Journal profile · Medicine, General & Internal
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES
ISSN 0002-9629 · eISSN 1538-2990 · Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Ltd. · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1827
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES: CAS Zone 4 · Medicine (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.35; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,940; median 127 days to acceptance (102 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 1,052 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES is published by Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Ltd. and is in Zone 4 of Medicine in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Medical History and Innovations, Medical and Biological Sciences and History of Medicine Studies, together about 16.9% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Mission Statement: The mission of The American Journal of the Medical Sciences (AJMS) is to support the exchange of knowledge and information and to publish high quality clinical, basic, and education research. As the official Journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (SSCI), an academic organization, The AJMS will support the academic, educational, and medical research activities of the SSCI through the exchange of knowledge, information and ideas at the Southern Regional Meetings. Through these activities, the Journal will actively support mentoring, research activities and the scholarship of future generations of medical academicians.Vision Statement: The American Journal of the Medical Sciences will be recognized as a premier medical journal for showcasing basic and clinical medical research, and advances in medical education. The American Journal of the Medical Sciences is the official Journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (SSCI) and is dedicated to supporting the academic agenda of the SSCI. The AJMS is committed to supporting and encouraging young investigators, mentoring future generations of these investigators, and promoting their careers in academic medicine.The American Journal of The Medical Sciences (AJMS), founded in 1820, is the 2nd oldest medical journal in the United States. The AJMS is the official journal of the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (SSCI). The SSCI is dedicated to the advancement of medical research and the exchange of knowledge, information and ideas. Its members are committed to mentoring future generations of medical investigators and promoting careers in academic medicine. The AJMS publishes, on a monthly basis, peer-reviewed articles in the field of internal medicine and its subspecialties, which include:Original clinical and basic science investigationsReview articlesOnline Images in the Medical SciencesSpecial Features Include:Patient-Centered Focused ReviewsHistory of MedicineThe Science of Medical Education
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Medicine, General & Internal
Editor-in-chief Jesse RomanPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 3 in mainland China (about 10%); most named United States 26, Mainland China 3 (29 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Medical History and InnovationsArts and Humanities6.9%
- Medical and Biological SciencesMedicine5.3%
- History of Medicine StudiesArts and Humanities4.8%
- Hematological disorders and diagnosticsMedicine4.8%
- Infectious Diseases and TuberculosisMedicine4.6%
- Diet and metabolism studiesMedicine4.4%
- History of Medical PracticeMedicine4.4%
- Tuberculosis Research and EpidemiologyMedicine4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Medicine, General & Internal | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Medicine, General & Internal | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Medicine, General & Internal | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 2.35LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.4Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.57LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.75LetPub ·
- h-index
- 78LetPub ·
- h-index
- 236OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 10,977OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.37OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 8.03%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 178LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 69,837 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 920 | 16 | 29 |
| 2025 | 1,052 | 906 | 280 |
| 2024 | 1,020 | 769 | 788 |
| 2023 | 979 | 700 | 912 |
| 2022 | 292 | 53 | 1,577 |
| 2021 | 213 | 51 | 1,675 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
127 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 86 days – 205 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (102 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 129 days
- Sample
- 102 articles with submission and acceptance dates (439 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 1.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 163 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 2,940 / EUR 2,750 / GBP 2,350 / JPY 364,650 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- USD 40
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 5,000 words
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
Article types accepted6, with length limits
- letter to the editorThere are two types of Letters to the Editor. Research Letters represent submissions that discuss clinical or basic investigations generated to address a clear …main text ≤ 1,000 words · figures and tables ≤ 2 · references ≤ 10
- letters to the editorly published in the AJMS. Like Research Letters to the Editor, submissions should be limited to 1,000 words or less, 5-10 references, and only 1 or 2 figures or…main text ≤ 1,000 words
- literature reviewThe journal publishes the following types of articles:Clinical/Translational InvestigationInvestigation articles are reports of quality original clinical or tra…Length not stated
- reviewThe journal publishes the following types of articles:Clinical/Translational InvestigationInvestigation articles are reports of quality original clinical or tra…Length not stated
- review articleThe journal publishes the following types of articles:Clinical/Translational InvestigationInvestigation articles are reports of quality original clinical or tra…main text ≤ 150 words · abstract ≤ 150 words
- short reviewShort Review articles are similar to the 'Review Article', but shorter. Occasionally, a clinical case may be used to introduce the subject but should not repres…main text ≤ 2,500 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
SSCI members (first or corresponding author) not charged publication fee; non-members billed $40 per printed page page charge, only if accepted. Model summary
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process; submissions initially assessed by editors; if suitable, sent to a minimum of two reviewers for independent expert assessment; editors make the decision. Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Lippincott Williams and Wilkins Ltd.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1827
- ISSN
- 0002-9629
- Electronic ISSN
- 1538-2990
- Society / sponsor
- Southern Society for Clinical Investigation
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES
What CAS zone is AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES is in Zone 4 of Medicine, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Medicine, General & Internal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Medicine. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.35; CiteScore 3.3, h-index 236.
How long does peer review take at AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES?
Based on the dates recorded on 102 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 127 days (interquartile range 86–205 days); authors report an average review time of about 1.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 5,000 words; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES based?
Of the 29 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 3 (about 10%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (26) and Mainland China (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES open access, and what is the APC?
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF THE MEDICAL SCIENCES is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,940.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .