Welcome to the 15th edition of SIU School of Medicine's literary journal, SCOPE! We were overwhelmed with talent from our community this year with paintings, photography, poetry, and prose. We saw the world through the eyes of a child, through the struggles of the elderly, and even through the life and death of a cadaver. We were revisited by familiar faces, experienced the hectic nature of lives of both residents and physicians in nursing homes and inpatient wards, and intruded upon a couple in the midst of a quarrel. Through a camera lens, we viewed nature up close, through a paintbrush we saw the vibrancy of city lights, and through illustration we viewed the nuances of the human body.

For all of these experiences, we want to thank the contributors to the magazine this year. We would also like to thank our reviewers for their help in making some very difficult decisions. Thanks to our staff for all your hard work and time spent. And last, but definitely not least, thank you Karen Carlson, Dr. Phil Davis, Jim Hawker, and Dr. Jacqueline Scolari for your guidance, support, and direction. We hope you enjoy this as much as we do!