the updates (& quizzes)! read the full issue here: http://utmj.org/index.php/UTMJ/issue/view/39/27

UTMJ is now accepting submissions for our upcoming issue on: Social Determinants of Health! The submission deadline is November 16th, 2020. Please see our website www.utmj.org for more information. Be sure to follow us on Instagram @uoftmedicaljournal to stay up to date!

REMINDER: The submission deadline for our upcoming issue on COVID-19 is fast approaching: September 14th, 2020. Please see our website http://utmj.org for more information. We look forward to your submissions!