Pulse checking
I created the Process website a year and a half ago. I didn’t know how I would get the word out about the anthology but I knew having a site people could go to find out more about it would be helpful. After setting the website up, I went down whole lists of medical schools across various countries and sent emails to deans and university presidents, and other such titled people, introducing the anthology.
Since June 2016, I have sent out, at least, a few hundred Process-related emails. Honestly, I didn’t know if anyone would respond, but thankfully, I got several encouraging emails. Sure, there were many unreturned emails and “Leave us alone” messages from anti-spam addresses but the support from people who thought Process was worth seeing through, spoke louder.
If I have learned one thing from putting this anthology together, it’ll have to be, “Good things happen when you’re naïve enough to send that email.” So, if there’s something you want and uncertainty has had you stalling over that email, please hit “Send!”
I plan to do these periodic “Pulse checking” posts to keep you updated on the anthology’s progress. Thus far, the anthology has received 102 submissions from about 14 countries in total. Our publisher, UNPE, sees a lot of potential in the anthology and has asked me to beef things up and so I am reopening the anthology.
The anthology has evolved over time and this is reflected in a few changes:
There are now more specific topics, with short descriptions, that the anthology will cover, as a way to add more structure to submissions.
Submissions from residents are especially welcome this time around, as their voices are currently underrepresented in the anthology.
At the request of the UPNE editor, the anthology is focusing more on prose reflections than it did previously. That said, poems will still be considered, so don’t hesitate to send them in!
I want this anthology to be as a real as possible, so I encourage you to dig deep and let yourselves be vulnerable as you reflect. Unlike other medical anthologies that tend to be outward-looking, focusing on patient interactions and extrinsic forces, Process hopes to be mostly introspective and trainee-focused.
I look forward to being able to share more exciting news with you!
