The Virginia Journal of Medicine (VJM), edited by medical students Aaron D. Smith and Catherine E. Lyons, has published its fall 2025 issue, bringing together original contributions from medical students across the United States. This edition reflects the journal’s vision of true national collaboration. It highlights student-led research, clinical perspectives, and creative works that showcase the dynamic spirit of the medical student community.
Alongside this milestone, the journal has published its first textbook, First Incision: Foundations of Surgery, created and edited by UVA medical student Grant O. Killian. Designed to provide accessible, high-yield surgical fundamentals, the text marks a significant expansion of VJM’s educational impact.
Looking ahead, the VJM will open its submission portal in January for the Spring 2026 edition. U.S. medical students will continue to be invited to submit original research articles, reviews, and creative works that advance medical scholarship and enrich the national dialogue on medicine.
Aaron Smith (left) and Catherine Lyons
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Smith and Lyons are fourth-year medical students pursuing distinct yet complementary paths. Catherine is applying in anesthesiology with a focus on obstetric anesthesia, while Aaron is applying in dermatology with interests in complex medical dermatology and procedural dermatology. Both aspire to careers in academic medicine and view their work founding and leading the Virginia Journal of Medicine as formative preparation for one day guiding specialty journals in their respective fields.
For full access to the fall issue, details about First Incision, and information on submitting to the spring edition, visit the Virginia Journal of Medicine online.
Filed Under: Education