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NEW ZEALAND: Medical Students Publish Own Journal By John Gibb Tuesday, 16-March 2004 University of Otago medical students have created New Zealand's first student medical journal. Ayesha Verrall, an Otago medical graduate who chairs the journal organising committee, said the New Zealand Medical Student Journal would initially be published annually. Students and staff at the university's Dunedin School of Medicine will celebrate the publication at a function attended by Health Minister Annette King in Dunedin on Thursday. "It's very exciting to celebrate the first issue," Ms Verrall said. Publication marked the culmination of more than a year's work. The journal had been initiated by a student committee from the Dunedin school and would be available to all medical undergraduates and educators nationwide. Medical students were already producing interesting research, and the journal would share this with others. All submissions would be subjected to peer review involving an editorial board, with further assessment by a leading clinician or academic before publication. It was hoped journal publishing would help to introduce students to research skills useful in their future careers. Ms Verrall, who is a former Otago University Students Association president, said the university had provided funding, academic reviewers and other resources. The journal's first issue contained student research on topics ranging from stem cell therapies for Parkinson's disease to the effect of obesity in coronary artery bypass surgery, she said. The journal will be available in hard copy format from next Thursday, as well as online at http://www.otago.ac.nz/nzmsj SOURCE: Otago Daily Times, New Zealand http://tinyurl.com/3hkhh * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn