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Editors and the Editorial Process

Content last modified Aug 2023

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Sandy Falk, MD

Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USAClinical Instructor, part-time, Harvard Medical School, and Director of Gynecology of the Sexual Health Program, Adult Survivorship Program, Dana Farber Cancer Institute

DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Justin L. Kaplan, MD

Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USAClinical Associate Professor, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University

SENIOR EDITOR

Richard B. Lynn, MD 

SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR

Ernest Yeh, MD

EDITORIAL STAFF

Karen T. Albright

Keryn A.G. Lane

Crystal G. Norris 

Susan C. Short

Michelle A. Steigerwald

The Manuals' content is generated following the same process as the most respected medical textbooks and journals. The steps include an

  1. External author
  2. External peer reviewer
  3. External pharmacologist reviewer
  4. Internal physician editor
  5. Internal medical writer
  6. Editor-in-Chief
  7. Executive editor
  8. Final review and revision by author

Our over 300 independent authors, all of whom are experts in their field, prepare the content of their chapters and pass it on to one or more of the 26 independent medical peer reviewers on the Manual Editorial Board and review staff. The peer reviewers, who are authorities in their respective specialty and not otherwise connected to Merck , review the content to ensure that it is complete, accurate, and unbiased; when necessary, they request additions or corrections to the author's material. After peer review, an expert pharmacologist outside of Merck reviews drug dosage and recommendations to ensure accuracy. After these external steps, the Manuals' internal editorial staff of physicians and trained medical writers review the content to see whether any material (including multimedia and external links) should be added, deleted, or revised to make it clearer for non-specialist health care professionals (Professional Version) and consumers (Consumer Version). In addition, all of The Manuals' internal editors edit the content to ensure it meets the clarity and style standards for which The Manuals have long been known.