BMJ  2004;329:E314 (14 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7462.E314

BMJ USA: Editor's choice

The ins and outs of editing

At BMJ USA, we depend on the weekly BMJ for most of our material. The editors meet each month to select the papers, editorials, reviews, and other features we think will be most interesting and informative for our readers. Our pleasant dilemma is that there is often too much good stuff to choose from. The choices we made this month are illustrative.

Selecting the cover story was easy. Eustace and Nelson's editorial on whole body MRI (p 387) combines arresting images with a clinically interesting topic that was new to us. We then chose the issue's research papers and selected or commissioned editorials to complement them. We also like to include freestanding editorials that provide a policy perspective, such as Drahos and Henry's discussion of the potentially devastating health effects of new US free trade agreements (p 393). It was a coin toss as to which of several clinical review articles to include; what you don't see this month, you will get to read in coming issues. And we couldn't resist including Bogaty and Brophy's parable on the angioplasty/thrombolysis debate (p 421).

I mention all of this because a major transition related to our content has taken place. Sharp-eyed readers may have noticed a prominent name missing from the top of our masthead this month. Richard Smith, BMJ editor and BMJ Publishing Group chief executive, has left after 25 years at BMJ. During Dr. Smith's tenure, BMJPG has become known as the leading innovator in medical publishing. More than 20 new journals were started (including BMJ USA); Clinical Evidence, an ongoing compilation of systematic reviews, and Best Treatments, a web site that translates this evidence into recommendations for patients and doctors, were launched; BMJ Learning, web-based continuing education designed for general practitioners, was initiated; and bmj.com grew into what is widely considered to be the best medical journal web site.

While remaining aware of the epidemiologic adage that correlation does not imply causality, I think most will agree that Richard Smith had a strong role in creating and sustaining all of these ventures. It has been a pleasure working with Richard in the year that I have edited this journal. He has been an intelligent, wise, funny, and kind mentor. But perhaps his most impressive quality is what our 41st president called "the vision thing": focusing on how to improve what we do and on where we should be heading next.

It has been Richard Smith's vision that has both enabled BMJ USA to exist and grow and led to the unique mix of content that we get to present to you each month. We will miss him greatly.

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