Special Projects
Our “Special Projects” section of the VJM showcases innovative, student-led initiatives that extend beyond traditional journal publication. From collaboratively authored student textbooks to original musical compositions and creative works, these projects reflect the depth, talent, and imagination of our medical student community. We are proud to provide a platform for students to build, create, and share meaningful contributions that enrich medical education and culture. We invite you to explore these special initiatives and celebrate the creativity shaping the future of medicine.
Click on the cover art to open the project.
The Healer's Note
Creator: Ruja Parikh
The Healer’s Note is an original album of six songs written and recorded by senior medical student Ruja Parikh. Rooted in the principles of narrative medicine, the project uses music and lyrical storytelling to explore the clinical experiences, grief, moral distress, and professional growth encountered during medical training. Each track is accompanied by a brief reflection describing the patient encounter or moment that inspired it, followed by the full lyrics to be read alongside the music. Through songwriting as a form of narrative medicine, The Healer’s Note highlights the power of creative expression to deepen empathy, strengthen connection, and sustain the humanity of those learning to heal.
First Incision: Foundations of Surgery
Editor: Grant O. Killian
Publisher: Virginia Journal of Medicine (Catherine E. Lyons & Aaron D. Smith, Editors-in-Chief)
The first edition of First Incision: Foundations of Surgery represents a collaboration between 44 medical students and 13 faculty reviewers at the UVA School of Medicine, led by Student Editor Grant O. Killian and Faculty Editor Dr. Stefan W. Leichtle. Together, they transformed early notes into a polished, high-quality resource for surgical education.
This edition embodies the mission of student-driven scholarship: to create a freely accessible, rigorously reviewed text that bridges classroom learning with patient care, equipping future physicians with knowledge essential for surgical training.
