About the Journal
The Journal of The Clinical Problem Solvers (CPS) is the peer-reviewed publication of The Clinical Problem Solvers. Founded to extend the educational mission of the CPS community into the realm of scholarly publishing, CPS provides a dedicated home for clinical reasoning cases, diagnostic narratives, and educational content that advances the science and practice of diagnostic thinking.
Our Mission
The Clinical Problem Solvers are committed to democratizing clinical reasoning education. The Journal carries this mission forward by bridging the gap between bedside teaching and formal publication. We believe that the diagnostic reasoning process itself — not just the final diagnosis — is worthy of rigorous documentation, peer review, and dissemination.
Every case discussed at Morning Report, every schema refined through practice, and every diagnostic journey navigated at the bedside holds lessons that deserve to be shared widely. The Journal exists to capture and formalize these teaching moments so they can reach learners and clinicians around the world.
What We Publish
The Journal currently publishes four article types:
- Tempo and Frame: Clinical Problem Solving — Structured case discussions featuring expert discussants who work through clinical aliquots, highlighting the reasoning process including problem representation, illness scripts, and iterative hypothesis refinement.
- In Reflection: Narrative Medicine — Reflective essays exploring the human dimensions of clinical problem-solving, from the experience of diagnostic uncertainty to the stories behind the diagnoses.
- Spot the Diagnosis: Image Challenge — Clinical images paired with structured diagnostic questions, designed for rapid educational engagement and visual pattern recognition.
- Clinical Reasoning Corner — Shorter case vignettes in a more relaxed style, with a focused discussion on core aspects of clinical reasoning related to the case.
Additional article types, including medical education pieces and other formats, are planned for future issues.
Our Audience
The Journal serves medical students, resident physicians, hospitalists, practicing clinicians, and medical educators — anyone committed to improving their diagnostic reasoning skills and contributing to the growing body of knowledge around clinical problem-solving. Whether you are a trainee learning to build illness scripts or an experienced clinician refining your approach to diagnostic uncertainty, the Journal has content for you.
The CPS Ecosystem
The Journal is one part of a broader educational ecosystem built by The Clinical Problem Solvers. The Journal sits alongside:
- The CPS Podcast — Clinical reasoning episodes including Rapid Learning Rounds, Schema discussions, and specialty deep dives
- The CPSolvers Academy — A global membership community featuring daily virtual Morning Reports and case presentations
- Diagnostic Schemas & Frameworks — Open-access visual tools for organizing clinical knowledge
The Journal is where the best cases and teaching moments from across this ecosystem are formally documented, peer-reviewed, and shared with the wider medical community.
Contact
For editorial inquiries, submission questions, or general correspondence, please contact the editorial team at journal@clinicalproblemsolving.com.
Please note: At this time, the Journal is not accepting external submissions from outside The Clinical Problem Solvers community. We plan to open submissions to external authors in the future.