The AMA Journal of Ethics is an editorially independent, peer-reviewed journal devoted to helping students and clinicians navigate ethical decisions in service to patients and communities. Each monthly issue focuses on a specific theme topic. Free to everyone in perpetuity as a public good, the journal offers cases and expert commentary, health humanities and education articles, policy and equity discussions, social and cultural context perspectives, journal-based and multimedia continuing education materials, visuals, and more. Content is searchable by ACGME core competency area, clinical specialty, article type, or topic.
Publication Frequency, Access and Reach
Founded in 1999, the AMA Journal of Ethics is published monthly as a digital-only publication. Without any subscription charge, all journal content is free to read and access. In 2023, the journal received more than 3.2 million visits to its website, over 145 thousand PDF downloads, and more than 50 thousand podcast downloads.
Editorial Fellows and Senior Editorial Fellows
US medical students, resident physicians or fellows are selected annually by a competitive process to become Editorial Fellows. Those interested in working with us as Senior Editorial Fellows are invited to send us a proposal.
Manuscript Submission
In addition to solicited articles for monthly themes issues, the AMA Journal of Ethics accepts unsolicited manuscripts for peer review consideration. Submit a manuscript through our online manuscript submission and review system. For more information about article types published and editorial policies, see Instructions for Authors.
Editorial Independence
Published by the American Medical Association, the AMA Journal of Ethics maintains editorial independence as defined by the World Association of Medical Editors. This means that the journal's editor in chief has full authority over its content. In support of the journal's editorial independence, the AMA Journal of Ethics' editorial board members are recognized leaders in medical education, law and medicine, philosophy and ethics, and ethics policy making at the national level.
We’re Glad You Asked!
The AMA Journal of Ethics, the AMA Code of Medical Ethics, and JAMA Network journals are all published by the AMA. Key distinctions among these three intellectual assets of the AMA are the following: the AMA Journal of Ethics is not a JAMA Network journal and the AMA Code of Medical Ethics is AMA policy. The AMA Journal of Ethics is editorially independent from the AMA.