Hero_1600-X-480_TREE_WEB

Academic Medicine Supplement

Theme: Advancing Flourishing Toward Health Through Character, Caring, and Practical Wisdom

The call for abstracts is now open! Submit by January 16, 2026 >>

Description

The Kern National Network for Flourishing in Health (KNN) advocates flourishing as the aim of academic medicine. Specifically, the KNN Framework for Flourishing represents a synthesis of neo-Aristotelian virtue ethics and relational care ethics, guiding individuals and communities in realizing their potential and fostering the flourishing of others across individual, communal, systemic, and societal domains. The KNN's work also recognizes the importance of bridging across differences to form connection and find common ground toward flourishing for all.

Through conversation among scholars and scholar-practitioners, this sponsored supplement aims to develop the theoretical understanding of the Framework, showcase its practical implementations, and foster dialogue about this integrated ethical approach. Manuscripts may examine conceptual foundations, empirical research, or innovative practices that explore how flourishing can be understood, assessed, cultivated, and sustained across these ecosystems.

_{Image: Open Book Vectors}

Call for Abstracts

We invite you to submit an abstract in one of the following categories:

Importance of flourishing in medicine and considerations for if and how to assess
The common pathways to flourishing in the lived experiences of academic medicine
Medical education initiatives that nurture the flourishing of faculty and learners
Flourishing in leadership and organizational cultures for the benefit of faculty, learners, clinicians, staff, and patients.

In accordance with Academic Medicine’s paper types, we welcome Articles examining concerns and challenges facing academic medicine; Research Reports presenting original quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods studies; Scholarly Perspectives proposing a hypothesis or theorizing the implications of an unimplemented program; Innovation Reports describing novel programs or initiatives with evidence of effectiveness; and Reviews analyzing evidence in the literature. (Please refer to Academic Medicine’s instructions for authors for additional details concerning these paper types.)

Submissions that connect theory to practice, demonstrate measurable impact, and/or propose directions for cultural transformation within academic medicine will be of particular interest.

Submission Instructions

Abstracts must be no more than 500 words and submitted as Word documents to hcarroll@mcw.edu by 11:59 pm ET January 16, 2026.

Author name and affiliation should appear only in the email body to allow for blinded review.
Anonymized abstracts should list one theme and one paper type that are the most appropriate.

Notifications and Next Steps

Selected papers are expected to receive invitations by February 28, 2026, with full manuscripts due by May 30, 2026. Submitted manuscripts will undergo a preliminary review followed by the Academic Medicine review process. We cannot guarantee that submission of a manuscript will result in publication.

Guest Editors

James Woodruff, MD

Jeff Fritz, PhD

Christine K. Cassel, MD

Kimara Ellefson, MBA, EdD

Chris Stawski, PhD

Cheryl A. Maurana, PhD

Resources and References for Submitters

To deepen your understanding of the supplement theme—and the dialogue on character, caring, and practical wisdom as interrelated elements that contribute to human flourishing—please consult the resource lists provided below.

Open AllClose All

Essential KNN Framework for Flourishing Resources

KNN Framework for Flourishing

Berkowitz MW. Science of Character Education. In: Damon W, ed. Bringing in a New Era in Character Education. Hoover Institution; 2002:43-63.

Held V. The Ethics of Care: Personal, Political, and Global. 1st ed. Oxford University PressNew York; 2005. doi:10.1093/0195180992.001.0001

Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues. Framework for Character Education in Schools. The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues; 2022. https://www.jubileecentre.ac.uk/character-education-/framework-for-character-education/

Maurana CA, Fritz JD, Witten AA, Williams SE, Ellefson KA. Advancing flourishing as the north star of medical education: A call for personal and professional development as key to becoming physicians. Medical Teacher. 2024;46(12):1539-1543. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2024.2412791

Mayeroff M. On Caring. Harper & Row; 1971.

Schwartz B, Sharpe K. Practical Wisdom: The Right Way to Do the Right Thing. Riverhead Books; 2010.

Su F. Mathematics for Human Flourishing. Yale University Press; 2020. 1.

Tronto J. Moral Boundaries: A Political Argument for an Ethic of Care. Routledge; 1993.

Tronto J. Caring Democracy: Markets, Equality, and Justice. New York University Press; 2013.

Additional Resources

Arthur J, Earl S, Thompson A, Ward J. Repurposing the professions: The role of professional character. Published online 2019. Accessed July 21, 2025. https://www.jubileecentre.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Repurposing_The_Professions.pdf

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1981). The ecology of human development: Experiments by nature and design (unknown edition). Harvard University Press.

Frush BW, Kim DT, Fritz J, Kristjánsson K. Wellness versus flourishing in medical education: a critique toward a new synthesis. Theor Med Bioeth. Published online May 14, 2025. doi: 10.1007/s11017-025-09714-5

Haramati A. Importance of Mind-Body Medicine and Human Flourishing in the Training of Physicians. Marshall Journal of Medicine. 2024;10(2). doi:10.33470/2379-9536.1443

Kaldjian LC, Yoon J, Ark TK, Shinkunas L, Jotterand F. Practical wisdom in medicine through the eyes of medical students and physicians. Medical Education. 2023;57(12):1219-1229. doi:10.1111/medu.15108

Maurana CA, Fritz JD, Carroll HB, Witten AA, Williams SE, Ellefson KA. Response to: ‘A flourishing-centered curriculum can only thrive through the embrace of diversity.’ Medical Teacher. Published online April 9, 2025:1-1. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2025.2489255

VanderWeele TJ. On the promotion of human flourishing. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2017;114(31):8148-8156. doi:10.1073/pnas.1702996114

Woltman AM, Cecilio-Fernandes D. A flourishing-centered curriculum can only thrive through the embrace of diversity. Medical Teacher. 2025;47(7):1234-1234. doi:10.1080/0142159X.2024.2445749