Number of Authors?

[Merely]

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If im writing a case report, does it look better to write it alone or is it just as good to be primary author with one or two people behind you? Thanks!

 

[red leader]

I think first author would be just as good as writing one alone. Writing it with someone who is already established in the field might help boost the chances of it being accepted into a decent journal too.

Just my .02

 

[Frazier]

I'm curious of the circumstances behind this case report that allows you to make the decision based on SDN consensus.

 

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[Merely]

As a medical student, you should not write anything that will be published in a peer reviewed journal where you are sole author. First of all, it is unlikely any journal would take it. Second, there is high value in having your work reviewed by someone who is fully trained to make sure you are addressing the most relevant portions of the case and have done a complete literature review. Third, it would be politically foolish not to have the treating physician on the case report.

I'm a little confused how you accessed the medical records and are writing the case report without the involvement of an attending?

I'm working with a team of attendings..the treating physician told me to write up the case report. I was unaware that I was supposed to put his name on it if I was doing all the writing, I guess I obviously will then. Thanks for all the info!

 

[operaman]

It's okay, you're new at this and better to learn here than offend someone in real life!

In medical journal articles, the author positions that matter are:
1st author - did most the work
2nd author - did the most work second only to the first author
Last author - this is the spot for the senior scientist/PI on the paper.

Any case report by a student should have 2 authors at a minimum - yours and the attending you are writing it with. It's understood by those reviewing your submissions that the senior physician on the paper has reviewed your work first and is placing their own reputation and integrity behind the paper as well.

As a rule, you should also involve the treating physician(s) and include them as authors if they wish to be involved. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it will make it a better paper. I find that reviewing the medical records invariably leaves me with questions I just can't get answered in the record, so being able to ask the person who was there making the decision is priceless.

As a student, there's also the ancillary benefit of having your name associated with the established physicians on the paper. Consider the difference in these two author lists:

JOHN A. SMITH, BS

or....

JOHN A. SMITH, BS; CHARLES MAYO, MD; GEORGE CRILE, MD; WILLIAM OSLER, MD.

 

[Merely]

It's okay, you're new at this and better to learn here than offend someone in real life!

In medical journal articles, the author positions that matter are:
1st author - did most the work
2nd author - did the most work second only to the first author
Last author - this is the spot for the senior scientist/PI on the paper.

Any case report by a student should have 2 authors at a minimum - yours and the attending you are writing it with. It's understood by those reviewing your submissions that the senior physician on the paper has reviewed your work first and is placing their own reputation and integrity behind the paper as well.

As a rule, you should also involve the treating physician(s) and include them as authors if they wish to be involved. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it will make it a better paper. I find that reviewing the medical records invariably leaves me with questions I just can't get answered in the record, so being able to ask the person who was there making the decision is priceless.

As a student, there's also the ancillary benefit of having your name associated with the established physicians on the paper. Consider the difference in these two author lists:

JOHN A. SMITH, BS

or....

JOHN A. SMITH, BS; CHARLES MAYO, MD; GEORGE CRILE, MD; WILLIAM OSLER, MD.

Yes, that makes a lot of sense, I really appreciate it!

 

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[22031 Alum]

ACOG's official journal (green) still publishes case reports. The other big journal (gray) stopped a few years back. I believe BJOG will post the occasional case report from time to time. But there are enough variants of "The Journal of Case Reports" out there that no medical student/resident need ever worry!!

 

[operaman]

Yeah I've gotten some published in good places, but it's tough. You really need something worth reading and most case reports don't rise to that standard.

 

[operaman]

This.

And also, you're unlikely to be involved in the actual submission to the journal. So write your case report, give it to the attending, and likely they'll take it from there. It would be highly unusual for a medical student to serve as corresponding author and handle revisions.

While I haven't technically been the corresponding author, I've definitely done all the revisions and response to reviewer comments for every paper I've done so far. Obviously they go through my mentor(s) in the process, but I highly recommend trying to do this part of the process as a student. I've learned a ton, especially from the particularly brutal reviews that ultimately made each one a better paper and me a better writer.

Some attendings may prefer to handle this part themselves, but I would ask to do as much as they are comfortable letting you do. One of the biggest goals I had with research in medical school was to get experience taking a project from A to Z, from initial concept and IRB all the way to corrected proofs and publication. I had zero experience prior to med school, so I felt a little behind the 8-ball in this regard. It's definitely paid off though -- I still feel like I have a TON to learn, but there are many projects where I would feel 100% comfortable shepherding it from beginning to end.

 

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