Medical Science Educator Journal Guide

Medical Science Educator is the official peer-reviewed journal of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE), published by Springer Nature. It offers an international forum for educators and scholars teaching foundational sciences and clinical skills across healthcare professions. Understanding its editorial scope, NLM indexing, and hybrid publishing structure helps authors evaluate submission fit and dissemination options.

What It Is

Medical Science Educator (NLM abbreviation: Med Sci Educ) is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to health sciences education. It publishes scholarly research, curriculum innovations, and critical commentaries on teaching methodologies across biomedical education.

The journal originated in 1992 as the Basic Science Educator, later becoming the Journal of the International Association of Medical Science Educators (JIAMSE, ISSN 1550-8897). In 2011, IAMSE partnered with Springer (now Springer Nature) to publish under the title Medical Science Educator (Electronic ISSN: 2156-8650; Print ISSN: 1550-8897; NLM ID: 101625548). Operating under a hybrid model, it releases six bimonthly issues per volume year alongside thematic supplements.

Who Runs It and What It Covers

The journal is governed jointly by IAMSE and Springer Nature. Editorial direction is led by Editor-in-Chief David M. Harris, PhD, Professor of Medical Education and Director for Longitudinal Curriculum at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. An international editorial board manages peer evaluation across basic science, clinical medicine, and educational administration.

The journal’s scope encompasses the foundational sciences of healthcare education, including preclinical training, clinical teaching, and learner assessment. Core subject domains include:

• Preclinical Science Pedagogy: Teaching strategies in anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, genetics, and pathology.
• Clinical Teaching: Bedside instruction, early clinical exposure, patient communication, and professional identity formation.
• Curriculum Design: Organ-system integration, problem-based learning (PBL), team-based learning (TBL), and competency-based medical education (CBME).
• Educational Technology: Simulation, digital learning tools, and virtual learning environments in health education.
• Assessment and Faculty Development: Psychometric evaluation, OSCE frameworks, workplace assessments, and educator career enhancement.

According to official publisher metrics for 2025, Medical Science Educator recorded 696,100 article downloads, reflecting broad international readership.

How to Search or Use It

Readers and authors access the journal through Springer Nature Link and the IAMSE society portal:

1. Navigate to the Official Portal: Access the journal on Springer Nature Link (link.springer.com/journal/40670) or via the IAMSE publications page (iamse.org/medical-science-educator/). IAMSE members can log in for society subscriber access.
2. Search Topics or Authors: Enter keywords, author names, or terms in the search field, checking “Search within this journal” to limit hits to Medical Science Educator.
3. Browse Volumes and Online First: Select “Articles” to explore “Volumes and issues” back to 2011, or choose “Online first articles” to read accepted papers before issue publication.
4. Filter Results: Use side filters to narrow results by manuscript category, including Original Research, Reviews, and Innovations.
5. Check Access Options: Look for the “Open access” badge for free reading and PDF downloads. For gated articles, select “Access through your institution” via Shibboleth or OpenAthens credentials.
6. Set Content Alerts: Click “Sign up for alerts” to receive email notices when new issues or articles appear.
7. Submit a Manuscript: Navigate to “For authors”, consult “Submission guidelines”, and click “Submit your manuscript” to launch the Editorial Manager system.

The journal accepts Original Research, Systematic and Scoping Reviews (3,000–4,000 words, abstract under 100 words), Short Communications, Innovations, Monographs, Commentaries, and Letters to the Editor (maximum 400 words). Submissions undergo peer review under a single-blind model, where reviewers know author identities while reviewer reports remain anonymous. Springer Nature reports a median first decision turnaround of 13 days from submission, with at least two independent expert reviews required. Author revisions must include a red-lined or track-changes file detailing all modifications.

Accepted authors may publish under traditional subscription with zero author fees ($0 cost) or select open access via Springer’s Open Choice by paying an article processing charge (APC) of £2,490 GBP, $3,390 USD, or €2,790 EUR (excluding local taxes), satisfying NIH and Plan S open-access mandates.

Strengths and Limits

Researchers evaluating Medical Science Educator should consider its editorial strengths alongside its indexing constraints:

• Fast Initial Decision: A median turnaround of 13 days to first decision provides rapid feedback compared to older medical education journals.
• Active Society Engagement: As the official IAMSE publication, papers reach an engaged global community of biomedical educators.
• Dual Publishing Model: Authors without grant funding can publish free of charge under the subscription model.
• Broad Indexing: Abstracted in Scopus, Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), SCImago, Google Scholar, EBSCO, and ProQuest. In the 2025 Journal Citation Reports, it holds a journal impact factor and quartile rankings value of 1.8 (5-year JIF: 2.2).
• PubMed Central Deposit: Articles from Volume 29, Issue 1 (March 2019) onwards are deposited in PubMed Central and searchable on PubMed.
• Not MEDLINE Indexed: The official NLM Catalog entry (NLM ID: 101625548) confirms the journal is “Not currently indexed for MEDLINE.” While recent articles appear in PubMed via PMC deposit, faculty requiring MEDLINE-indexed citations for tenure evaluation should note this difference.
• Single-Blind Review: Reviewers see author identities and institutional affiliations, unlike double-blind review journals.
• APC Cost for Open Access: The $3,390 USD APC requires grant or institutional funding when open access is chosen.

Alternatives

Biomedical educators frequently compare Medical Science Educator with other health professions education journals:

Journal	Sponsoring Body / Publisher	Peer Review Model	NLM / MEDLINE Indexing	Publishing Model & APC
Medical Science Educator	IAMSE / Springer Nature	Single-blind (≥2 reviewers)	PubMed / PMC (v29n1 2019–); Not MEDLINE indexed	Hybrid: $3,390 USD / £2,490 GBP or $0 Subscription
Academic Medicine	AAMC / Wolters Kluwer	Double-blind	MEDLINE indexed & PubMed	Hybrid: Open access fee or $0 Subscription
Medical Education	ASME / Wiley	Double-blind	MEDLINE indexed & PubMed	Hybrid: OnlineOpen fee or $0 Subscription
BMC Medical Education	BioMed Central / Springer Nature	Single-blind	MEDLINE indexed & PubMed	Gold Open Access only (APC required)

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Medical Science Educator indexed in PubMed and MEDLINE?

Medical Science Educator articles are deposited in PubMed Central (PMC) and indexed in PubMed starting with Volume 29, Issue 1 (March 2019). However, according to the US National Library of Medicine Catalog (NLM ID: 101625548), it is not currently indexed for MEDLINE.

What is the Impact Factor of Medical Science Educator?

In the 2025 Journal Citation Reports, Medical Science Educator has a Journal Impact Factor of 1.8 and a 5-year Impact Factor of 2.2, indexed within Clarivate’s Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI).

How much does it cost to publish in Medical Science Educator?

Publishing under the subscription route carries zero author fees ($0 APC). Authors choosing open access pay an article processing charge of £2,490 GBP, $3,390 USD, or €2,790 EUR (exclusive of local taxes).

What peer review process does Medical Science Educator use?

The journal uses single-blind peer review, where reviewers know author identities while reviewer reports remain anonymous. Manuscripts are reviewed by at least two expert referees, with a median initial decision time of 13 days.

Who publishes Medical Science Educator?

The journal is published bimonthly by Springer Nature in partnership with the International Association of Medical Science Educators (IAMSE).

Sources

• Springer Nature. (2026). Medical Science Educator — Journal Overview & Metrics. Available at: https://link.springer.com/journal/40670 (Accessed November 7, 2026).
• Springer Nature. (2026). Medical Science Educator — Aims and Scope. Available at: https://link.springer.com/journal/40670/aims-and-scope (Accessed November 7, 2026).
• Springer Nature. (2026). Medical Science Educator — Submission Guidelines. Available at: https://link.springer.com/journal/40670/submission-guidelines (Accessed November 7, 2026).
• Springer Nature. (2026). Medical Science Educator — Fees and Funding. Available at: https://link.springer.com/journal/40670/how-to-publish-with-us (Accessed November 7, 2026).
• National Library of Medicine. (2026). NLM Catalog: Medical science educator (NLM ID: 101625548). Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nlmcatalog/101625548 (Accessed November 7, 2026).
• International Association of Medical Science Educators. (2026). Publications: Medical Science Educator. Available at: https://www.iamse.org/medical-science-educator/ (Accessed November 7, 2026).