Journal of Medical Toxicology (JMT), the official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT), is excited to celebrate its 20th year of continuous publishing in 2024. This journal was preceded by the Internet Journal of Medical Toxicology (IJMT), an online-only journal that had no publisher and was not indexed in the National Library of Medicine. With unconditional support from ACMT’s Board of Directors, enthusiastic researchers, and countless other champions, JMT was officially launched as a print journal in December of 2005. Volume 1 began with an editorial on page 1 titled “Back to the Future: Introducing the Journal of Medical Toxicology” by inaugural editor-in-chief, Kevin Osterhoudt, and Keith Burkhart [1].
The journal staff worked hard to distinguish JMT in an already competitive field of biomedical journals by taking risks with innovative features and disseminating cutting edge studies. Rather than lowering the bar, we have kept our standards high and relied on cooperative effort to stretch and reach that bar. Past and present editors are proud of how far the journal has come in 20 years. We now support a popular and competitive fellow-in-training (FIT) program started by former editor-in-chief Leslie Dye that has become the model for training editor programs in other journals; our Preliminary Research section has been the springboard for many researchers successfully awarded extramural grant funding [2, 3]; and our reach expanded significantly when we were one of the first journals to host fireside Tweetchats [4].
Over the next 12 months, we invite you to look to these pages where we will celebrate our journal and many other highlights from our first two decades of publishing. Each issue will include a reflection from a past editor-in-chief (see the one by Kevin Osterhoudt in this issue) [5], our popular Articles You Might Have Missed (AYMHM) section will feature classic JMT papers that deserve to be re-read, and we will recognize this landmark year in many other toxicolicious ways.
It is important to acknowledge that this journal is still here and continues to soar because of the curiosity of our authors, the thoughtful feedback of our dedicated peer reviewers, the tireless behind-the-scenes work of our editors who elevate manuscript submissions, and the support of our faithful readers. We appreciate all who contribute to JMT: this journal continues to evolve and grow because of collective talent and energy. For these reasons, we want to hear from all of you this year. See the editorial in this issue from FIT editor Paul Ehlers and Poison Pen editor Lewis Nelson about the vital role of letters to the editor in the twenty-first century [6]. We remain committed to scientific freedom, open communication, and integrity in all forms of inquiry. We have an important responsibility to you and to science, and we will work hard to preserve your trust in JMT. We look forward to 2024 and beyond.
Funding
None.
Declarations
Conflicts of Interest
Mark B. Mycyk is currently the editor-in-chief of Journal of Medical Toxicology (JMT).
Footnotes
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
References
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- 6.Ehlers PF, Nelson LS. The Poison Pen: A Primer to Writing Letters to the Editor. J Med Toxicol. 2024;20(1). 10.1007/s13181-023-00977-9. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed]