LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

By Julio Bracero, MD

Published on June 2009

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This 5^th volume of Global Pulse (GP) is the culmination of months of tireless effort by our editorial board, made only possible by the incredible contributions of our readers and the extraordinary support of the national leadership of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), and the organization as a whole. We invite you to immerse yourself in our pages, to read critically, share your thoughts with us and your friends, and, if inspired, act upon the issues discussed.

As someone that has been involved in GP since its inception, it is impossible not to pause and reflect on our 5^th anniversary. Though our journal has evolved, our purpose remains the same: to broaden perspectives by expanding the discourse of global health issues, giving students the opportunity to share their experiences and concerns, and to serve as a resource for further action.

How have we evolved? To begin with, we tried to become a print journal, but naturally drifted towards an online format, as it is cleaner, less expensive, can be easily accessed by anyone in the world, and allows us to harness the power of the internet to interact instantly. Our articles can be shared via all the social networking sites, and our comment system allows you to participate using whatever service you are most comfortable with (e.g. Facebook, Google, Twitter, or Yahoo!). Our journal is free and completely open-access.

Previous issues were theme-based (e.g. HIV/AIDS, poverty) whereas now the submission process is free of thematic restrictions, making it easier for readers to share contributions on timely topics or recent events.

Indeed, this issue is a microcosm of current global health topics. We have articles that discuss and reflect on topics such as the H1N1 influenza pandemic, the health of native Americans, HIV stigma in different countries (here and here), providing medical aid in complex disasters, the use of technology to provide diagnosis in the developing world, the ever-present discussion on the U.S. vs Cuban health system, homelessness in the U.S., and the state of Sudanese refugees.

The biggest change is what we have become. We still are a journal completely run by medical students, and receive funding only from AMSA. Yes, our organizational structure adapts as GP grows, no different from other journals. Our online layout continuously undergoes changes based on your feedback. However, GP has become something else.

It has become a family.

From left to right: Editors Julio Bracero, Susan Lewis, Jennifer Weinberg, Hana Akselrod, and Paul Johnson, at the 2009 AMSA convention.

Of course, this has always been a dedicated group effort. Born as the initiative of members of the Global Health Action Committee and the AMSA national leadership, its evolution has only been possible because of the commitment of its editors and the response of our readers. We networked at conventions, asking for feedback, and corresponded through email. Nowadays, it is even more of a group effort. As GP grew, so did our enthusiasm. Now, it is a project we discuss on an almost daily basis, as if it were a part of our lives, and we dare not go forward if there is disagreement. The entire editorial board, and most of our readers, are medical students, from different backgrounds, yet our passion for global health creates such an affinity that when we meet, we pick up the conversation where we left it the previous time.

From left to right: Editor Sujal Parikh, Saira Alimmohamed (chair of the GHAC at AMSA), Dr. Julio Frenk, Julio Bracero, and Hana Akselrod, at the 2009 Physicians for Human Rights National Student Conference.

Many people tend to associate anything "student-run" with lower quality. We hope the quality of our submissions and of our featured interviews help dispel this myth.

As mentioned at the beginning of this editorial, our 5th volume is only possible because of your support, and all the work done behind the scenes to make this a reality. We welcome your feedback, and sincerely thank you for following us throughout the years. Most of all, we encourage you to be informed, to become involved, and to motivate others on those global health issues you care deeply about.