The INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL of MEDICINE

he International Journal of Medicine is a general medical journal that aims to support a transdisci-plinary learning community of those who gener-ate and use new knowledge. It is a peer-reviewed research journal, born out of the growing need to advance the knowledge and communication through a large spectrum of medical specialties. The International Journal of Medicine features original research from the clinical, biomedical, social and health sciences. Contributions on methodology and theory develop the underpinning for future research;selected systematic reviews draw on explicit methods to synthesize what is known and to move beyond- to advance theory or meth-ods, or to identify new research directions;essays from reflective clinicians, patients, families, communities, and policy-makers portray a personal perspective on illness, health, and health care. The International Journal of Medicine aims to be such a forum. TIJM, The International Journal of Medicine organizes an international Distance Learning Program that com-pletes the publication's aims and provides an opportuni-ty for readers to receive continuous medical education via a large variety of CME courses and to actively engage in discussion of the progress of each medical specialty. In addition to program-specific fields, an open forum pro-vides a mechanism for readers to introduce other impor-tant topics. This open forum also allows investigators to quickly publicize emerging findings and to gather input from those who are potentially affected by their work. Both print and online versions of the new journal are being published 4 times a year. The full-text online ver-sion is available free to all 1 year after publication. This represents a unique opportunity for sharing new knowl-edge about medical research and progress that is not lim-ited by geographical, financial or disciplinary boundaries. The print version is available by subscription and offers 4 free CME courses of the Distance Learning Program