Journal profile · EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES-SURGERY
Journal of Surgical Education
ISSN 1931-7204 · eISSN 1878-7452 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly · Founded 2007
Journal of Surgical Education: CAS Zone 3 · Education (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.17; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,420; median 88 days to acceptance (116 articles, last 24 months); 340 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Surgical Education is published by Elsevier Inc. and is in Zone 3 of Education in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Surgical Simulation and Training, Diversity and Career in Medicine and Innovations in Medical Education, together about 59.3% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Surgical Education (JSE) is dedicated to advancing the field of surgical education through original research. The journal publishes research articles in all surgical disciplines on topics relative to the education of surgical students, residents, and fellows, as well as practicing surgeons. Our readers look to JSE for timely, innovative research findings from the international surgical education community. As the official journal of the Association of Program Directors in Surgery (APDS), JSE publishes the proceedings of the annual APDS meeting held during Surgery Education Week.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES-SURGERY
Editor-in-chief Douglas SminkPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 41, United Kingdom 3 (44 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Surgical Simulation and TrainingMedicine26.7%
- Diversity and Career in MedicineSocial Sciences17.9%
- Innovations in Medical EducationMedicine14.6%
- Simulation-Based Education in HealthcareMedicine5.9%
- Hospital Admissions and OutcomesMedicine4.4%
- Anatomy and Medical TechnologyEngineering2.9%
- Medical Education and AdmissionsMedicine2.8%
- Healthcare professionals’ stress and burnoutHealth Professions2.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Education Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Surgery | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Education, Scientific Disciplines | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Education Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Education | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Education, Scientific Disciplines | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Surgery | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Medicine Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Medicine | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Education, Scientific Disciplines | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Surgery | Zone 3 |
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
- 2.17LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.72LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.07LetPub ·
- h-index
- 45LetPub ·
- h-index
- 97OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,959OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.08OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 13.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 23.5%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 296LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,339 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 275 | 107 | 37 |
| 2025 | 340 | 113 | 631 |
| 2024 | 293 | 91 | 1,223 |
| 2023 | 234 | 45 | 1,615 |
| 2022 | 213 | 42 | 1,997 |
| 2021 | 239 | 42 | 3,303 |
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
88 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 71 days – 107 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 31 days (116 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 119 days
- Sample
- 116 articles with submission and acceptance dates (705 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)
- 4–8 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 10 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 46 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 100 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double 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 3,420 / EUR 3,200 / GBP 2,740 / JPY 424,180 | — | — | |
| 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.
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 prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 300 words
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted5, with length limits
- how i do itHow I Do It articles enable authors to describe novel educational techniques or programs without the requirement for rigorous data; data are welcomed but not re…Length not stated
- letters to the editorLetters to the editor are welcome. Letters referring to a recent journal article are best received as soon as possible after that article is published. Letters …Length not stated
- original manuscriptsOriginal manuscriptsManuscripts must meet the following criteria (taken from JAMA's Instructions for Authors5): the material is original; the writing is clear; …Length not stated
- perspectivewill be printed along with your letter. Perspectives Perspectives are brief (max 1500 words) pieces on a current topic in surgical education. These submain text ≤ 1,500 words
- perspectivesPerspectives are brief (max 1500 words) pieces on a current topic in surgical education.Length not stated
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 Authorship
By adhering to the authorship requirements stated above, authors meet the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) criteria [updated version January 2024] on authorship.
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
PRISMA reporting guidelines for systematic reviews 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
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double 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 sharing allowed Model summary
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. Note that this journal follows a double anonymized peer review process, and therefore submissions should not be published as a preprint befo…
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
- Elsevier Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 2007
- ISSN
- 1931-7204
- Electronic ISSN
- 1878-7452
- Society / sponsor
- Association of Program Directors in Surgery
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Surgical Education
What CAS zone is Journal of Surgical Education in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Surgical Education is in Zone 3 of Education, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Surgery / Education, Scientific Disciplines. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Education. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Surgical Education?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.17; CiteScore 3.5, h-index 97.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Surgical Education?
Based on the dates recorded on 116 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 88 days (interquartile range 71–107 days); authors report an average review time of 4–8 weeks. 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 Journal of Surgical Education?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 300 words; Suggested reviewers: Optional. 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 Journal of Surgical Education based?
Of the 44 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (41) and United Kingdom (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Surgical Education?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Surgical Education is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Journal of Surgical Education open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Surgical Education is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,420.
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: .