The Journal for Minority Medical Students is a non-technical publication designed to inform its readers of the most pressing issues in medical education.  The Journal  was formerly called the Journal of the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and was first published in 1989 as the official communication medium for the SNMA, the largest minority student organization in the nation.  In an effort to reach a larger audience and make this publication the most widely read journal of its kind in the nation, we changed the title and the editorial scope of the Journal.  The Journal now seeks to fill a growing need to promote medical careers among all minority students in order to increase the number of physicians providing health care to the under served populations of African American, American Indian, Pacific Islander, and Hispanic.

Editorial Philosophy
Each quarterly issue of the Journal explores the most prominent issues facing minority medical students and the urban/rural communities in which they will eventually serve.  Each issue of the Journal also features the latest developments in the training and education of minority medical students and residents; conversations with the deans of the major medical schools; interviews with minority role models; reports from the nation's capital on health related legislation; and the unique woman's perspective on medical issues.  One of our most important editorial efforts is the development of the Special Report.  This "journal within a journal" focuses on those thematic concerns which must be addressed by the medical community.

Impact
The Journal reaches a very large share (70%) of the total population of minority medical students and residents.  We distribute 5,000 copies through the offices of the director of minority affairs at each of the 126 medical schools in the nation. The remaining 5,000 copies are distributed to our extensive mailing list of premed and medical students, residents, medical faculty and administrators. A Reader Response Card is used and promoted among our readers to ensure that the editorial and advertising messages generate quick reader reaction.  Accordingly, the Journal is the most efficient and effective advertising medium for corporations, agencies, hospitals, and universities wishing to reach this important market segment.

Special Programs:

Minority Affairs - Through a unique collaboration, the minority affairs office on each medical school campus in the country has agreed to distribute the Journal to the students they serve.
Faculty Advisors - Our Faculty Editorial Advisory Board, composed of esteemed minority faculty from across the nation, volunteer their time and expertise in medical issues for editorial purposes.
Campus Representatives - Up to two students on each medical school campus are invited to serve as campus reps, helping the Journal to maintain contact with the students' needs and concerns.