Uniting Medicine with Culture

Hektoen International began in November 2008 as a free online journal with the motto of Uniting Medicine with Culture. Named in honor of Doctor Ludvig Hektoen, a distinguished professor of pathology at Cook County Hospital and the University of Chicago, the journal features articles on art, history, literature, education, ethics, and other subjects as related to healthcare and medicine.

Articles are first published in the appropriate thematic section of Hektorama, this also being the official publication date for future reference. The articles may later be highlighted or popularized in Frontispiece (the traditional front page). Periodically older articles are featured again in Frontispiece on the basis that literature is a form of art and the journal like a museum (its articles being its precious collection), to be exhibited again and again, like a Correggio or Titian, not archived and forgotten.

Articles published in Hektoen International may be further shared and publicized through the journal’s email newsletters and social media pages. Publishing electronically rather than in print allows dissemination and access of our authors’ work to a wider audience. This paradigm shift in an era of rapid change and innovation allows us to better keep pace with evolving technology, just as the printing press of Guttenberg replaced the illuminated manuscripts of the monks and scribes. It is truly exciting to be on the cusp of these developments, to experiment with new forms of communication, and to balance modern trends and innovations with the aim of publishing a serious journal of medical humanities, thus Uniting Medicine with Culture.