[The national medical journal--what for?]

National medical journals constitute one of the most visible links which unite the medical profession despite specialities and types of employment. In addition to being informative, instructive, supplying comments and, best of all, entertaining, medical journals have also the responsibility for the professional identity of doctors and development of the roles they play. With their circulation end significance, national medical journals are representatives for culture in the medical world. The Nordic journals have particular tasks as regards the national professional terminology and the national professional environment. The future main challenges for general medical journals will be adjustment to the expectations from the media of the new generations of doctors, clarification of the relationships between journals as organs for qualification and informative channels, and ensuring editorial independence.