Announcing the "AOA Critical Issues in Education" Channel within JBJS Open Access.

Abstract

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) and the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) are proud to announce a special channel for articles on orthopaedic education in the JBJS Open Access journal. Since James Heckman, MD, FAOA, established the “Orthopaedic Forum” in JBJS in March 2000 when he was Editor-in-Chief, the “Topics in Training” section has functioned as the major place for orthopaedic educators to publish their research. Many topics germane to medical student, resident, and fellow education have appeared in those pages, including competency testing, simulation techniques, educational leave, the matching process, and preparation for certifying examinations. However, because of space limitations, JBJS has had to turn down worthy manuscripts reflecting important research. These articles often ended up not being published at all, as few orthopaedic journals have regular sections dedicated to orthopaedic education. Following the March issues, the “Topics in Training” section will no longer be published in JBJS. Instead, JBJS and the AOA will greatly expand the space allotted to articles on orthopaedic education by opening the “AOA Critical Issues in Education” channel in JBJS Open Access. The AOA is uniquely suited to partner with JBJS to provide this platform, as it has long been the home for orthopaedic educators, particularly after the Academic Orthopaedic Society folded into the AOA. The Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors (CORD), a program of the AOA, is the home for discussion and development of issues addressing resident and fellow education. Now articles on these same issues can find a home on the “AOA Critical Issues in Education” channel in JBJS Open Access. JBJS Open Access is the ideal setting for the new “AOA Critical Issues in Education” channel. Established in 2016, JBJS Open Access fulfills a need in the orthopaedic community for free access to published scientific literature. We believe that it is especially important for education-related articles to be available to all researchers working to improve orthopaedic education and assessment. In recognition of the role of the AOA in this venture, the article processing charge (APC) will be reduced from the standard $2,250 to $1,000 for AOA members and any author from an AOA program (including the Emerging Leaders Program, Own the Bone institutions, traveling fellows, APEX Program, or CORD Affiliates). Shepard Hurwitz, MD, FAOA, who has served as the JBJS Deputy Editor for Topics in Training for the last 4 years, will be the initial Editor of the “AOA Critical Issues in Education” channel. In the future, the AOA will take the lead in selecting the Editor of the “AOA Critical Issues in Education” channel in collaboration with the Editor-in-Chief of JBJS. We invite submissions from all musculoskeletal education researchers, from both within and outside the AOA. JBJS and the AOA hope that by providing a forum for best practices in orthopaedic education and training, the “AOA Critical Issues in Education” channel in JBJS Open Access will lead to better prepared orthopaedic surgeons and ultimately excellence in the care of patients with musculoskeletal disease and injury.