A Reflection of Health Care
Submission Guidelines Categories Online Submission Mail or Drop-Off Submissions
Get Published!
Share a personal reflection or submit a project reflecting health care to publish in VitalSigns, the College alumni magazine, or the College website.
Everyone enjoys reading short stories written with inspiration and heartfelt emotion. Share with readers your experiences you have encountered in your healthcare/education role.
Take this opportunity as Mercy students, alumni or College employees to be recognized for artistic and literary achievements inspired by health care. Works are accepted in the following genres: Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Art and Photography. Reflections from a past experience, class or community service project are also accepted.
As an example, click here to check out Lindey McPherson’s Literary Expression of Nonfiction. Your submission could appear in the next VitalSigns and/or online.
Submission Guidelines
You must be a current Mercy College student, alum or College employee to submit to Mercy College. You may submit multiple works to multiple genres.
Submission Deadlines
Submissions are accepted throughout the year. The following deadlines serve only as a guideline. Submissions received after the deadlines listed below will be kept for possible future publication.

Categories
Literary Expressions
Subject Matter: Health Care
Genres include: fiction or nonfiction, poetry, prose, essay, and short stories.
- Length Limitation: 1000 words
- Preferred file types: .doc, .txt, .pdf
Art and Photography
Subject Matter: Open (not limited to health care)
Genres include: Acrylic or oil paintings, charcoal drawings, sculptures, ceramics, photographs, etc.
- Submit a photograph of artwork with 300dpi resolution at 7” x 10”.
- Photographs must be submitted in digital format
- Preferred file formats: .tif or .jpg
- If artwork is chosen and you do not have a digital file available, a photograph may be taken by the Marketing Department.
Reflections
Subject Matter: Health Care
Provide a reflection from your personal, professional, class or community service experience. This should reflect what you have gained from your experience and how it impacted your role as a healthcare provider. For students, the reflection can come from the graduation requirement. An electronic file must be submitted.
- Preferred file formats: .doc, .txt, .pdf
If your submission is selected for publication, you may choose to be listed as anonymous. However, submissions may not be made anonymously. Any submissions which are not chosen for print may be posted on the website.

Online Submissions
Click here to submit your work(s) online.
Mail or Drop Off Submissions
If mailing or dropping off your submission, please include the following information with your submission(s):
- Your name
- Your program of study
- The title and description of your work
- Category and Genre (Medium/media for art
- submissions)
- Email address
- Your phone number
- Class Year (Alumni only)
Mailing Address
Mercy College of Health Sciences
Marketing Department
928 6th Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50309
Drop-Off Site
Mercy College of Health Sciences
Sullivan Center Receptionist Desk
Attn: Melissa Miller
928 6th Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50309

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