The Human Condition

The Human Condition 20212021 The Human Condition Cover Art

The Human Condition, the annual art and literary magazine of the UCSD School of Medicine was borne of the imaginative stories written by medical students in the elective "The Good Doctor: The Works of Anton Checkhov." It is a forum for the creative work of medical students, residents, and faculty of the UCSD School of Medicine.

Medicine teaches us much about biological life and how to prolong it. However, we must not forget in the midst of the curriculum why one should live or what it means to live well. As a reminder of these central ideas and the art that resides in the medicine, we are proud to present The Human Condition.

The Human Condition 2020 Virtual Art Show is available to stream here.  

Dear UC San Diego SOM Community,

The Human Condition Magazine team will announce details regarding submission for the 2022 edition of The Human Condition in fall 2021. 

The Human Condition is an annual literary arts magazine dedicated to showcasing creative endeavors of the UCSD community and strives to promote artistic and humanistic ventures. We encourage submissions from all members of the UCSD SOM community including students, residents, faculty and staff. General submission guidelines can be found below: 

For photography and art pieces

Your entries can be from anywhere and any time. Send in your colorful pictures and drawings!

For prose and poetry pieces

Your entry can be anything - a short story, a journal entry, an experience in the wards/clinics, etc. They do not have to be medical or clinical. We want to showcase your creativity! They also do not need to be in their final draft, as we will work with you to refine your entries. For longer works, please aim for a total length of no more than 1000 words. 

FOR Performance ART and other recorded PIECES

Your entry can be anything from dance to spoken word to a musical performance to claymation. 2020-2021 was the first year that we  attempted to capture artwork that cannot be printed on a page. If it would be helpful to have a practiced videographer to help capture your work, please reach out to us. 

For all submissions

  • Include your name
  • Your contact information
  • SOM status (MS1-4, faculty, staff, etc)
  • The category of submission (i.e. prose, poetry, artwork, or photography)
  • The title of your piece
  • Name your submission attachments as Lastname_Firstname_SOMstatus_TitleOfPiece.
  • Send your submissions. [The submission form will be posted here in fall 2021.] 

The deadline for submissions is TBD. If you have any questions, please email us at ucsdhumancondition@gmail.com. 

Thank you,
The Human Condition Editors