As physician-scientists in training, so much of our education focuses on the technical aspects of science and medicine: performing experiments, analyzing data, and acquiring clinical knowledge and skills. However, the traditional scientific training that many of us undertake often overlooks the importance of communicating science to our peers as well as a broader audience. Although trainees are aware of the critical roles of peer review and publication to advancing science, few students are formally trained in how to make figures, write a manuscript, and successfully bring a research project to publication (1). Even for those among us who do master scientific writing, the steps required to publish often remain obscure. This gap in training has been recognized by editorial boards of several journals, leading some to develop programs that allow trainees to sit on their editorial boards and learn by experience (2, 3). As a journal at the intersection of basic science and clinical medicine, JCI established the JCI Scholar Program to introduce future physician-scientists to the mechanics of the editorial and publishing process.

As JCI Scholars, we joined editorial board meetings during which members discussed the merits of manuscripts submitted to the journal. After we gained some experience, we were assigned manuscripts under the supervision of an associate editor who mentored us in reviewing manuscripts, identifying appropriate reviewers, and formulating editorial suggestions before ultimately presenting each one to the board for discussion. The JCI editorial board is unique in that the editors are active leaders in research, and